Packers Look to Bounce Back After Week 1 Collapse

The 2026 NFL season is upon us. The Packers opened week 1 in Minnesota and had a classic meltdown that has become the norm under Matt LaFleur. The Packers will look to bounce back after the week 1 collapse.

The Packers looked to be in control with a 19-10 lead at halftime against the Vikings last week. The defense was doing their job. The offense was doing okay but the protection was shaky, and the special teams had the best half we’ve seen in quite some time.

Queue the collapse. A classic Matt LaFleur type of game as the Packers put on an embarrassing performance in the second half. In the 3rd quarter, Green Bay had a 22-10 lead. The final score was 39-22 Vikings.

The Vikings scored 29 unanswered points. An unacceptable yet classic performance by Green Bay. So, what went wrong? Pretty much everything.

Once Kyler Murray went down, Carson Wentz entered the game for the Vikings in the first half. Things were shaky and Wentz struggled. After half, Wentz found his groove and finished the game 12/19 for three touchdowns.

The Packers offense stalled after a turnover on downs due to a failed QB sneak on 4th and 1 and after that it was the performance most Packers fans are used to, a total disappointment.

Even after witnessing the pitiful performance from the OL, the coaching staff still elected to run a QB sneak on 4th and 1 which ultimately failed. The adversity is just too much for this Packers team and that has been a problem for some time.

When they get punched in the mouth? They often have no response. What makes it worse? Green Bay initially kicked a field goal but after an offsides penalty decided to send the offense back on the field. All that just for the offense to fail to gain a yard.

In total, Green Bay outgained the Vikings with 419 yards to 239. The Packers were 3/12 on 3rd down while the Vikings were 8/15. The Packers were 0/2 on 4th down. The Vikings were 4/4 in the redzone while the Packers were 1/4.

The cherry on top? The Packers committed 12 penalties for 98 yards while the Vikings committed only 3 penalties for 15 yards. Another common occurrence under Matt LaFleur, an unprepared and sloppy week 1 team.

So, what was good? Despite Jordan Love‘s stat line of 21/42 with two touchdowns and an interception, he was phenomenal behind a mess of an offensive line. Love did lose a fumble after being overwhelmed for three straight plays by Minnesota’s defense.