Packers Must Fix Offensive Line to Unlock Potential

The Green Bay Packers completely imploded in the final minutes of their matchup against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3.

Cleveland sealed the win with a game-ending field goal as time expired, handing Green Bay a painful 13-10 loss in its first road game of the season.

Despite a dominant showing from the Packers’ defense, which held the Browns to just 221 total yards, the offense didn’t enjoy the same success. The offensive line was largely to blame.

Injuries to Key Personnel

Optimism briefly spiked in Green Bay when it was announced that offensive linemen Aaron Banks and Zach Tom would be active against the Browns. That hope was short-lived. Tom exited after just one play, and Banks went down with an injury shortly after halftime.

The losses forced constant shuffling along the offensive line.

Tom’s departure initially forced Jordan Morgan into the lineup at right tackle. But when Banks left the game, Morgan bumped over to left guard, and rookie Anthony Belton stepped in at right tackle. The unit never found rhythm, and the lack of continuity was a major factor in the offense’s struggles.

Penalties Stall Offense

The Packers committed 14 accepted penalties, their most in a single game since 2010. Five of those came from offensive linemen, with Morgan and Rasheed Walker each flagged for two false starts.

Morgan’s first false start turned a red zone 3rd-and-4 into a 3rd-and-9, which ultimately led to Green Bay settling for a field goal. Later, Walker committed the same penalty on a drive that could have set up a game-winning field goal that was ultimately blocked.

Quarterback Jordan Love didn’t mince words after the game:

“I felt like we were putting some good drives together but at the end of the day I feel like we just hurt ourselves a little too much,” Love said.

Penalties can turn favorable situations into disasters in a heartbeat. The Packers demonstrated that repeatedly against the Browns.

Poor Performance

The injuries, position changes, and penalties all played a role, but excuses aside, the offensive line’s performance was unacceptable. The unit was a clear weak point of a Packers team that should have won a game in which it held its opponent to just 13 points.