3 Takeaways from Packers' Week 2 Loss vs. Falcons
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers passing offense exceeded expectations through two weeks.
Love's progress in the pocket is remarkable when you consider he has played without Christian Watson to start the 2023 NFL season.
The numbers produced by the Green Bay defense do not match what Love and Co. are doing on offense, and that is why the Packers sit at 1-1 and not 2-0.
Matt Lafleur's team was gashed for 446 total yards in its 25-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.
Green Bay will certainly take the progress Love and his young wide receivers have made, but in order to be competitive in the NFC North, the defense needs to clean up its high yardage concession and the team must play better in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Love, Young Wide Receivers Play Well
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Let's start with the big one positive for the Packers because, well, that happened first in chronological order inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks combined for 67 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
No one knew what the Green Bay wide receiver depth would look like going into the season, but the group has played well during Watson's absence.
Reed brought in touchdown catches of nine and 10 yards in the second and third quarters, while Wicks hauled in a 32-yard touchdown pass from Love.
Love finished with 151 passing yards and three touchdown passes. He could have done more, but at least he did not turn the ball over.
The first-year starter has a pair of three-touchdown games to start the season, and he will likely get better when Watson and Aaron Jones return to the field.
There are enough positive signs on offense to be excited about what the Packers can do at full strength, which is all the team and its fans could have asked for after coming into the season with an unknown at quarterback.
High Yardage Concession Can't Happen Again
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The Packers had a bend, not break, approach on defense against the Falcons offense.
Green Bay held the Falcons to a single touchdown and two field goals through three quarters, but the yardage earned by the home side built up.
Atlanta eventually broke through in the fourth quarter, something that the Packers may have seen coming with their high concessions to Bijan Robinson and Co.
Atlanta finished with 211 rushing yards between Robinson, Allgeier and Desmond Ridder, all of whom had a double-digit tally in carries.
The Packers let Drake London get loose in the passing game. He had six catches for 67 yards after an absent Week 1.
The Falcons exploited enough gaps in the Green Bay defense to wear it down and eventually come away with 13 fourth-quarter points, its highest tally of the day in a single period.
Fourth Quarter Execution Must Be Better
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Green Bay's last scoring play came with 56 seconds left in the third quarter.
Atlanta took over the contest after Reed's second touchdown pass.
The Packers did not earn a first down on their final three drives, which went for a total of seven yards.
Atlanta scored a touchdown on its first drive of the final stanza, and then it answered both of Green Bay's punts with a pair of series that ended in field goals.
Green Bay had no answer on offense in the fourth quarter. The struggles were affected by not having Jones and Watson active to finish off a game.
The first three quarters provided plenty of optimism about the offense, but that went away in closing time.
If the Packers can learn from the mistakes of the final 15 minutes, they will be in fine shape this season, but if the shortcomings continue, it could be a long season in the second half.
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