3 Takeaways from Packers' Week 15 Loss vs. Bucs
Sunday's 34-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers delivered a brutal blow to the Green Bay Packers' playoff hopes.
A week ago, Green Bay was one of the hottest teams in the NFC and riding a three-game winning streak. It had knocked off playoff-caliber opponents in the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs and pulled to .500 on the season.
Then, Green Bay laid an egg against the New York Giants on Monday. On Sunday, the Packers blew a must-win game in Lambeau and struggled to keep it close in the second half.
At 6-8, the Packers are dangerously close to falling out of the wild-card mix, and they certainly didn't look like a playoff team against Tampa. Here's what else we learned during the Packers' Week 15 loss to the Buccaneers.
It's Time for a Defensive Makeover
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With the Packers losing by two touchdowns, we have to start with a negative, and it's a big one. Green Bay's defense, which has been up-and-down all season, has been flat-out bad over the past two weeks.
Against the Giants, the defense surrendered more than 200 rushing yards and allowed Tommy DeVito to engineer a stunning go-ahead field-goal drive late in regulation. Against the Buccaneers, the defense was bad in just about every area.
Tampa Bay racked up 452 total yards while coaxing 99 rushing yards from its 29th-ranked rushing offense. Quarterback Baker Mayfield finished 22-of-28 for 381 yards and four touchdowns.
Green Bay's defense features some standout players, like Jaire Alexander and Rashan Gary, but as a unit, it hasn't been good enough. We've seen growth from the Packers' offense this season, which we'll touch on shortly, but that growth has been absent on the other side of the ball.
The Packers must focus on reloading their defense in the offseason if they hope to contend in 2024.
Another Solid Day for Jordan Love
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Can the Packers find some positives in a loss? Absolutely, and they should. While the defense let Green Bay down against the Buccaneers, the Packers saw another solid performance from quarterback Jordan Love.
Love finished 29-of-39 for 284 yards, two touchdowns and a 111.5 passer rating, and he made several clutch throws to keep Green Bay in it early.
"The Packers offense is either absolute dimes from Jordan Love or plays where they look like they have never lined up before," ESPN's Bill Barnwell posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
With AJ Dillon (thumb) out, the Packers struggled to run consistently against Tampa, which forced Love to carry the load. While he did lose a fumble on a late fourth-down sack, Love responded well to that responsibility for most of the afternoon.
This was a big positive because Green Bay is still trying to figure out if Love can be their long-term answer under center. Even though it was a loss, games like Sunday's are why the Packers should feel confident about their offense heading into 2024.
Packers' Pass-catching Plan Paying Dividends
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Another reason why Green Bay should feel good about its offensive direction is the emergence of rookie pass-catchers like Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks.
General manager Brian Gutekunst threw several proverbial darts at the offense during the 2023 draft—landing Reed, Wicks, tight end Luke Musgrave and tight end Tucker Kraft in the process.
Musgrave is still recovering from a lacerated kidney suffered in November, but Reed, Wicks and Kraft all played prominent roles on Sunday. Reed caught six passes for 52 yards and a touchdown, while Wicks caught six for 97. Kraft chipped in four catches for 57 yards and a score.
Along with second-year receiver Romeo Doubs, the rookies have the potential to give Green Bay one of the more exciting young receiving corps in the NFL.
The Packers have taken their fair share of criticism over the years for not drafting a pass-catcher in the first round. However, this year's volume approach is paying off in a big way.
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