Chris from UK

I didn't post a question postgame because I was too deflated and too emotional. Capitulation is a word I don't remember seeing in II, although I'm certain it has. If the OL could be "fixed" before the Jets game, do we have a chance?

Definitely. Nothing is over. The Packers lost to the New Orleans Saints 38-3 to open the 2021 season before eventually claiming the NFC's best regular-season record. But there is work to do, my friends. That much is certain.

Oliver from Germany

Hi Insiders, first game let's relax, it's September (I don't know why the NFL has a division rivalry game in their minds). It was frustrating against the Vikes, but we saw where the limits are for now. In your opinion, OL, running game...has to improve. What things are to do?

Don't get me wrong. Sunday wasn't good enough. Jordan Love was under way too much pressure and the ground game just wasn't a suitable complement to the Packers' downfield passing game. The Vikings boast as feisty of a defensive front as you'll find in the NFL, but you still gotta find answers for them. Green Bay had some in the first half, but few in the fourth quarter – especially once Minnesota could pin its ears back.

Harry from Rochester, NY

Sunday's game the Packers for 1-for-4 in the red zone scoring touchdowns. In the last six games the Packers lost, what's the percentage of scoring touchdowns in the red zone? MLF playing calling in the red zone has to improve?

A lot of conversation about the fourth quarter. Totally get that. More on that later in the column, but the red zone is the most concerning thing to me. That's where you put your foot on your opponent's throat and Green Bay didn't get it done.

Bill from Menominee, MI

On a positive note, the pass catchers and Jordan Love look like a dangerous group. On a negative note, the dropped ball by Jayden Reed just before the half really hurt. I think it was third-and-a-mile, but the defense played soft enough to allow the Packers a conversion that would put them in field-goal range. Those three added points would have also affected the later fourth-and-1 situation as you mentioned. But how about a 59-yarder to start a young kicking career?

Not sure what happened on the extra point, but otherwise Trey Smack was spectacular. It's hard to put into words how loud it was inside U.S. Bank, especially when Smack made the 59-yarder. The kid plowed ahead and continues to show he's ready to take this league head on.

Michael from Saint Louis, MO

I had zero problem with going for it on fourth-and-1. But a QB sneak when the O-line was struggling? No one was even there to help Love out. Is the Tucker Kraft sneak off the table now? If you're going to sneak it, that felt like the better option. Why be aggressive enough to go for it, but then conservative with the actual play call?

LaFleur confirmed Monday that the Kraft sneak is still in the playbook, but that wasn't the call on that play. Again, Love checked to the sneak.

Michael from Thomson, IL

The QB sneak with no pusher reminded me of the fourth-down run up the middle against the Eagles last year. Everyone saw it coming, what gives here?

Love confirmed it was a check, so I'm not sure whether that affected MarShawn Lloyd's ability to get to the line and assist after starting eight yards back. Either way, Minnesota had better pad level to win the play.

Chris from Waukesha, WI

Good morning, II! There are obviously a lot of feelings after the fourth-quarter disaster class that was Sunday. First, let's not forget that the passing O was phenomenal for about 3½ quarters. My question is Donovan Jennings getting the start over Jager Burton. I don't recall him getting first-team reps at any point. Was there any reasoning behind that move, or a clue that he would start instead of Burton?

Jennings occasionally rotated in at guard with the first-team offense, but you are right. It was mostly Burton who spelled Aaron Banks during training camp. LaFleur was asked afterwards and confirmed it had to do with time on task and Jennings earning the opportunity to start based on what he showed the coaches the past 2½ years.

Levi from St Paul, MN

Refs and O-line issues aside, I thought there was plenty to be excited about after this game. Love is a stud, Christian Watson is elite, Kraft is elite, a lot of very good defensive play, and a darn good kicker. Even the special teams looked legit. I think as fans, we expect a little too much. As last season proved, looking great in September means nothing. Keep your heads up; keep watching.

Watson looked great. He was plucking the ball out of the air and continued to look like a guy who could still run a 4.36 in Indianapolis. The Packers have some serious after-the-catch firepower with Watson, Matthew Golden and Kraft. Just gotta give Love time to get the ball in their hands.

Richard from Santa Ana, CA

We kept hearing all offseason how Jager Burton was making a play to actually start at LG, and with Banks ruled out how did Jennings leapfrog him to take his place? Is it that the coaching staff thought the environment would be too much for him to overcome in his first game action? Just seems as if it's another miscalculation of not trusting those who have performed best.

I will say that is a tough ask for a rookie fifth-round pick to make his NFL debut in that environment, especially if most of the practice reps went to Banks last week. We'll see if Banks practices Wednesday and which direction Green Bay chooses to go there.

Steven from Ladysmith, WI

What happened to Anthony Belton? Starter last year and an afterthought now. Jennings comes on to replace Banks and gets flagged right away. I have a hard time believing that he is not better.

A few questions about Belton. I think the main thing there is he repped exclusively at right guard and the two tackle positions this summer. If Belton worked at left guard at all, I missed it. Maybe the Packers choose to slide him that way moving forward, but I fully expected it to be either Jager Burton or Jennings if Banks couldn't go.

Lucius from Akron, OH

It probably gets lost in the end results, but Keisean Nixon was on fire for a good bit of the game. Does that help quiet the critics, or do they just kvetch more later after the Pack wins a game?

I think everything about that game underscored the importance of Keisean Nixon to this Packers team. He ain't perfect, but guess what? Nobody is, especially at cornerback.

Douglas from Parker, CO

Per Bill Parcells, "Always take the points, especially on the road." I know the two-score caveat, but there is something to be said for always getting points when you can. It changes the emotion of the game. Now the Vikings aren't pumped even higher from a big stand. It's "we have to keep scoring." The pressure is on them. It's a psychological thing.

I was admittedly relieved when Trey Smack made the 40-yarder and Green Bay went up by eight but also understood why LaFleur went for it. I think one of the analytic sites said it was an 83% conversion rate. The Packers were 1-of-4 in the red zone at that point and needed to punch one in the end zone regardless of how Minnesota's next drive played out.

Dan from Minneapolis, MN

Saw this stat online Monday at The Athletic: "Green Bay, which lost Sunday after allowing 22 fourth-quarter points, has a league-worst 7-5 record (.583) since the start of last season when leading by at least nine points in second halves. The rest of the league has a 204-23 (.899) record in those games, counting playoffs. That includes a combined 35-0 for Buffalo, Seattle and San Francisco." What do you think is the root of the problem given the roster turnover between 2025 and 2026?

Whatever point you're trying to make, Dan, you are entitled to that opinion until the Packers prove you wrong.

JJ from West Allis, WI

How many times did Love get hit vs. the Vikes?

Minnesota was credited with 15 hits on Love.

Matt from Fort Worth, TX

What do you think is the reason the O-line hasn't performed in recent years? Inexperience, coaching, not the right players? For years we typically had one of the better units so it is hard to see them perform like this.

The Packers have been snakebitten up front dating back to really Bryan Bulaga's second torn ACL. David Bakhtiari's career should be winding down now but instead he's been out of football for three years. Elgton Jenkins broke his leg last year, Zach Bako-Bewele tore his patellar tendon, Jordan Morgan had the shoulder his rookie year, and Aaron Banks has had persistent knee issues. The consistency for the Packers' offensive line in the 2010s was fielding pretty much the same O-line on a perennial basis. Even when guys were out, it was the same next men up – JC Tretter, Lane Taylor, Lucas Patrick, Justin McCray and so on. Green Bay still finds itself searching for that fortified starting five.

Douglas from Parker, CO

I'm curious if you think the momentum shift starts even earlier than the fourth quarter. I would say the end of the first half. It almost feels like we aren't adjusting to their adjustments. I know penalties play into things, but were you able to see us bring in extra protection for the upfront pressure? I'd trade an extra receiver (especially with the remaining speed) for six linemen on the field.

Green Bay ran a fair amount of three tight ends, including Belton reporting eligible for four snaps. The 13-yard completion to a crossing Matthew Golden came out of a six-OL front.

Scott from Noblesville, IN

Two quick thoughts: First, back on Aug. 26, Wes reminded us "there is no microwaving success in the NFL," so here's to allowing Gute, Matt and the players to slowly cook a great full course meal. Secondly, my respect and admiration for Jordan Love grew immensely Sunday. He hung in there, took several unflagged, possibly even "finable" hits under some very tough circumstances. Elite? Through my green gold eyes, he is. Sadly, the officials, especially young Hochuli, did not protect him as one!

I'm not talking about Ed's kid in the column. I expressed my thoughts on X. No further need to belabor the point. Jordan Love is the real deal. He's what you want in a franchise pillar. The Packers have to build around Love to win consistently, but he's got what it takes.

John from Byron, MN

The Vikings seemed to have a game plan to hit Love as often as they could. That's of course the game they play, but many were delivered after the ball was gone when a defender could easily have stopped. Felt intentional but never called. Did it strike you that way?

Yep. But if the refs aren't gonna police it, why stop? That's why it's important officials set the tone for how the game is going to be played and stick to that.

Gavin from Albuquerque, NM

"What I struggle with the most is not a single illegal contact, defensive holding or RTP was called all game until that one drive in the fourth quarter. That makes it hard to process a sequence like that." Thank you for succinctly describing what my knee-jerk message to II failed to express (which you thankfully didn't share). Sometimes I wonder if your job duties are a blessing in helping you keep a level head during all of the hullabaloo.

That line hit me hard. I think I knew it but didn't realize it until Spoff articulated it the way he did. Again, officiating is a subjective business and referees can't see everything. What's frustrating – much like the 2020 NFC title game – is when a game is officiated one way for 3½ quarters and then it completely swerves in another direction. Were the Vikings the more disciplined team? Absolutely. Were they 6½ times more disciplined than Green Bay? I'd argue against that.

Joe from The Villages, FL

Well, I guess we witnessed insanity in action again. Expecting a different outcome by doing the exact same thing. Tell me Mike and Wes, did you see anything on Sunday that leads you to believe this team has any chance of being good enough this year? O-line was terrible and Lloyd is not the answer at RB.

What I saw is Green Bay leading through the first three quarters, but none of that matters if you don't finish in the red zone and close teams out. Like I said in "Final Thoughts," the Packers needed to finish and be the better team in the fourth quarter, and they were not and they didn't.

Gui from Brazil

Ignoring all the issues, what did you think about the RB situation? Chris Brooks had some nice runs that seemed to fall off when the OL started to fail more, however it also didn't seem like any amount of TE or RB could block the pressure coming Jordan Love's way. Where should they prioritize? Running through or preventing getting run over?

The Packers started fast. The 14-yard yard Brooks run set the tone and wound up being the longest carry of the day. But there were far too many second-and-8-plus situations. We learned how critical Brooks is going to be as a third-down back, though.

Tristin from Morristown, TN

We really need to fix our late-game plan, had a lot of chances but none of them really took off... D was gassed, penalties, hurting ourselves... I guess all we can do is get back to work.

And be resilient. The Packers have been in these positions before. They need to play like they've learned from it.

Caleb from Knoxville, TN

Looking around the league, which outcome surprised you more – the Cardinals beating the Chargers, the Giants beating the Cowboys, or the Lions nearly losing in overtime to the Saints?

Three unexpected outcomes, but I'd say Arizona going into Inglewood and handing it to the Chargers.

Troy from Westminster, CO

Lloyd stayed healthy, Kraft looks back, Watson looks explosive and Smack made (most of) his kicks. I'm on to New York.

I think you gotta forget that game ever happened if you're the Packers while also remembering all the self-inflicted wounds that made a bad situation worse.

Bob from Jensen Beach, FL

Wes. Jets, Giants, Raiders and Cards win; Rams, Cowboys, Packers and Pats among the losers. Welcome to Week 1 of the NFL season! Still 16 more games to go to sort out the best.

That's how it goes sometimes. Onto the next.

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