GREEN BAY – Ten explosive plays on offense at Minnesota was an impressive number.
What bodes even better for the Packers in 2026 is those 10 explosives being shared amongst six different playmakers.
The explosive plays – which the Packers define as rushes of 12-plus yards and receptions of 16-plus – were divvied up as follows: three from Christian Watson, two each from Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft, and one each from Jonnu Smith, Chris Brooks and MarShawn Lloyd, the latter two on runs.
"We've got a lot of guys that can make plays, and that's the exciting part," QB Jordan Love said Wednesday. "We've got to stick with it, keep leaning on some of the stuff we did good, but we want to be an explosive offense. Obviously, we've got to make defenses pay when they give us the right look."
Despite the loss, Week 1 was a strong start in that regard, as Watson's early 81-yard catch-and-run for a TD was the first of five gains of 30-plus. Watson had another for 32, Golden had one for 42, plus Kraft for 30 and Smith for 43.
Still, Love felt there were more plays to be made "for everybody." Without getting into schematic specifics, he felt the offense missed some chances, too.
One name curiously absent from the explosive list was Jayden Reed, but the fourth-year receiver isn't sweating it. He's confident he'll get his share, and he plans to be ready when his time comes.
"It's not frustrating," Reed said. "Every read can't go your way. When the ball finds you, you'll get that opportunity.
"J-Love, he's only got two eyes, you know what I'm saying? He can't find everybody that's open on every play. He's going to go with his read and play fast and make the right read. He does a great job of that, and when your opportunity comes, you've just got to capitalize."
Neither of the running backs had a pass reception, either, so that's another area to explore. Brooks broke a run for 14 and Lloyd one for 12 on a day the ground game showed more fits and starts than steadiness, but getting so many guys involved in the big-play production lays a valuable foundation.
"It means everything," Lloyd said. "We all can contribute in every way. Our whole offense is explosive, so we just have to figure out how to get everything going."
Hitting full gear will require higher efficiency in the red zone and better pass protection.
Regarding the former, Smith's big play set up first-and-goal but only produced a field goal. Golden's 42-yarder led to a failed fourth-and-1 after the Packers initially had settled for another field goal.
"When you tallied up the explosives, we were winning that by a large margin. It's the consistency," Kraft said. "Execution is good, but when your drives just fizzle out and you're not putting sevens on the board – you're just putting threes on the board – that's where we've got to pick up the pace."
More reliable pass protection can help in that way, as well as potentially cashing in on the missed chances Love was referencing.
The offensive line was bombarded by more Vikings blitzes than it might see in a single game again all season, and not every contest will be played in the deafening din of a dome that tests an offense's communication and protection calls.
But Love can't get hit 18 times (by offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich's count) anymore if the Packers are to build on what they did offensively in Week 1. Despite the breakdowns and bumpy ride in the opener, Love believes in his linemen.
"I've been with these guys for a while," he said. "Obviously, we've got a couple new faces in there, guys getting their first opportunity, but it's a long season and we're going to stick together through the highs, through the lows. Through the adversity, whatever it is, we'll stick together."
