It will take some help from other teams, plus winning the rest of the games on their schedule, for the Green Bay Packers to find a place in the postseason bracket. After watching the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears lose their Week 15 games, Green Bay got a few breaks after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Packers Playoffs Hopes Slipping After Loss to Buccaneers
Too Aggressive, Too Soon
With a chance to tie the game in the first quarter at 3-3, Matt Lafleur left his field goal unit on the sidelines and attempted to score a touchdown on 4th & goal. When Jordan Love sailed a pass over Jayden Reed’s head, the Buccaneers got the ball back on their 4-yard line. Tampa Bay fumbled two plays later, but Lafleur’s decision to go for the touchdown instead of the field goal meant the Packers left points on the board when they were at a premium. That missed opportunity also meant Green Bay went into halftime with a 3-point deficit, as opposed to a tie, had they kicked the field goal instead.
While a game is only decided after 60 minutes of play, small decisions can make a big difference. In this instance, Lafleur’s aggressiveness early meant the Packers needed to play catch-up for most of the game. Coming into the game, the two teams appeared evenly matched on paper. By showing a desperation for points early, Lafleur put his team in a position they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
Long Drives Turned Into Daggers
On Tampa Bay’s six scoring drives, they ran seven or more plays all but once. Four of those scores came as passing touchdowns from Baker Mayfield. Against the Packers, Mayfield posted a perfect passer rating. That feat had never been accomplished by an opposing quarterback at Lambeau Field. To make matters worse, Mayfield connected on 17 throws that went for 10 or more yards against Green Bay. All together, Mayfield’s performance underscored what has been a problem for the Packers defense for some time now: soft coverage.
The poor defensive showing has dialed up the heat on Joe Barry’s seat. In his third year as the Packers defensive coordinator, Barry has had his ups and downs. He entered the 2023 season as a coordinator on the hot seat, but with the amount of blue-chip talent infused into the defense over the years, there was reason to believe Barry could do enough to save his job. Through 14 games, the defense has been porous at times. Per ESPN stats, they rank in the bottom third for total yards allowed, but third-worst against the run. It is not like the Packers organization to make in-season firings. But, after Sunday, Lafleur and the front office should consider all options.
Silver Linings to the Loss
Although Sunday’s loss dropped Green Bay from the projected playoff bracket, their postseason hopes are still alive. Not only are they alive, but during the loss, Green Bay’s young playmakers showed yet again why the organization should be optimistic about the future.
Dontayvion Wicks, one of the Packers rookie receivers, was a bright spot on Sunday. Not only did Wicks haul in six of his seven targets for 97 yards, but it was how he earned those yards that was impressive. More than once, Wicks fought through initial contact and helped create extra yards after the catch. His physicality, matched with an explosiveness that made him a threat in college, makes Wicks one player that the Packers should be excited about.
A healthy Aaron Jones, too, helped buoy the Packers offense against the Bucs. On multiple runs, Jones showed the burst and ability to bounce runs outside that have made him such an asset for the Packers. His health will have a lot to do with how well Green Bay fares down the stretch, especially against the Chicago Bears in Week 18.
On paper, that Week 18 showdown with Chicago looms as potentially seismic. But if that game is to have serious implications for the postseason, the Packers must first win their next two games.
Main Photo Credit: Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK
