On Sunday afternoon, the Packers faced off against against their NFC North rival, the Minnesota Vikings. There was not a lot of good to take away from this game. The Packers fell short losing 23-7.
Takeaway Number 1: Young Receivers Let Inexperience Show
The number one takeaway is that the Packers receiving group is inexperienced. Their most experienced wide receiver is Allen Lazard. He missed Sunday’s game due to a foot injury.
Christian Watson dropped what would have been a touchdown pass on the first play of the game and it seemingly set the tone for the offense.
The receivers group as a whole struggled to get open all day.
Takeaway Number 2: Special Teams did good for Once
The second biggest takeaway is that special teams didn’t make any mistakes which is the only positive to take away from today. No blocked punts, no miscues with players covering kicks and making tackles. What a pleasant surprise. Can they hold up the entire season?
Takeaway Number 3: The Offensive Line… YIKES
The final takeaway: the offensive line is a major problem that needs fixing. Yes there are key players missing, notably left tackle David Bahktiari who hopes to be back playing sooner rather than later.
Conclusion
Sunday was a disappointing performance without a doubt but this is only week one of the season and Packer fans should not panic. Next week’s game is against another NFC North rival and one that Aaron Rodgers has owned in the past: the Chicago Bears.
Rodgers is 23-5 in his career against Chicago. Look for the Packers to come out with more intensity and better execution in front of a packed house at Lambeau Field next Sunday.