After Week 2, following back-to-back wins against 2024 playoff teams, the national analysts believed that the Green Bay Packers were a consensus top-three team in the NFL. Since then, special teams have cost the team two wins, a loss to the Cleveland Browns in a low-scoring affair, and a tie to the Dallas Cowboys in a shootout.
So one side of the ball for the Packers has shown up big in the last two games, but they still stand with a 2-1-1 record, behind the Detroit Lions, who they beat in Week 1,
in the NFC North. Now, what do analysts have to say about the team?
Here’s your Week 5 power rankings round-up.
Sometimes poor clock management makes you scream at the TV screen—and sometimes you can only stare dumbfounded at what you’re witnessing. Watching Green Bay move the ball downfield with ease in the final moments of overtime on Sunday night against Dallas, just to nearly run out the clock because of poor decisions from quarterback Jordan Love was inexplicable.
I still think this Packers team is neck-and-neck with Detroit as the biggest threat to Philadelphia in the NFC. But Sunday night’s performance is a reminder that boneheaded moments are always lurking around the corner.
Squandering fourth-quarter leads in consecutive weeks is hardly an optimal way to enter the bye week for a team that should be 4-0. What coach Matt LaFleur and Co. really need to work on is their two-minute drill and the sense of urgency that would seem inherent to overtime. Still, given the way injuries are piling up here, the week off might be arriving at just the right time.
The first-round wide receiver had career highs in catches (five) and yards (58) Sunday night against the Cowboys, but he’s still looking for his first NFL touchdown. Third-round receiver Savion Williams had a career-best three catches against Dallas. Second-round tackle Anthony Belton has started one game but was inactive Sunday due to an ankle injury.
Through two games and 56 minutes of the third game, the Packers looked like one of the best teams in football. Then they collapsed against the Browns and barely got a tie against the Cowboys. It’s hard to know what to make of the Packers now, but a lot of the shine is definitely off.
The tie in Dallas actually has to feel like a loss. The defense suddenly fell apart. The end-of-game management was awful, too.
It’s especially problematic on the offensive line, although it could be partially due to all the moving parts, with injuries to left guard Aaron Banks (groin) and right tackle Zach Tom (oblique). Their fill-ins, Jordan Morgan for Banks and Darian Kinnard for Tom, combined for three penalties against the Cowboys. Each player was called for a hold, and Kinnard was also called for a false start. Morgan has three penalties in four games. The Packers lead the league with 10 false start penalties, and only three teams have more offensive holding calls than the Packers’ nine this season.
The Packers offense looked great in their high-scoring tie in Dallas, but what a spectacular defensive meltdown against a team missing its best receiver. Green Bay is still loaded, but this tie coming off a loss to Cleveland shows it has some issues.
The Packers have ignited my new passion, which is that I believe beyond all reasonable arguments to the contrary that you should absolutely take the ball in overtime. It’s easy to say that after the team embarrassingly ran out of time and had to kick for a tie against the Cowboys, but I personally don’t see the value in getting to adjust to what your opponent has done. Utilize the fullness of the clock and get the third possession as well.
Overall, the average ranking for the Packers this week comes out to 6.75, so they’re about the 7th-ranked team in the NFL.
