The Green Bay Packers scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to erase a 17-7 deficit and won in overtime on Trey Smack's 26-yard field goal, beating the New York Jets by a 20-17 final and snapping the team's six-game losing streak dating back to last season. Instead of heading home at 0-2, the Packers will go into Week 3 with an even 1-1 record and a chance to build on Sunday's palate-cleansing, comeback victory at MetLife Stadium.
The win wasn't pretty, but an ugly win beats a pretty loss, especially when a team hasn't tasted a victory since December of last year. The first 50 minutes weren't good enough, but Matt LaFleur's team finished when it mattered.
The big things from the Packers' win over the Jets:
More injuries put the OL in danger zone
The Packers had to win this football
game and avoid an 0-2 start, but the far-reaching implications of the injuries along the offensive line could define the rest of the season. Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, by far the line's best player, went down with what could be a season-ending knee injury. Later, Aaron Banks, the line's most experienced player, departed with a new toe injury. How does an already questionable offensive line survive these never-ending injuries? A big opportunity now exists for 2025 second-round pick Anthony Belton and 2026 fifth-round pick Jager Burton. But there is no way to spin this one positively. The Packers offensive line is in big trouble, and it's likely the line will be inconsistent at best and a major, unavoidable weakness at worst over the rest of the season. A football team can overcome a lot and be successful over a 17-game season, but an offensive line that is teetering on disaster every week will be a tough hurdle to clear for the Packers.
The eruption of Mt. Van Ness
Week 1 provided signs of the coming eruption from edge rusher Lukas Van Ness, but no one could have predicted such a thoroughly dominant performance from the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft. LVN produced a career-high nine pressures, per Next Gen Stats, and he was in on two sacks of Geno Smith and a 4th-and-1 stop. At times he was un-blockable, especially during big moments in the contest. LVN also finished with 10 total tackles, including a few run stops and a crunching tackle on special teams. Micah Parsons will eventually return, likely next month, and the Packers could have a pair of difference-making edge rushers the rest of the way. Jonathan Gannon's defense has held offenses to 4.0 yards or fewer per play during each of the first two weeks. Making LVN's performance all the sweeter: He was selected with the Jets' first-round pick in 2013, which was swapped with the Packers in the Aaron Rodgers trade.
Lukas Van Ness generated a career-high nine pressures against the Jets in Week 2, recording five in under 2.5 seconds, tied for the third-most by a Packers defender since 2020.#GBvsNYJ | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/A3avmr0stl
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 20, 2026
Skyy Moore shines
Trey Smack got the walk-off, game-winning field goal, but the special teams star on Sunday at MetLife Stadium was returner Skyy Moore, who ripped off a 43-yard kickoff return in the first half and then provided a game-changing play in the fourth quarter with a 63-yard punt return that set up the game-tying field goal. Moore is consistent return to return, and his ability to flip the field with an explosive return is exactly what the Packers needed on special teams. His acquisition on a one-year deal as a free agent has completely revamped the Packers return game. Given the struggles of the offense on Sunday, it's hard to imagine the Packers winning the game without Moore. Keep this in mind: the Packers didn't have a single kick return over 36 yards or a single punt return over 20 yards last season.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 3 big things from Packers' win over Jets: LVN erupts, Skky Moore shines
