The Green Bay Packers are 0-1 and now in possession of the one of the 2026 season's worst losses after giving up 29 straight points and blowing a 12-point lead in the second half on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. For three quarters, Matt LaFleur's team was in command. But football games are 60 minutes long, and 15 poorly played minutes in the fourth spelled disaster for the Packers in Minneapolis. The Packers ended up losing by three scores to the Vikings, who lost Kyler Murray to a concussion in the first quarter but still managed to win despite being outgained 419 yards to 239.
Highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Week 1 loss in Minnesota:
The Good
Christian Watson and explosive plays: For the better part of three quarters, the Packers
passing game consistently created explosive plays. Christian Watson was the star, catching five passes for 131 yards and two scores in the first half alone. His 81-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was a perfect moment of beating the blitz for a big play. Overall, Jordan Love averaged 9.2 yards per pass attempt, and four different pass-catchers -- Watson, Matthew Golden, Tucker Kraft and Jonnu Smith -- had a catch of at least 30 yards. Watson, Golden and Kraft all had multiple catches of at least 20 yards. When the Packers found ways to block up the defensive front, or Love created extra time for himself, big plays were possible. But the good times didn't last.
The Bad
The offensive line: Facing a Brian Flores defense inside U.S. Bank Stadium was a tall task, and the Packers offensive line -- featuring Donovan Jennings at left guard and Jacob Monk at right guard -- folded under pressure in a big way. According to PFF's initial charting, Jordan Love was under pressure on well over 50 percent of his dropbacks. And the official box score had Love getting hit 15 times. Flores is excellent at engineering confusion up front, and the Packers' new-look offensive line wasn't up to the task of protecting the quarterback for 60 minutes. Down the stretch, and especially when the Packers fell behind, Flores had Love under constant and often immediate pressure. The offensive line, which looked like a potential fatal flaw entering the season, did nothing to calm concerns during a miserable Week 1 performance overall.
The Ugly
The fourth quarter: The Packers gave up 29 straight points, including 22 in the fourth quarter. In January, the Packers gave up 25 fourth-quarter points in Chicago and lost a playoff game. Despite all the emphasis on finishing to start 2026, the Packers collapsed again when it mattered most. A penalty-fueled touchdown drive -- featuring three flags on the Packers negating stops -- gave the Vikings the lead, and then the Packers offense turned the ball over in their own territory on back-to-back possessions, allowing the floodgates to open. A game that was 22-17 Packers entering the fourth quarter ended in a three-score win for the Vikings. You don't see that very often at the NFL level. The Packers have lost six straight games because they can't finish late. With an opportunity to write a new narrative on Sunday, the Packers slammed their foot in the door once again.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Good, bad and ugly coming out of Packers' Week 1 loss to Vikings
