Hello, darkness, my old friend. The Green Bay Packers collapsed again. Matt LaFleur's team was in full control through 40 minutes of Sunday's season opener, but the Minnesota Vikings scored the game's final 29 points and cruised to a 39-22 victory at U.S. Bank Stadium. After losing five straight games to finish 2025, the Packers are now 0-1 to open 2026.
Here's what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
-- The Packers outgained the Vikings 419 to 239, highlighting both the supply of explosive plays created by the passing game and the down-to-down effectiveness of Jonathan Gannon's defense. The Packers averaged 6.3 yards per play; the Vikings averaged 3.9. Most weeks, these numbers would reflect a comfortable
win for Green Bay. Not on this day.
-- The Packers certainly weren't perfect through three quarters, but they were clearly the better team entering the fourth quarter. They led 9-0 early, 19-10 at half and held a 22-10 lead late into the third. Unfortunately for Matt LaFleur's team, football games are 60 minutes long.
-- The passing game showed great potential, with Christian Watson, Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft combining for 307 total receiving yards. When the Packers were able to block up Minnesota's front, Jordan Love consistently hit explosive plays. Watson, Golden and Kraft all had multiple catches of 20+ yards. Jonnu Smith had a 43-yarder.
-- The Micah Parsons-less pass-rush showed up. The Packers had three sacks and six quarterback hits, and several other pressures were negated by penalty. The Vikings didn't throw the ball often, but Green Bay was able to affect the passer consistently. Lukas Van Ness and Edgerrin Cooper both had sacks.
What went wrong
-- Brian Flores overwhelmed an overmatched Packers offensive line. Even during a chaotic first half, Jordan Love was only 9-of-19 passing, largely due to all the havoc being caused up front. Flores was relentless calling blitzes, and the Vikings ended up with a pressure rate over 50 percent and 15 total hits on Love. Both of the Packers' turnovers late were the result of immediate pressure. A lack of communication and cohesion up front killed the Packers in big spots.
-- The Vikings scored five touchdowns: one on a free play when the Packers jumped offsides before the two-minute warning, one after a 68-yard kickoff return, one featuring four defensive penalties (including three negating stops) and two touchdowns on short fields (1-yard line, 14-yard line) following turnovers. The Packers didn't make the Vikings earn their points on Sunday.
-- The Packers were 1-for-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone, while the Vikings finished a perfect 4-for-4. Minnesota got 29 points from their four red zone trips. Green Bay got 10. That's a 19-point difference in a 17-point game!
-- The Packers committed 12 penalties to the Vikings' three, and there was an 83-yard difference in penalty yards between the two teams. On Minnesota's go-ahead drive, the Packers had four penalties.
-- Not only did the Packers struggle to protect the quarterback, but running the ball was a chore. Green Bay finished with 68 rushing yards on 21 attempts. MarShawn Lloyd averaged only 2.8 yards per attempt. Minnesota had three tackles for loss against the run.
-- Not being able to get a yard on 4th-and-1 and then collapsing the rest of the way really typifies this stretch of Packers football.
What it means
The losing streak extended to six games, the offseason emphasis on finishing didn't translate, and now the Packers are 0-1 to start 2026, with a demoralizing but familiar loss against an NFC North rival. Will this be a confidence-rattling defeat for a team that hasn't tasted a win since early December of last year? In what is shaping up to be another competitive NFC North race, the Packers are the only team in the division entering Week 2 without a win. The concerns along the offensive line were justified, exposing what appears to be a fatal flaw.
What's next
Another road trip, this time to play the 1-0 New York Jets in the noon timeslot next Sunday. The Packers have lost five straight road games and haven't won away from home since Thanksgiving Day last year, so any road trip looks like a big challenge. The Jets controlled Week 1 on the road, never trailing before beating the Tennessee Titans 23-10. New York allowed only 195 total yards, and Geno Smith was excellent in his Jets return. The Packers better bring their "A" game to MetLife Stadium next week.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Breaking down Packers' 39-22 loss to Vikings: What went right, wrong
