SAO PAULO, Brazil – Going 1-for-4 in the red zone, committing 10 penalties, missing a field goal as well as a whole slew of tackles – that's obviously not a recipe for success.
Stepping back to analyze all that went wrong in a regretful 34-29 loss to the Eagles in the opener at Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, it unfortunately had a familiar ring.
Many of the issues that plagued the Packers on Friday night were the same ones that bogged them down in the early and middle portions of last season, when a young team was trying to find its way.
The bottom line after Week 1 is the Packers showed they're still a young team. Everyone was hoping, of course, that they could pick up where they left off late last season, when the team hit its stride and made a thrilling playoff run.
But that proved to be unrealistic, and probably should've been acknowledged as such from the jump. Seasons are long and opponents pull surprises, which LaFleur pointed out regarding an unexpected defensive approach from the Eagles, especially early in the game.
No team can look in September how it looked last January, no matter how much wishful thinking is applied.
Examining first the offense, Head Coach Matt LaFleur described the outing as "sloppy." Receiver Jayden Reed, who had a big night, talked about the focus needed on "the little details." Fellow receiver Christian Watson discussed how the Packers simply hurt themselves.
All true.
The Green Bay Packers kicked off their first game of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
Defensively, the missed tackles were hard to watch. Stopping the run was a hit-or-miss proposition. Too many explosive plays allowed.
It wasn't the debut new coordinator Jeff Hafley or anybody else hoped for. Allowing 34 points and losing time of possession by five minutes makes it hard to win.
New safety Xavier McKinney, who had an interception on his first defensive series for the Packers, talked about already knowing where improvement is needed.
"It's just one game, Week 1," McKinney said. "The world's not over."
Also true, so while the defense is making a transition, the offense is back to needing to mature again.
In that latter vein, the Packers looked very much like the team that lost maddening road games last fall to the Raiders, Broncos and Steelers. All were winnable, all got away for mostly the same reasons.
If silver linings matter, this opponent was much more formidable than any of those from last year. The Eagles were a playoff team in 2023, and a Super Bowl participant 19 months ago. Yet the Packers hung right with them despite various struggles.
It was Week 1 for the Eagles, too. They made their share of blunders, losing three turnovers and getting gashed a number of times. But in the end they made fewer mistakes, were the better team in the red zone on both sides of the ball, and proved to be the more experienced club in a high-profile opener.
After the game, LaFleur suggested the coaches were guilty of mistakes, too, without going into detail. It was perhaps an admission this team, especially on offense, is still young and needs its coaches to be at their best in order to maximize on their still-developing games.
"We have to look at ourselves hard in the mirror and find ways to get better," LaFleur said, referring to players and coaches alike. "It wasn't good enough.
"When you look at it, it's a collective loss. All of us are responsible, and it starts with me."
Recovery begins with accountability. Always does. The Packers showed last year that path works. Nobody wanted to be on the same road again right away this season, but that's the reality based on this opening performance.
The good news? Three takeaways on defense is a nice start in a key category. New running back Josh Jacobs got going in the second half after a sluggish start, when the offensive line settled in found its footing, literally and figuratively in this case.
Jordan Love's leg injury may or may not complicate matters in the coming weeks, but regardless, the Packers should be able to pull out of this sooner this year than last.
They are still young, but they've been through this before, coming out the other side. Having that to lean on should make a difference this time around and expedite the process.
Also, it's just one game, Week 1. The world's not over.
