GREEN BAY – There's still plenty of season left, but the Packers are in a tough spot in the NFC North.
They've lost home games to the other two teams in the division who are above .500, the Vikings and Lions, after Detroit left Lambeau Field with a 24-14 decision Sunday.
Meanwhile the Lions have won road games at Minnesota and Green Bay in improving to 7-1 and securing an even stronger hold on sole possession of first place.
The Packers, now 6-3, still have eight games left after their bye, four in the division, and rematches at Minnesota and Detroit. So all is not lost. But there's no question they're playing uphill in the chase now.
"Yeah, it's definitely very disappointing," quarterback Jordan Love said. "Those are two games that we did not play our best at all. Too many mistakes and, like I said, just didn't play our best in these games that we need to go out there and execute at a high level and play our best ball.
"It's definitely very disappointing, but (it's) two teams that we'll see again this season."
When those games come around, Love knows he can't keep making it so hard on himself with interceptions. He threw three against the Vikings a little over a month ago, digging a hole and then hurting his own chances to rally.
The pick-six late in the first half against the Lions on Sunday was as deflating as it gets, sending the Packers into intermission down 17-3 with Detroit getting the ball again coming out of halftime.
Love now has 10 interceptions – and two pick-sixes – in his seven starts this season after throwing just one pick over the last eight games of the regular season in 2023. Statistically, it's a complete turnaround in the wrong direction as he's pushed the envelope at times and paid dearly for it.
"Putting the ball in jeopardy way too many times and definitely something I have to clean up," Love said in assessing his play. "I've talked about it week after week, so something I've just gotta learn from these mistakes and clean it up, but definitely something that I'm gonna make a big focus on going forward, of just finding ways to take care of the ball better."
On Sunday's INT, Love was trying to get out of the pocket and dump the ball off to running back Josh Jacobs, who was leaking out after initially staying in to pass protect. But Love had to dangerously lob the ball over the defensive front to get it to Jacobs, and safety Kerby Joseph reached up to grab it and run the other way.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur wanted to get a better look at film of the interception before fully commenting on it, but both noted the "fine line" Love keeps searching for regarding when to try to make a play, and when to be more "stingy" with the football, to use Love's word.
"You always teach in the rhythm of the play," LaFleur said. "When it goes off-schedule, you've just got to be smart. You've got to be smart with the football in a one-possession game.
"He's fighting, he's competing and we know that we've got to take care of the football. But I don't question anything about what he's trying to do. We've just got to do it better."
Added Love: "It just comes down to staying true with my reads and if plays do go off-schedule, just that fine line of being smart with the ball and not putting it in harm's way, and balance trying to make a play versus throwing it away and living to fight another day."
All that said, knowing the tough spot the Packers are in and the work to be done to cut down on turnovers and other miscues, Love's confidence in himself and this team isn't wavering.
When the Packers come back from their bye, they've got three straight games against teams looking up at Green Bay's 6-3 mark – Chicago (4-4), San Francisco (4-4) and Miami (2-6) – before playing Detroit again, though the 49ers and Dolphins are healthier now at crucial positions than they've been through the season's first half.
There's plenty of work to be done, but Love sounds determined to lead this team in doing it.
"We are still a really good football team, and I think some of the stuff is more self-inflicted – the mistakes, and the penalties and the turnovers," he said. "All stuff that we can clean up.
"Like I've said before, we haven't played our best game. We have a lot of football left in front of us when we come (back from) the bye week, so just hit the ground running when we get back.
"There's no doubt that we'll get back to work and focus on these things and clean it up. But it just comes down to, when it's Sunday, and the lights are bright, we've got to go out there and be dialed in and not make these mistakes."
