Ugly. Embarrassing. Mind-boggling. Take your pick.
The Green Bay Packers leave U.S. Bank Stadium battered, bruised, and humiliated, having found new and creative ways to collapse in the fourth quarter. They entered the final 15 minutes with a five-point lead but left with a 17-point loss.
We learned a lot about this team in Week 1. Matt LaFleur, you're not going to like it.
Instant takeaways from the Packers' humiliating loss to the Vikings in Week 1
The Packers still can't close out games
We can blame the refs. We can blame some bad luck. We can blame the lack of Micah Parsons or Josh Jacobs or a less-than-100-percent Zach Bako-Bewele. Forget that, there's no excuse. The Packers threw away another fourth-quarter lead, and one embarrassing enough to rival Soldier Field on January 10.
The Packers had kicked a field goal to take an eight-point lead with a little over 13 minutes remaining in regulation. But after the Vikings drew an offsides penalty, Matt LaFleur opted to take points off the board and go for it.
The idea was to be aggressive. To put the game away, something the Packers emphasized all offseason. The decision was fine, but the execution on Jordan Love's failed quarterback sneak was poor. That was the match that ignited yet another fourth-quarter meltdown.
Minnesota rode some luck, especially with a comical run of questionable, drive-saving penalties that resulted in the go-ahead touchdown that negated an Edgerrin Cooper sack and later an Evan Williams interception.
But to lose the fourth quarter 22-0 and turn a position of strength into one of embarrassment? That's unacceptable.
LaFleur made closing out games a point of emphasis, but the problem is worse than ever.
The offensive line was good as advertised, and that's bad news
Sigh. It's a problem Packers fans saw coming a million miles away.
You have to feel for Jordan Love. He could barely take a breath before a sea of purple arrived. By Pro Football Focus' unofficial count, Green Bay allowed 16 pressures, three sacks, and six hits in this game.
Zach Bako-Bewele, Jacob Monk, and Sean Rhyan were each charged with a sack, while Bako-Bewele and Jordan Morgan tied for a team-worst four pressures allowed.
Sure, a road game against a Brian Flores defense is about as stern a test as they will encounter. But that was bad. Like, really, really bad. And help isn't coming. If a returning Aaron Banks is the solution, I don't know what the question is.
All aboard the Trey Smack rollercoaster
Lost in the chaos of Green Bay's ugly collapse was the performance of rookie kicker Trey Smack. All things considered, the Packers will take it.
Smack hit all three field goals, including a 59-yarder on the opening drive. He also missed an extra-point try, though, which was ultimately inconsequential to the outcome of the game.
It's the rollercoaster the Packers signed up for. Smack has a booming right leg and can make any kick from any distance. Can he match that with consistency on the must-haves? That will determine how successful his run in Green Bay lasts.
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