Stop me if you've heard this one before: the Green Bay Packers had a big lead against a division rival before getting overwhelmed in the fourth quarter and losing.
The Packers opened up their 2026 regular season with more blown leads, questionable play-calling, and downright awful offensive line play in a 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Like most of the Packers' losses in 2025, the team was cruising for most of the game, only to become completely undone in the fourth quarter.
Plenty went wrong en route to the Packers giving up a whopping 22 points in the fourth quarter. As the team looks to right the ship next week, let's take a look at some of the biggest reasons they opened their 2026 season with a loss.
Five reasons to blame for Packers' loss to Vikings in Week 1
1. Matt LaFleur
Many Packers fans are quick to point the finger at the refs for the results of this game, and we'll get to them in a bit. However, it's evident the Packers have an identity issue, and it stems directly from the coach. When the Packers brought back Matt LaFleur on a multi-year extension in the offseason, it was on the back of one of the team's most embarrassing playoff losses in recent memory.
When LaFleur returned, he noted that he knew the team had to change its identity, comments that were mirrored by the players, who said more reflection on why they, for lack of a better word, melted down so much last season.
One week into the 2026 campaign, it looks like absolutely nothing has changed.
Once again, the Packers looked more than comfortable throughout the first three quarters against the Vikings. Much like they did last year, the team ended up throwing it all away in the final quarter. The problems were not just contained to the fourth, though, and that's where we arrive at LaFleur being one of the biggest reasons for the loss.
While LaFleur himself is a successful coach in the league, there is something to be said about his style of play-calling and game management. While division rival coaches like Ben Johnson and Dan Campbell go into games trying to score as much as possible and embarrass the opponent, LaFleur often coaches as if he's content to go up by double digits and then get the clock down to zero.
Ultimately, the game boils down to LaFleur for me. The Packers, by all accounts, should have cruised to a blowout win over a Vikings team forced to suddenly turn to Carson Wentz. They outscored the Vikings in yards 419-239, yet somehow lost by almost 20 points.
It's an inexcusable opening to a season that was supposed to be different, but doesn't look like it will be.
2. A woeful offensive line
One of the Packers' biggest issues coming into the season was its offensive line. That issue evolved into a glaring, huge problem, if this game is any indication. The Packers came into the game without starting guard Aaron Banks and tabbed Donovan Jennings to replace him. Jennings performed pretty awfully, but so did the entirety of the Packers' group up front.
Throughout the game, it felt like Jordan Love couldn't take more than one step without being pressured. The numbers back it up. According to PFF, Love was pressured on 25 of 46 dropbacks, and the Vikings blitzed him on 40 of his 46 dropbacks. Brian Flores and the Vikings knew the Packers couldn't do anything under pressure.
The offensive line play was so bad that, on what would be the deciding play of the game (a strip sack of Love late in the fourth), the Packers seemed to block absolutely nobody when the Vikings sent pressure.
Much like LaFleur's familiar issues, it's simply inexcusable for the team going forward. The problem is, there might not be a ton of help on the way. Aaron Banks will be back, but his up-and-down play in 2025 isn't the huge relief the team might need. While they won't play Flores and the Vikings' defense every week, they'll still need significantly better play moving forward if they want to contend.
3. A fourth-quarter drive filled with awful penalties
It would be silly not to list this as one of the biggest sequences of the game. In the fourth quarter, the Packers kicked a field goal that put them up 25-17. The Vikings were offside, though, causing Green Bay to decline the penalty and try to convert a 4th-and-1, which they failed to do.
The Vikings then proceeded to go on a nine-play, 83-yard touchdown drive absolutely marred by awful officiating.
On three separate third downs, the Packers seemingly produced a play that would've ended the drive. On three separate third downs, there was a flag against the Packers. This included a roughing-the-passer call so bad that the CBS broadcast was baffled, an illegal contact penalty that was suspect, and a holding penalty that also drew questions from the broadcast.
In total, the Vikings went on to score, took a 25-22 lead, and never looked back. It's a shame to ever point to the refs as the reason for a loss, but it's hard not to wonder how the game would've gone if they had been forced to punt on the drive.
4. Passive play-calling
This goes back to the LaFleur issue, but is worth expanding on a bit. To put it bluntly, the Packers have way too good of an offense to be calling such baffling plays at times. Jordan Love was excellent for most of the game and looked completely in control and able to make huge plays at will against a Vikings defense that's run by one of the best in the NFL in Brian Flores.
Instead of leaning on Love and letting him cook, as he said he would, LaFleur would occasionally derail the rhythm of the team at the worst times. Coming out of the second half with a 19-10 lead, the Packers marched up to the middle of the field before running for a loss with Chris Brooks. Two plays later, on 3rd-and-11, the Packers bafflingly called a toss play to Brooks that was immediately stuffed.
Following the Vikings scoring to go up 25-22, with the Packers facing a must-score drive with six minutes to go in the game, they began with a MarShawn Lloyd run up the middle that was stopped for a loss of three yards.
On a normal day, they are questionable play calls, but against a ferocious Vikings defense and with an already limited offensive line, it's calls like these that sometimes make you wonder exactly why the team is so insistent on not just letting the offense hum the way it is when it's passing and more fast-paced.
5. Special teams woes rear their head
Generally, the Packers' special teams were a mixed bag against the Vikings. Trey Smack looked good (despite a missed PAT), the team got a huge return from Bo Melton, and they committed few penalties. However, just when they needed a solid performance the most, they crumbled.
After scoring to go up 22-10 (in a drive that also featured more annoying, passive play-calling by the goal line), the Packers' kickoff was promptly returned 68 yards to the Packers' 28-yard line. After being held to a field goal on the previous drive, the Vikings suddenly only needed 28 yards to make it a one-possession game, which they did in six plays.
All in all, the special teams were solid, but it's moments like these that need to be cleaned up if you're going to contend in the NFL.
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