The Green Bay Packers are 0-1 to start the season, and suddenly preparing for a game in which they will try to avoid going 0-2 ahead of a quick turnaround on Thursday. As they prepare for the 1-0 New York Jets, the team will have to do something it wasn't able to do last week, and had trouble doing all of last year.
Against the Minnesota Vikings in their 39-22 loss, the Packers had very little trouble getting down the field. The team finished the game with seven passes of over 20 yards, and finished tied for fourth amongst all NFL teams last week with 10 explosive plays, which is defined as a run of either 12+ yards or a pass of 16+ yards.
Jordan Love led the Pack into the red zone plenty of times, taking four total trips inside the Vikings' 20-yard line territory. However, much like last year, Green Bay was unable to convert as often as they'd like.
Packers must solve red zone issues, and fast
In total, the Packers scored just once in their four red zone trips, a stat that is every bit to blame for their shocking loss as is the referees, Matt LaFleur, or whoever else you'd like. Tight end Tucker Kraft seemed to imply that Green Bay's red zone blues were the decisive factor:
“When you tallied up the explosives, we were winning that by a large margin,” Kraft said (via FOX Sports). “It’s the consistency. Execution is good, but when your drives just fizzle out and you’re not putting sevens on the board — you’re just putting threes on the board — that’s where we’ve got to pick up the pace.”
While the season is still young, the Packers' problems in the red zone aren't. Last year, the team also struggled to score at a high clip once they got within striking distance of the opponent's goal line.
According to Acme Packing Company's Dusty Evely, in 2025, the Packers' ranked fourth amongst NFL teams in "High Red Zone" (the area between the 11 and 20-yard line) plays, but only had a 42.4% success rate, good for 19th in the league.
In the "Low Red Zone" (the are between the 4 and 10-yard line), the Packers averaged 2.4 plays per game (13th in the league), and had a 46.8% success rate (16th). At the goal line, or within the three yards of an opponents' end zone, the team ran 1.5 plays per game, good for 12th in the league, and performed at an elite clip, with an 80% success rate and 68% touchdown rate, both top of the league.
Needless to say, the Packers' were good at getting into the red zone, but not the best at capitalizing once they got there.
Granted, last year could be looked at as an anomaly for a number of reasons. The team was without Tucker Kraft following his torn ACL, Josh Jacobs was dealing with injuries, and the wide receiver room was also still finding its proper pecking order. However, for a team with high Super Bowl hopes like the Packers, operating like a middle-of-the-pack team when it comes to scoring won't cut it.
The 2025 season can certainly be brushed off by many, but the flaws of the past have already reared their head, in a number of ways. Not only has the team's offensive line struggled, but they also couldn't generate any positive outcomes in the red zone, and once again saw a big lead melt away in the fourth quarter.
It's only been one week, so there's plenty of time to fix things, but the Packers will have to do fast if they want to be the team they've preached about being all offseason. They can spark a significant turnaround on Sunday against the Jets.
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