Much has been said about the lack of aggressiveness shown by the Green Bay Packers in the last few weeks. Monday's primetime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles will do little to silence complaints on the topic, as Green Bay failed to score until the final six minutes of the game.
The Packers' losses this season have been heartbreaking, with all three being decided by just three points.
Despite starting the season strong, the Packers have started easing themselves into games, waiting too long to make big plays and not relying on Jordan Love until it's too late. This has resulted in low-scoring first halves, which keep opposing teams alive and allow games to come down to the wire.
Packers point totals last seven first halves:
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 11, 2025
3
13
10
6
7
6
0
Packers' refusal to learn from their failing run-heavy strategy is haunting them
A major factor in these slow starts has been the lack of early-game utilization of Love. On Monday, Love attempted only 15 passes through the first three quarters before attempting 21 in the fourth quarter alone. Looking back to the beginning of the season, however, we can see this hasn't always been Green Bay's approach.
In the first quarter of Green Bay's wins in Weeks 1 and 2, Love attempted 12 and 11 passes, respectively. In these games, the Packers recorded their highest-scoring first halves of the season, with 17 points against the Detroit Lions and 14 against the Washington Commanders.
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Since then, Matt LaFleur has pivoted toward establishing the run early in the game. Repeatedly rushing the ball on first down, resulting in minimal gains, has continued to confuse fans. The Packers currently rank eighth in rush attempts per game, yet they sit at 26th in yards per attempt.
Regardless of how committed LaFleur is to the run game, it has yet to prove fruitful.
Before the fourth quarter on Monday, the Packers ran the ball on 10/16 first downs. But in the final 10 minutes, the play style shifted. Passes were thrown on 7/8 first downs, the Packers moved the ball 109 total yards, and the team scored their first and only points of the game.
While it can be argued that running the ball early on can provide the Packers with opportunities to move the ball through the air later in the game, the style of play hasn't been rewarding.
Green Bay's wins have come in games where they score 27 points or more, while their losses come when they score less than 14.
The team succeeds when they move the ball, something they haven't been able to do when they limit their franchise quarterback early in the game.