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NFL standings ordered by first-half points: Packers No. 1 issue identified

By Freddie Boston

Green Bay Packers v Las Vegas Raiders
Green Bay Packers v Las Vegas Raiders / Candice Ward/GettyImages
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The Green Bay Packers are starting games too slowly, and it is costing them.

It takes Jordan Love and the offense far too long to get going. It's a recipe for disaster in the NFL. The Packers required an 18-point fourth-quarter turnaround to beat the New Orleans Saints, but a terrible start cost them against the Detroit Lions.

The Packers are far more successful in the second half of games, but it won't matter if they don't find some rhythm early on.

First-half points power rankings show where Packers must improve

Here are the NFL standings ordered by each team's average points scored in the first half of games. Clearly, the Packers have work to do.

  1. Miami Dolphins (20.7)
  2. San Francisco 49ers (17.7)
  3. Kansas City Chiefs (16.8)
  4. Dallas Cowboys (16.5)
  5. Detroit Lions (16.5)
  6. Los Angeles Chargers (15.2)
  7. Buffalo Bills (14.7)
  8. Arizona Cardinals (14.5)
  9. Philadelphia Eagles (13.8)
  10. Baltimore Ravens (12.7)
  11. Houston Texans (12.5)
  12. Chicago Bears (11.7)
  13. Los Angeles Rams (11.7)
  14. Jacksonville Jaguars (11.5)
  15. Seattle Seahawks (11.2)
  16. Denver Broncos (11.2)
  17. New Orleans Saints (10.5)
  18. Indianapolis Colts (10.2)
  19. Washington Commanders (10.2)
  20. Carolina Panthers (10.0)
  21. Minnesota Vikings (9.8)
  22. Las Vegas Raiders (9.5)
  23. Cleveland Browns (9.4)
  24. Tennessee Titans (9.2)
  25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8.6)
  26. Cincinnati Bengals (8.3)
  27. Pittsburgh Steelers (7.8)
  28. New York Jets (7.5)
  29. Atlanta Falcons (6.0)
  30. New England Patriots (5.5)
  31. Green Bay Packers (5.2)
  32. New York Giants (4.2)

The Packers are one of the slowest starters in the NFL, but the story flips in the final two quarters. According to Team Rankings, Green Bay leads the league in second-half scoring, averaging an impressive 17.4 points per game.

It's a real head-scratcher. Most teams near the top of the rankings for first-half points are there again in the second half. But the Packers have the No. 31 first-half record but are the league's best in the second half. Make it make sense.

If anything, it should be the other way around. It would make more sense for Love and this young offense to perform well when things are scripted early in games but then fall away later on. The opposite is true.

Hopefully, this is something they can correct after the bye week.

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