Even though Green Bay is on track for its highest-scoring season since 2021, problems in the red zone have kept the Packers from reaching their full potential.
A late comeback in Sunday’s 20-19 win at Chicago might mark a turning point for the team.
Green Bay took the lead for good with 2:59 left when Jordan Love scored a 1-yard touchdown against a Bears defense that allows touchdowns on just 40.6% of opponents’ red-zone possessions, the lowest rate in the league. Before that score, however, the Packers had struggled to score inside the 20-yard line, just as they have all season.
The Packers have scored touchdowns on 19 of their 39 red-zone possessions, ranking 27th in the NFL. They haven’t finished a season with fewer than half of their red-zone drives ending in touchdowns since 2006.
“I feel like sometimes we pick the wrong time to have a missed (assignment) and things like that,” running back Josh Jacobs said after the game. “We might have a mishap here and it’s like, ‘Not in here.’ In the red zone, you’ve got to be perfect.”
The Packers weren’t close to perfect on Sunday as they reached Chicago’s 5-yard line twice without scoring.
On one drive late in the second quarter, the Packers faced second-and-1 at the 5-yard line but were pushed back by a penalty and a 5-yard loss by Jayden Reed, setting up third-and-11 at the 15. The drive ended when Love overthrew Tucker Kraft, and the ball was intercepted by Terell Smith.
“We had Tucker Kraft right there kind of on a pivot route and I missed him on the throw,” Love said. “Just missed high. Obviously sailed over his head and the DB was right there to make a play on it.”
In the fourth quarter, with the Packers trailing 19-14, Love was sacked on third-and-goal at the 5-yard line. Coach Matt LaFleur chose not to go for a short field goal, and on fourth down, Love couldn’t find anyone open and scrambled, getting tackled at the 1-yard line.
“All in all, we know and recognize where we’re having most of our struggles, and most of our struggles right now on offense are coming in the red area,” LaFleur said Monday. “Again, self-inflicted wounds, whether it’s penalties or negative plays. And then on third down we just have to do a better job. That’s the emphasis, and we’re working hard at it. It’s just we haven’t gotten the results that we’d like right now.”
