Analysis of the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Eagles in Week 1

The Green Bay Packers return from Brazil with a 0-1 record and much uncertainty over the quarterback injury. Matt LaFleur’s team struggled late in the season, made too many egregious mistakes and ultimately lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo to open the 2024 season.

The loss was overshadowed by the injury to Jordan Love, who was hit in the knee on the penultimate play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter. Early indications are that Love has injured his medial collateral ligament and will miss the game.

Friday night’s 34-29 loss to the Eagles will be nothing more than a disappointing defeat if Love is okay. If he misses significant time, the injury could change the season.

Here’s what went right, what went wrong, and what it means for the Packers moving forward:

What went well

— Jayden Reed was a star. The sophomore receiver turned five touches into 171 total yards and two touchdowns. He looked dynamic, making tough catches and creating extra yards with the ball in his hands.

— Josh Jacobs started slowly, but he created 80 rushing yards in the second half, including a 32-yard run, and finished with over 100 total yards. It certainly appears Jacobs’ brilliance as a runner is returning after a disappointing 2023 season in Las Vegas.

— The Packers defense threw three interceptions, including an interception and fumble recovery that put Green Bay inside the Philadelphia 20-yard line and an interception in the end zone that took points off the board. Overall, the Packers were +2 in the turnover battle.

— Backup running back Emanuel Wilson converted four rushing attempts into 46 yards, including touchdown runs of 14 and 18 yards, and he made a great block on Reed’s 33-yard touchdown run. Wilson, Jacobs and Reed all had carries of at least 18 yards, and the Packers finished with 163 yards rushing.

— Although inconsistent on offense, the Packers finished with 414 total yards and an average of 7.1 yards per play.

— Rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper made a tackle covering a kickoff, a run stop on Saquon Barkley and a pass deflection on a blitz.

What went wrong?

— The Packers have scored just one touchdown in four trips to the red zone and have turned three interceptions into just nine points.

— The Packers were penalized with 10 accepted penalties and a few other offsetting or rejected penalties. The early penalties killed the offense; the late penalties, while questionable, allowed the Eagles to continue to run their offense.

— The passing game was explosive but out of sync. Jordan Love struggled to stay balanced, which led to accuracy issues, and receivers slipped coming out of breaks and had a few falls. Overall, the passing game created open receivers.

— The pass pressure hasn’t been consistently effective. Jalen Hurts has been tackled just twice, and the Packers haven’t been able to disrupt him in key moments.

— The Eagles’ offensive power was overwhelming. Barkley produced 132 total yards and three touchdowns, AJ Brown had a 67-yard touchdown run and 119 total receiving yards, and Devonta Smith had seven receptions for 84 yards, including a third-down conversion late in the game.

— While the Eagles had a tough defense after turnovers, the Packers quickly gave up a touchdown after Jordan Love’s interception. The Packers won the turnover battle, but were only able to take a 9-7 advantage in points after turnovers.

— Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Javon Bullard and Eric Stokes all missed tackles. The Packers also struggled to get the ball rolling on multiple runs for Barkley, who had a wide-open lane on a touchdown run and another huge hole on a 34-yarder in the second half.

— Despite three turnovers, the Packers defense still gave up 34 points in a generally disappointing first performance from Jeff Hafley’s group.

What this means

The Packers are 0-1 and now face what could be a tough first half without Love at center. Fortunately, Love and the Packers know how to bounce back from a rough start — they were 3-6 before catching fire and nearly making the NFC title game last year. Matt LaFleur often talks about how you encounter and overcome adversity during the course of a football season. Well, the Packers are returning home after a discouraging international road trip with a disappointing loss and an injured quarterback. We’ll see what this team is made of — both while Love is out and when he returns.

And then?

The home opener is next Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. It’s more than likely that the Packers are grooming Malik Willis to start at quarterback, which means the offense may have to change drastically to accommodate what Willis does well and knows within the offense. There’s also a chance that Sean Clifford is the best option based on his experience in the scheme. Regardless, the Packers need to find a way to win a game or two while Love recovers. The upcoming schedule includes games against the Colts, Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings, all potentially winnable games if Matt LaFleur and the Packers can figure things out at quarterback.