5 reasons for concern as Packers enter bye week: Matt LaFleur must improve game management

Everything was rosy in Green Bay after the first two games of the season, but a frustrating loss and a bizarre tie in consecutive weeks have shed light on some weaknesses which could hold the Packers back as they hunt a Lombardi Trophy for the 2025 season.

Before the doom and gloom, first check out our five reasons for optimism. The Packers have real reasons to be encouraged after four games.

But here is the flip side — five concerns for the Packers entering their bye week:

Offensive line depth

Despite dealing with injuries right from Week 1, the Packers offensive line looked as solid as ever until they were dominated by a terrific Cleveland defense, and the O-line’s failings in that game was arguably the biggest factor in the loss.

Most teams would struggle when down their two highest-paid starters, as Green Bay often has been due to Zach Tom and Aaron Banks’ respective injuries, and second-round rookie Anthony Belton has also missed time. Losing Tom after one snap of the Browns game will also not have helped matters, as the Packers’ gameplan would have relied at least somewhat on having him available.

Packers fans are not used to seeing this group play so poorly, which in some ways is a testament to the standard they have set, but is a concern nonetheless.

The concern is not so much that the preferred starters are not good enough, frankly, we can’t know that yet due to how little they have been able to play together. The potential issue is more how the team has adjusted and coped after having to shuffle the deck.

The Packers have consistently boasted one of the best offensive lines in the NFL for a decade-plus, especially in pass protection, and if they get healthy and are able to field the same five consistently, it would be a huge upset if they do not rebound.

It also stands to reason that as the season goes on, young players like Belton and Jordan Morgan, as well as Banks, who is new to the team, could settle in and fare better. But right now, it is fair to doubt Green Bay’s depth on the offensive line, as the drop off in the group’s overall play once injuries hit has been stark.

Defensive interior without Devonte Wyatt

On the other side of the ball, Wyatt’s exit from Sunday night’s tie with the Cowboys could expose a problem for the Packers on their defensive line.

Wyatt left the game with a knee injury and will be “week-to-week,” according to head coach Matt LaFleur.

After Kenny Clark was sent to Dallas as part of the Micah Parsons trade, Wyatt became Green Bay’s best and most experienced interior defender, and was off to a hot start in 2025.

It was already a risk from general manager Brian Gutekunst to put faith in a younger group of defensive tackles, and one that appeared to be paying off early, but Wyatt’s absence could have a negative knock on effect. Without him, the Packers are down to Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, rookie UDFA Nazir Stackhouse and sixth-rounder Warren Brinson, who is yet to play a snap in the NFL.

Green Bay’s defense gave up 40 points on Sunday, but seemed in control early. Wyatt leaving the game may have had a significant impact on the overall unit, and while his injury does not appear to be long term, if he were to get hurt again around playoff time, it could be a problem.

Cornerbacks without a dominant pass rush

In terms of draft capital and cap dollars, the cornerback position is one of the positions the Packers have invested in the least on this current roster.

A salary cap league means it is almost impossible to build a faultless roster, and teams have to pick and choose what matters most to them. Green Bay’s plan at corner is clear, and was working effectively in the first few weeks.

They are reliant on a strong pass rush to force quarterbacks to get the ball out quickly, allowing them to squat on shorter routes and drive to the football, and not exposing them even if they are overmatched.

On Sunday, the Packers did force Dak Prescott to throw quickly, but he essentially pitched a perfect game and was still able to hurt Jeff Hafley’s defense, with the cornerback trio of Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Nate Hobbs all struggling.

It could have been an outlier. Green Bay still generated plenty of pressure against a quality offensive line, Prescott was just too good, and there may not be many offenses in the league that can live in that world.

But when the Packers take on the best opponents in the playoffs, they are more likely to run into high powered offenses like the Cowboys. Will they be able to hold up on the back end in heavyweight fights?

Special teams

An evergreen concern for the Packers, the special teams under Rich Bisaccia is simply still not good enough.

Brandon McManus and Daniel Whelan are very good, but there is not much to be optimistic about.

Matthew Golden is an inexperienced punt returner and not a good one yet. The Packers rank 29th in average punt return yardage through four weeks. Savion Williams has been an adequate kick returner so far, with Green Bay ranking 12th in average kick return yardage.

They rank 28th in average return yards allowed on kickoffs and 20th on punts. They have also had two kicks blocked, and both of them proved crucial in close games.

At this point, it would be a surprise if Green Bay’s special teams improved to become a competent unit, and Packers fans will likely be crossing their fingers and hoping they get through playoff games without a game-tilting disaster in the third phase of the game.

Matt LaFleur’s game management

LaFleur took full responsibility for Sunday’s strange sequence which culminated in the Packers almost running out of time on their overtime drive, but he must become more adept at managing the clock and making decisions in pivotal situations.

His process on deciding whether to go for it on fourth down, or push for points near the end of the half, is inconsistent and does not seem to have a rhyme or reason. LaFleur has claimed multiple times that although they do use analytics, these decisions are made using his gut.

However, he admitted after the game that the decision to try for points before the half on Sunday, which backfired spectacularly, actually went against what his gut told him. So what is the point?

In recent years, he has gone from one of the more proactive coaches on fourth down to one of the most timid. If he is not going to mostly base his decisions on the analytics, he would be better served going back to erring on the side of being aggressive.

He will still make mistakes at times using this strategy, as sometimes happens with Dan Campbell and the Lions, but at least it would establish an identity. It is surely hard for the players to have conviction and confidence in big moments when their coach clearly does not.

LaFleur is an excellent head coach and offensive mind, but like some others in the Shanahan tree, is not the best situational game manager. That can be improved, but it is going to matter in the playoffs if he does not.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 5 reasons for concern as Packers enter bye week

5 reasons for concern as Packers enter bye week: Matt LaFleur must improve game management

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