The Green Bay Packers ended their season with a disappointing 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC wild card game. The loss was costly, as the Packers lost three key players on offense and defense due to injuries, including two receivers, an offensive lineman, and a defensive tackle.
The Packers’ struggling offense combined with shaky special teams played a significant role in their defeat. Despite winning two more games this season, the feeling after Sunday’s loss was far more deflating than last year, when they won just nine regular-season games but finished by winning six of the last eight to make the postseason before losing in the final minute of the divisional round.
Quarterback Jordan Love expressed frustration with his team’s performance, stating that it felt like they were “shooting themselves in the foot” due to penalties and turnovers. The Packers had five accepted holding penalties, which is tied for their most in a game since Matt LaFleur took over as coach in 2019.
The loss marked the end of Love’s second season as the starter, during which he improved on some areas but struggled with consistency. The team finished the regular season with an 11-6 record but went 0-6 combined against the Eagles, Lions, and Vikings – losing twice to each of the NFC’s top three teams.
Packers running back Josh Jacobs reflected on the season, saying that his biggest message for the offseason is how to take the next step. “Ain’t nobody gonna be able to f— with us in this league,” he said. Coach Matt LaFleur echoed this sentiment, stating that slow starts were a major problem throughout the season and would need to be addressed in the offseason.
The Packers’ disappointing loss will likely prompt significant changes during the offseason, as they look to improve their performance and make a deeper playoff run next year.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43391384/injuries-add-packers-struggles-wild-card-loss-eagles