On defense, the missed tackles were hard to watch. Stopping the run was a matter of luck. Too many explosive plays were allowed.
It was not the debut that new coordinator Jeff Hafley or anyone else had hoped for. 34 points allowed and a turnover in five minutes made the win difficult.
New safety Xavier McKinney, who had an interception in his first defensive series for the Packers, talked about how he already knows where there is room for improvement.
“It’s just one game, Week 1,” McKinney said. “The world hasn’t ended yet.”
And that’s true: While the defense is undergoing change, the offense needs to mature again.
In that respect, the Packers were a lot like the team that lost exciting road games to the Raiders, Broncos and Steelers last fall. All of the games were winnable, all of them came out for largely the same reasons.
When it comes to positives, this opponent was much more impressive than any of last year’s opponents. The Eagles were a playoff team in 2023 and a Super Bowl contender 19 months ago, but the Packers kept up with them despite various difficulties.
It was Week 1 for the Eagles, too. They made their share of mistakes, lost three turnovers and were injured several times. But in the end, they made fewer mistakes, were the better team in the red zone on both sides of the ball and proved to be the more experienced club in a high-profile opening game.
After the game, LaFleur said the coaches made mistakes too, without going into detail. It was perhaps an acknowledgment that this team, especially on offense, is still young and needs its coaches at their best to get the most out of their still-developing games.
“We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and find ways to get better,” LaFleur said, referring to both players and coaches. “It wasn’t good enough.”
“If you look at it, it’s a collective loss. We are all responsible, and it starts with me.”
Recovery begins with accountability. It always does. The Packers showed last year that this path works. No one wanted to be on the same path again this season, but that’s the reality when you look at this opening performance.
The good news? Three takeaways on defense are a good start in an important category. New running back Josh Jacobs got going after a slow start in the second half as the offensive line found its stride, in this case literally.
Jordan Love’s leg injury may or may not complicate things in the coming weeks, but regardless, the Packers should get out of this sooner this year than last year.
They are still young, but they have been through this before and succeeded. Having that to lean on should make a difference this time and speed up the process.
Besides, it’s just one game, Week 1. The world is not over.
