3 Packers most to blame for Week 9 loss to Lions
For the third consecutive time, the Green Bay Packers were beaten by the Detroit Lions at home in Lambeau Field. The Week 9 result led to Detroit commanding a 7-1 lead in the NFC North. Subsequently, the Packers dropped to 6-3.
While the Lions continue to prove themselves as a top team in the league, and the final score was not a blowout, the loss was a disappointing result for Green Bay. A division like the NFC North in 2024 causes each singular result to swing the standings significantly. The Packers missed an opportunity to gain the tiebreaker over the current leader, who entered Week 9 with countless injuries.
It is always easy to point fingers after a loss, but the Packers showed serious flaws from top to bottom. A few of those flaws were more evident in Week 9, leading to the team's disappointing performance.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur
Head coaches always receive criticism for losses in the NFL, but Matt LaFleur was arguably the No. 1 reason Green Bay picked up its third defeat of the season in Week 9. The Lions out-coached the Packers in this game at every level. As the head coach, LaFleur was on the losing end of a Dan Campbell masterclass.
Quarterback Jordan Love was clearly not at full strength for the game, leading to many offensive limitations. Love's injury was critical to the Packers' offense, which was struggling to score, but the blame cannot be placed entirely on Love. LaFleur made the decision to play him, and if he was not healthy enough to take the field, it should have been Malik Willis under center.
Willis is a substantial downgrade from Love as a passer, but the Packers are still 2-0 when he started in 2024. Love has already been injured once before on the year, making his long-term health a serious concern. Against a defense as aggressive as Detroit's, having an immobile Love dealing with a groin injury in the pocket was less than ideal.
With the Lions entering the game missing Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Marcus Davenport, Josh Pascal and Malcolm Rodriguez, Campbell was the most significant asset on the Detroit side in Week 9. His battle with LaFleur was painfully one-sided, as even with a limited roster, the Lions looked like the far superior team.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love
Everybody watching the game could tell within minutes that Love was not at full strength in this matchup. It is hard to blame a player who was not 100 percent for a loss, but a few of Love's blunders had nothing to do with his groin.
The 27-yard pick-six Love tossed directly to Kerby Joseph in the second quarter is the biggest mistake that sticks out like a sore thumb. It was the kind of error only rookie quarterbacks tend to make, as the 26-year-old tried to force a check down to Josh Jacobs under pressure but instead practically handed the ball right to Joseph. Those kinds of mishaps cannot be afforded when playing the league's highest-scoring offenses.
Injury or not, Love took the field in Week 9. In the NFL, there cannot be any excuses beyond that point. He was off all night beyond just the interception. He also missed a wide-open Dontayvion Wicks in the end zone late in the game. Social media fans blamed Wicks, but the throw was well behind him. Wicks still should have brought it in, but the throw was one of Love's worst of the night.
Overall, Love threw for 273 yards, zero touchdowns and no interceptions. However, he was lucky to have just the one interception. Playing from behind nearly all game, Love's desperate desire to create chunk plays routinely led to holding onto the ball far too long and getting into trouble way more often than necessary.
Love has been making similar types of plays all season long. He has seemingly committed to becoming the next Jameis Winston with his thirst for big plays being both his biggest strength and weakness. Those types of quarterbacks live and die by their swords, and in Week 9, it was not clicking for Love.
Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich
The Packers struggled in all facets of the game, but their offensive performance was the biggest letdown. The Lions played without half their traditional defensive starters and the Packers managed just 14 points. Eight of those came in garbage time with the outcome already decided.
Love was not the only player who struggled; offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich deserves to receive most of the criticism. Stenavich's offense accounted for just one touchdown on the night on their final drive of the game.
The Packers did not just struggle on offense; their defense was also a problem. Green Bay's defense allowed just 17 points to the league's highest-scoring offense but when factoring in the absence of Williams, it was not the performance they needed. Detroit effortlessly dictated the pace of the game by getting whatever they desired on the ground.
Still, playcalling and a lack of consistency on offense was the story of the game for the Packers. Take their turnover on downs in the fourth quarter, for example. Green Bay had a second-and-two down and dialed up two poorly executed shots in the end zone before attempting an inside run on fourth down that got nowhere close. Granted, third down was when Love missed Wicks for a would-be score, but the play-calling in that situation was pitiful.
It does not get much better against the Lions than facing essentially half their defense without Hutchinson. The football gods dealt Stenavich a very favorable hand but the Packers still left too many points on the table to win this game.
