Winners and Losers From Packers’ ‘Humbling’ Loss to Falcons

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers entered Thursday night on the heels of a comeback victory against the New York Jets that evened their record at 1-1. With the Packers welcoming the 0-2 Atlanta Falcons to Lambeau Field for the first home game this season, the Packers needed to protect their home field to start stacking good performances together.

An early touchdown pass to Christian Watson gave the Packers a 7-0 lead, and they looked like they were going to get the ball back with a chance to take control of the game.

Instead, a roughing-the-passer penalty on Brenton Cox after an incompletion on third-and-11 kept Atlanta’s offense on the field. Bijan Robinson ran around, over, and through Green Bay’s defense on the next play for 55 yards.

The Falcons would score a touchdown two plays later. That touchdown accounted for seven of the 17 unanswered points that gave the Falcons a 17-7 lead at halftime. The Falcons wound up rolling to a 35-14 win that handed Packers coach Matt LaFleur the worst loss of his tenure. He called the outcome "humbling."

The Packers are 1-2, and a couple of fortunate bounces away from being 0-3.

When that happens, there are not a lot of winners, so here’s our list of losers, accompanied by a lone winner.

Loser: Run Defense

The Packers’ run defense looked like they were one of the top units in football through two weeks. They were coming off an excellent performance against the New York Jets before facing Atlanta’s monster backfield that includes Bijan Robinson. Robinson is one of the top backs in the league, and he showed why early and often.

After a Falcons drive was extended by a roughing the passer penalty on Brenton Cox, Robinson took advantage immediately. He ripped off a 55-yard run where he made multiple men miss on his way deep into Green Bay territory.

He would score two plays later to even the game at seven. Atlanta’s offense was clearly limited to what Robinson was going to be able to do on the ground, combined with getting the ball out of Michael Penix’s hands quickly.

That didn’t seem to matter. Robinson routinely made something out of nothing, which is even more impressive when you watch Green Bay’s ground game on the other side. Robinson is a special player, who topped the century mark in the first half.

Still, great run defenses slow down even the best players, and the Packers did not do that on Thursday night.

They really didn’t come close. Robinson finished the night with 194 yards rushing.

The Falcons finished the night with 244 yards on the ground in what was a thorough bludgeoning by Atlanta’s ground game.

Loser: Green Bay’s offense

Whether it’s the lack of ability to run the ball, pass protect, or make enough plays down the field, the Packers’ offense rarely feels like it can find a rhythm.

Sure, they hit a bunch of explosive plays in the first game of the season against Minnesota, but otherwise they’ve been incredibly clunky to start the season. When Love has time, receivers are either covered or he’s spotty with his ball placement.

When he doesn’t have time, he’s on his back before he can come up with a viable solution. The run game remains putrid. Kaleb Johnson and Marshawn Lloyd are not even doing a passable job of trying to replace Josh Jacobs.

To sum things up, they’re a one-dimensional offense relying on a passing game that is not consistent enough to win without the threat of a run game.

Matt LaFleur is an offensive coach. That’s one of the biggest reasons he was hired in 2019. It’s one of the biggest reasons he kept his job after last season’s disastrous ending. Through three games in 2026, what do they do well on offense? What can they lean on when things get tough? Even their best players have struggled. Christian Watson had a drop in the first half. Tucker Kraft had a first down knocked out of his hands for an incompletion on Green Bay’s attempt at a two-minute drive.

Jordan Love has gotten beat up early in the year, but also been spotty with his ball placement.

Where are the answers coming from? That’s Matt LaFleur’s job, and he needs to find them fast.

Loser: Green Bay’s Top Offensive Players

Extending this idea further. The Packers’ offense as a whole has struggled. The offensive line is not good. That felt like it was easily foreseeable coming into the season. A group that playing musical chairs throughout training camp and missing two of its top players felt like a group that would struggle.

What about the top players on the team? Jordan Love is supposed to be ascending to stardom. Christian Watson was given a big extension in the offseason. Ditto for Tucker Kraft.

All three were culprits in what amounted to a litany of mistakes that kept the Packers’ offense stuck in neutral.

Details matter, especially for the aforementioned players who are some of the top players on the team. If they’re going to make mistakes like missing checks, missing blocks in the run game, or missing throws when they do have time, the offense is going to struggle more than it already feels like its destined to.

Green Bay needs more from its top players, both in the box score and in the details of the offense.

Winner: WR Matthew Golden

Green Bay’s offense was dreadful for most of the night, but Matthew Godlen was certainly able to find his way through Atlanta’s secondary. He has consistently made big plays whenever he has been given opportunities.

Golden scored the first regular season touchdown of his career tonight with the Packers trailing 27-7.

He finished the night with 100 yards receiving and the aforementioned touchdown.

Perhaps fitting of how Thursday’s game went, Golden did have an inefficient night with five catches on 12 targets.

On a night where the Packers did not have a lot go well for them, Golden continued what has been his breakout season.

It's 17-7 at halftime. Here are some early studs and duds for the Packers. ⬇️https://t.co/B4ay7GIAan
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 25, 2026

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