17-0. 27-3. 10-3. 9-0. The Green Bay Packers have been outscored 63-6 at half time of the last four games, a stretch featuring one incredible comeback victory but now three consecutive losses, including Sunday’s 19-17 defeat to the Denver Broncos.
Slow starts are killing the struggling Packers.
To their credit, the Packers came back from 17-0 down against the New Orleans Saints to win, cut the 27-3 deficit to 27-17 against the Detroit Lions and used multiple scoring drives to take a 13-10 lead over the Las Vegas Raiders and a 17-16 lead over the Broncos. This team has played exceedingly well in spurts to start the second half and even into the fourth quarter, but the first 30 minutes have been a nightmare and inconsistent execution late in games must be considered primary reasons why the Packers are now 2-4 through six games.
On Sunday, the Packers failed to score in the first half and were fortunate to be down only 9-0 after the Broncos kicked three straight field goals from inside the red zone.
LaFleur has failed to find answers despite having a mini-bye coming out of Week 4 and a true bye week following Week 5.
This week, the Packers were outgained 128-24 in the first quarter and didn’t crack 100 total yards until the final play of the first half. To end the half, Anders Carlson missed a 43-yard field goal and then Russell Wilson drove the Broncos into the red zone for a field goal try, creating a six-point swing going into the break.
Needless to say, spotting teams a half-time lead — and in three of the last four games, at least a two-score lead — is a hard way to live in the NFL. The Packers are sleepwalking through the first 30 minutes of football and living with the consequences. Overall, to score only six points in 120 minutes of first-half game time is a shocking bit of offensive ineptitude.
Up next is Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings. Can the Packers finally find some answers to open a football game and be competitive against a division rival at home? The losing streak in Green Bay probably won’t end until LaFleur, Love and the Packers figure out the first 30 minutes.
