Packers seeking answers on offensive line after failing to protect Love in season-opening collapse
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur says he’s open to making changes to an offensive line that had no answers for Minnesota’s furious pass rush during another fourth-quarter collapse.
But he noted the importance of settling on a starting five soon to build cohesiveness. Green Bay’s offensive line was a major concern throughout training camp, in part because injuries prevented the projected starters from working together very often.
“Whatever we do, we need to make sure that we find continuity as quickly as possible,” LaFleur said Monday, a day after the Packers’ 39-22 loss to the Vikings. “I think that’s part of the problem, is we’ve had a lot of guys in and out of the lineup. I’m not making excuses. It is what it is. You’ve got to find a way to get it done.
"But I do think the more guys play together, typically the better they play together.”
The offensive line’s failings played a major role in Green Bay blowing a 22-10 lead, continuing a habit that haunted the Packers last season.
Counting its 31-27 playoff loss at Chicago last season, Green Bay has dropped six straight games. The Packers hadn’t lost that many in a row since losing their final five games in 1990 and first two contests in 1991.
Left guard Aaron Banks wasn’t available Sunday due to a knee issue. Donovan Jennings made his first career start in Banks’ place at left guard, while right guard Jacob Monk made his second career start. Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele was limited in camp as he recovered from a partially torn patellar tendon, and Jordan Morgan was starting at left tackle Sunday for just the second time.
Green Bay’s linemen failed to protect quarterback Jordan Love, particularly after Minnesota took the lead in the fourth quarter. Minnesota’s last two touchdown drives started in the red zone after the Vikings got a strip sack and Love threw an interception under pressure.
“What’s disappointing is we had a few protection busts that absolutely should not and cannot happen,” LaFleur said.
Love was sacked four times and pressured all day.
LaFleur decided early in the fourth quarter to take points off the board when the Vikings jumped offside on Trey Smack’s 40-yard field goal. Love got stuffed on fourth-and-1 and Minnesota outscored the Packers 22-0 the rest of the way.
The Packers lost four games last season that they led by at least nine points in the second half. LaFleur was asked Monday if he needs to look at his process regarding halftime adjustments based on Sunday’s results.
“I don’t personally think that was it,” LaFleur said. “It’d be different if they came back with a totally different game plan, but it was the same plan in the second half. They just got to us a few more times.”
What’s working
Green Bay’s defense produced an adequate pass rush without Micah Parsons, who'll miss at least the Packers’ first four games while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The Packers sacked Carson Wentz three times. They totaled four sacks in the four games Parsons missed last year.
What needs help
The Packers committed 12 penalties. ... Green Bay scored a touchdown on just one of its four red-zone possessions and allowed Minnesota to reach the end zone on all four of its trips inside the 20. ... The Packers gained just 3.1 yards per carry.
Stock up
WR Christian Watson caught six passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns. ... WR Matthew Golden had six catches for 95 yards to set career highs in both categories. ... CB Bo Melton had a 59-yard kickoff return and downed a punt at the 4. ... CB Keisean Nixon had an interception and a half-sack.
Stock down
The entire starting line of Morgan, Jennings, Sean Rhyan, Monk and Bako-Bewele struggled. ... S Javon Bullard was penalized for unnecessary roughness on the hit that knocked Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray out of the game, then got flagged again for illegal contact to wipe out a third-down sack on Minnesota’s go-ahead touchdown drive.
Injuries
Aside from Banks' injury, CB Brandon Cisse left with cramps late in the second half.
Key number
90-15 — The Packers have been outscored by that margin in the fourth quarter and overtime during this six-game skid that started last November. Over their last two games, they’ve been outscored 47-6 in the fourth quarter.
Next steps
The Packers are back on the road to face the New York Jets, who are coming off a 23-10 victory at Tennessee. Green Bay plays only one of its first four games at Lambeau Field.
Packers give up 29 straight points, fall 39-22 in Minnesota to open the season
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carson Wentz came in after Kyler Murray's first-quarter concussion in his Minnesota debut and led a spirited comeback against the rival Green Bay Packers as the Vikings scored 29 straight points to close a 39-22 victory to open the season Sunday.
Wentz had two touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson, matching the two-time All-Pro's 2025 season total, and the pair connected on a 2-point converstion when the Vikings took their first lead at 25-22 with 6:37 remaining. Green Bay extended the drive three times with crushing defensive penalties.
Jordan Love, who had been brilliant against a relentlessly blitzing defense, melted down along with the rest of the team by losing a fumble on a sack and throwing an interception deep in Packers territory.
Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason each had rushing touchdowns and T.J. Hockenson caught one of the three scores thrown by the 11th-year veteran Wentz, who was appointed the backup to Murray ahead of 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy for his considerable edge in experience.
Love finished 21 for 42 for 387 yards and two first-half touchdowns to Christian Watson, but the two late turnovers and a 3-for-12 conversion rate on third downs loomed large as the Packers picked right up where they left off with a five-game losing streak that ended last season.
The Packers lost four times after leading in the second half by at least two possessions, including their wild card playoff collapse against another NFC North rival in the Chicago Bears, who outscored the Packers 25-6 in the fourth quarter.
Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur might have mistakenly triggered this meltdown with his decision to take rookie Trey Smack's field goal off the board to set up a fourth-and-1 on an offside penalty. Love was stuffed at the line with a five-point lead, and the Vikings went the other way for the go-ahead score by Jones, the former Packers favorite who had yet to reach the end zone against his former team.
The Packers actually four defensive penalties on that drive, starting with a seemingly innocent encroachment call on Jonathan Ford.
Jonathan Bullard, whose injurious hit on Murray was flagged, was called for illegal contact to negate a third-down sack. Rookie Chris McClellan was penalized for a late hit on Wentz to wipe out a third-down incompletion. Then Xavier McKinney's defensive holding call erased an end-zone interception by Evan Williams. Jones scored on the next play.
Injury report
Packers LG Aaron Banks (knee) was inactive, giving Donovan Jennings his first career start.
Up next
Packers: at New York Jets on Sept. 20.
Vikings: at Chicago Bears on Sept. 20.
Sama, Dupree rush for TDs as Wisconsin beats Western Illinois 36-9 in home opener
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Abu Sama III and Damon Dupree ran for one score each to lead Wisconsin to a 36-9 win against Western Illinois on Saturday night.
Sama ran 72 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the game to put Wisconsin ahead 7-0. The score was the first of Sama's young Wisconsin career; the Iowa State transfer rushed for a career-high 107 yards on eight carries to go with one score.
Wisconsin safety Carson Van Dinter got a punt block, recovery and score with 7:54 left in the first quarter to push Wisconsin's lead to 17-0.
Gavin Lahm kicked 30-, 49- and 51-yard field goals for the Badgers (1-1) in their home opener. The 51-yarder, with 2:30 left in the first half, pushed Wisconsin's lead to 23-6 and was Lahm's career high.
Culkin kicked field goals of 27, 27 and 34 yards for Western Illinois (1-2)
The Leathernecks had six penalties for 50 yards, including a 10-yard holding penalty that wiped out a TD at the start of the third quarter.
Dupree's 28-yard touchdown run capped an eight-run, 68-yard drive — all on the ground — to extend Wisconsin's lead to 30-9 with 5:39 to go in the third.
Quarterback Colton Joseph threw his first touchdown for Wisconsin. The Old Dominion transfer went 12 of 22 for 173 yards and one score. Joseph also had four rushes for 38 yards.
Chris Brooks Jr. caught a 53-yard TD pass from Joseph as Wisconsin pulled away 36-9 with 5:39 remaining in the game.
Saturday's game was the second meeting between the two teams. Wisconsin is the only Football Bowl Subdivision opponent on Western Illinois' schedule this season.
The Takeaway
Western Illinois: Kennedy McGill, a Central Washington transfer, has shown potential to be a dual-threat quarterback. McGill rushed for 88 yards on 18 carries. He also had 139 yards on 13-for-22 passing for the Leathernecks
Wisconsin: Special teams continued to provide a spark. The Badgers have blocked punts in two straight games. Van Ginter blocked a punt against Western Illinois, and Liam Danitz blocked a punt in Wisconsin's season-opening loss last week against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field.
Up next
Western Illinois: Hosts Morehead State next Saturday.
Wisconsin: Hosts Eastern Michigan next Saturday.
Brewers pour it on early as Garrett Mitchell leads the way in 13-9 victory over the Reds
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Garrett Mitchell went 4 for 5 with a homer and four RBIs as the Milwaukee Brewers scored all their runs in the first five innings of a 13-9 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.
William Contreras hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the fourth inning and Brice Turang added a two-run shot one night after the Brewers clinched a playoff berth by trouncing the Reds 20-0. Never before in franchise history had the Brewers totaled that many runs in a two-game stretch.
The Reds headed to Milwaukee after losing 14-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, so they’ve allowed 47 runs over their last three games. According to Sportradar, the last time the Reds gave up 47-plus runs over a three-game stretch was in September 1901.
No major league team has given up that many runs in a span of three games since July 2022, when the Boston Red Sox allowed 55.
The Brewers’ magic number for clinching the NL Central dropped to three.
Eugenio Suárez and Juan Brito homered for Cincinnati.
Turang and Mitchell hit two-run homers off Brady Singer (6-14) in the first inning to give Milwaukee a 4-0 lead. Cincinnati rallied off Shane Drohan to tie it at 5-all on Brito’s two-run blast in the fourth.
Milwaukee responded with three runs in the fourth and five in the fifth.
Singer allowed eight runs in four innings. Graham Ashcraft allowed five runs in the fifth while retiring only one batter.
Chad Patrick (9-4) got the win by striking out four in 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Abner Uribe worked the ninth for his seventh save.
The news wasn’t all good for the Brewers.
In his first relief appearance of the season, Kyle Harrison allowed hits to each of the four batters he faced, and they all ended up scoring. Harrison has given up 19 runs – 17 earned – over 7 1/3 innings in his last three outings as his ERA has climbed from 2.79 to 3.98.
Up next
Chase Burns (15-3, 2.73 ERA) pitches for the Reds and Robert Gasser (4-5, 4.43) starts for the Brewers on Sunday.
Tucker Kraft signs extension on day before Packers' season opener
Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft will be making his return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament with a contract extension.
The Packers announced Saturday that Kraft had signed a contract extension. The team didn’t disclose terms, but a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that it’s a four-year, $75 million deal with a maximum value of $92 million that includes a $26.5 million signing bonus.
Kraft could have become a free agent at the end of the season if the two sides hadn’t agreed to terms on an extension, though he consistently expressed throughout the offseason his desire to stay in Green Bay.
“I want to play for this organization my entire career,” Kraft said this summer. “I’m spoiled to have been drafted here and this is all I know. Green and gold is all I know, so we’d like to keep it that way.”
The 2023 third-round draft pick from South Dakota State will play his first game since last November when the Packers open the season Sunday at Minnesota. Kraft caught 32 passes for 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight games last season before tearing his right ACL in a 16-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 2.
“I’m just going to go out there and try to win the game one play at a time,” Kraft said Monday. “My mentality is simple: I’m blocking every block like I’m the point of attack, I’m going to finish to the whistle and I’m going to run every route like I think the ball’s going to come to me. That’s always been my recipe.”
Kraft has said that he believes he was playing as well as any tight end in the NFL at the time of his injury. The week before his injury, Kraft caught seven passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-25 victory at Pittsburgh.
He had 50 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.
The only other tight ends since 2000 to have at least 100 catches, 1,500 yards receiving, 15 touchdown catches and an average of 13.5 yards per reception in their first three NFL seasons are Mark Andrews and Rob Gronkowski.
Brewers rout Cincinnati 20-0, clinch playoff berth
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Garrett Mitchell hit the Brewers’ first grand slam of the season, one of four homers for Milwaukee in a 20-0 rout of the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night that clinched a playoff spot for the majors' best team.
William Contreras, Bryce Turang and Jake Bauers also went deep for the Brewers (92-56), who have a commanding lead in the NL Central but for now are assured of at least a wild-card spot. They lead second-place Chicago by 10 games in the division, and their magic number to clinch that title is four.
Dustin May (7-9) and Garrett Stallings combined on a two-hitter while Milwaukee pounded out a season-high 23 hits. May worked six innings, giving up two singles to standout Reds rookie Sal Stewart in his seventh start for the Brewers. He was acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline.
Stallings got the last nine outs for his first save.
Andrew Abbott (6-11) allowed eight runs on nine hits in two innings, his shortest start of the season.
Mitchell’s first career slam capped an eight-run fifth inning against Luis Mey. He went 3 for 5.
Turang hit a three-run homer, his 18th, and Bauers sent a fastball from Abbott 412 feet to center for a two-run shot, his 25th, to cap a sixth-run second. Turang finished 3 for 3 with a walk.
Catcher Jose Trevino came in to pitch in the seventh and retired the side in order. In the eighth, he gave up a three-run homer to Contreras.
Jackson Chourio went 4 for 6 with four hits and two RBIs.
Elly De La Cruz extended his streak of reaching base safely to 18 games with a walk in the sixth.
Up next
RHP Brady Singer (6-13, 5.03 ERA) starts Saturday night for the Reds. The Brewers have yet to name a starter.
Packers running back Josh Jacobs pleads no contest to 2 misdemeanor charges, including battery
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May altercation with his girlfriend during which she said he threw her to the ground.
Jacobs must pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs for the battery charge. Under an agreement with prosecutors, the criminal damage charge can be dismissed in a year if he fulfills terms that include staying out of trouble, avoiding the victim in this case, submitting to supervision, completing counseling and paying restitution to the victim.
“I fully understand the seriousness of the situation, and I take full responsibility,” Jacobs said during an appearance in a Brown County court.
Jacobs was arrested May 26, three days after Hobart-Lawrence police officers came to his Wisconsin home to investigate a disturbance. According to police, the woman told them that Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground, causing her to hit her head. Police said Jacobs also took her phone from her while she was on the ground.
Police said they noticed redness on her face and neck and could feel a bump on the back of her head.
According to a criminal complaint, the woman’s statement was corroborated by surveillance footage from the camera system in the garage where the incident occurred.
Jacobs was charged in late August and the NFL subsequently placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list, which prevents the three-time Pro Bowl running back from playing or practicing but allows him to keep receiving a paycheck. Players on the commissioner’s exempt list may be allowed at team facilities for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and rehabilitation and other non-football activities.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Thursday that the league is monitoring the case, which is being reviewed under the league personal conduct policy, and Jacobs remains on the exempt list.
Jacobs could face a league suspension.
David Chesnoff, one of the lawyers representing Jacobs, said the running back already has begun counseling.
“This plea reflects Josh’s acknowledgement of his actions and his acceptance of responsibility for these actions," Chesnoff said. “There are significant consequences for Josh, and he intends to meet all the requirements the court imposes under these negotiations.”
Jacobs entered his plea three days before the Packers open the season at Minnesota.
He is coming off a 2025 season during which he rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns. That followed a 2024 season in which he ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning his third Pro Bowl selection.
He joined the Packers in 2024 after spending his first five seasons with the Raiders, including a 2022 campaign in which he earned All-Pro honors and had an NFL-leading 1,653 yards rushing.
The only other running backs currently on Green Bay’s 53-man roster are MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson. The Packers acquired Johnson from Pittsburgh the day that Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt list.
Packers may need to rely on Jordan Love more than usual because of unsettled rushing attack
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay’s Jordan Love already has established himself as one of the game’s elite quarterbacks as far as Packers coach Matt LaFleur is concerned.
Love will certainly get a chance to prove that this season.
The unsettled nature of Green Bay’s rushing attack without three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs means the Packers may have to depend on their passing game more than usual. The Packers open the season Sunday at Minnesota.
“No matter who’s out there, I want to be the best,” Love said. “I want to go out there and execute my job at a high level on every play. So, I think for everybody — the receivers, you don’t have to go out there and do anything fancy or try and do anything more. It’s just go out there and do your job and make plays.”
Love hasn’t yet received a Pro Bowl invitation despite leading the Packers to playoff berths in each of his three seasons as a starting quarterback. When he was asked about the next step Love must take to be considered among the league’s best quarterbacks, LaFleur contended that the 27-year-old already has entered that class.
“I get so confused by that question every time, because I think he’s an elite player,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “So I don’t know. I’ll let you guys figure that out, what the next step is.”
LaFleur believes Love might get more recognition if the Packers made a longer postseason run.
Green Bay hasn’t advanced beyond the divisional round of the playoffs in Love’s three seasons as a starter and has lost in the wild-card round each of the past two years.
“I think a lot of times it’s due to team success,” LaFleur said. “And the more success we have, the more people will view him in that light.”
Love wasn’t to blame for the Packers’ five-game skid that ended their 2025 season.
A helmet-to-helmet hit from Chicago’s Austin Booker knocked Love out of an overtime loss to the Bears on Dec. 20 and prevented him from playing in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens the next week. Green Bay rested Love and its other starters for its regular-season finale at Minnesota.
Love returned for the playoffs and threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, but the Packers fell 31-27 at Chicago after allowing 25 points in the fourth quarter.
Another issue that could impact the perception of Love is that the Packers generally don’t pass the ball as often as many other teams. According to Sportradar, only four teams ran the ball a higher percentage of time than the Packers did last season. The Packers had the third-highest rushing percentage in 2024.
Love tied for 14th in the league in touchdown passes (23) and ranked 13th in passing yards (3,381) and 19th in pass attempts (439) last season. He was intercepted only six times.
The Packers may need to lean on Love more this season, particularly as long as Jacobs is unable to play or practice because of his placement on the commissioner’s exempt list. Jacobs has a court appearance scheduled for Thursday as he faces misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May altercation with his girlfriend.
Love’s teammates believe he can handle that extra responsibility.
“Since I’ve been playing with him, he’s never flinched,” wide receiver Jayden Reed said. “That’s the biggest thing for him that I see. He’s the same guy out there every play, through adversity, through great plays. He just does a great job leading the offense, and he’s going to continue to do that.”
Love should benefit from the fact that three of his top playmakers finally are all healthy at the same time.
The Packers didn’t have the entire trio of Reed, Christian Watson and tight end Tucker Kraft all available for a single game last season. Watson made his season debut Oct. 26 after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Kraft’s season ended when he tore his ACL on Nov. 2. Reed went on injured reserve Sept. 20 with shoulder and foot injuries, and he didn’t come back until Dec. 7.
They’re all good to go for the start of this season.
“I think you guys see what we can do all together,” Reed said. “That’s huge, to have all of us together, plus MG (Matthew Golden) plus all the other playmakers we have. I think we can be the best in the league, me personally. We’ve just got to put that all on display on Sunday.”
NOTES: DT Warren Brinson (calf) and LB Ty’Ron Hopper (Achilles) didn’t practice Tuesday. … RB Damon Bankston and S Kahlef Hailassie joined the practice squad. S Murvin Kenion III was released from the practice squad.
Henderson, Yelich lead Brewers past Cubs for series sweep
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich hit a three-run homer, Logan Henderson threw five innings of two-hit ball and the Milwaukee Brewers completed a sweep of rival Chicago, holding on for an 8-6 victory Wednesday night to extend their NL Central lead to 10 games over the Cubs.
Jackson Chourio and William Contreras also homered for majors-leading Milwaukee (91-56).
The Cubs (81-66) scored five runs in the ninth, starting with four walks by Brandon Sproat. Abner Uribe relieved and gave up an RBI single, a run-scoring ground out and a two-run double by Michael Conforto to make it 8-6.
Henderson (10-3) retired the first nine before Pete Crow-Armstrong singled to open the fourth. Crow-Armstrong advanced on a passed ball, took third on a fly out, and scored the unearned run on a ground out to cut the deficit to 7-1.
Henderson allowed one unearned run on two hits, striking out six and walking one before exiting after Carson Kelly’s leadoff single in the sixth.
Kevin Gausman (9-12) allowed seven runs, six earned, on eight hits in four innings, including three home runs.
Yelich staked the Brewers to a 3-0 lead in the first with his 11th homer. Brice Turang reached on an infield force out and Contreras walked. Andrew Vaughn struck out, but Yelich sent an 0-1 pitch 372 feet to left-center.
The Brewers made it 6-0 in the second on home runs by Chourio and Contreras. Chourio’s one-out solo shot was his career-best 23rd. Turang walked and Contreras followed with his 15th homer, and 100th of his career.
Milwaukee capitalized on errors for unearned runs in the third and sixth.
Up next
Both the Cubs and Brewers are off Thursday. Shota Imanaga (9-10, 3.91 ERA) was set to starts for the Cubs on Friday at home against the Pirates, who had not named a starter. The Reds were going with Andrew Abbott (6-10, 4.43) on Friday at the Brewers, who had not named a starter.
Brewers rally in 8th and hold off comeback attempt in 9th for 4-3 win over Cubs
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jackson Chourio singled home two runs to spark a three-run rally in the eighth inning and made a diving catch for the final out in the ninth as the Milwaukee Brewers came from behind to beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Monday.
The Cubs fell eight games back of the MLB-leading Brewers in the NL Central after losing the opener of this three-game series.
Chicago attempted a comeback of its own in the ninth inning against Trevor Megill.
The Cubs trailed 4-2 when Pedro Ramírez, who already had homered in the fifth inning, delivered a one-out shot that could have cleared the wall if right fielder Luis Lara hadn't made a leaping catch. Pete Crow-Armstrong then sent a 400-foot shot over the wall in right-center for the first homer Megill had allowed all season.
The game ended on Chourio's diving catch of Seiya Suzuki's fly to left, as Megill earned his 27th save in 29 opportunities.
Crow-Armstrong also singled and scored in the seventh. Before getting hits in his final two at-bats Monday, Crow-Armstrong had gone 4 of 39 with 18 strikeouts against the Brewers this season.
Cubs starter Matthew Boyd silenced Milwaukee through the first seven innings, but ran into trouble in the eighth.
Milwaukee trailed 2-1 when Garrett Mitchell drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a Joey Ortiz double, which came on Boyd’s 100th and final pitch of the day.
Chourio greeted reliever Ryan Zeferjahn by hitting a grounder that got through a drawn-in infield and went into right to drive in both runners, putting Milwaukee ahead 3-2.
Chourio stole second and Brice Turang walked before Zeferjahn struck out William Contreras. Jacob Webb took over for Zeferjahn and walked Jake Bauers to load the bases before Christian Yelich’s sacrifice fly extended Milwaukee’s lead to 4-2.
Abner Uribe (5-2) picked up the win after retiring the side in order in the eighth.
Up next
Jacob Misiorowski (14-5, 1.87 ERA) pitches for Milwaukee and David Peterson (7-8, 5.39) starts for Chicago on Tuesday night.