The Green Bay Packers took on the Atlanta Falcons to kick off Week three with a Thursday night primetime game. It was more the same for the Packers, putting out a very ugly game on both offense and defense, losing 35-14. On the offensive side, the team could not get anything going due to the pressure allowed by a banged-up offensive line. On defense, the Falcons were able to move the ball with ease, particularly on the ground, where Bijan Robinson earned his money with a monster game.
The Packers now fall to 1-2 in this young season, and the pressure is starting to mount. This game against Atlanta was the first of two straight games against winless teams, as the Packers will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their Week 3 game. This was an embarrassing home loss for a Packers team that really needed a win this week to get things right.
Brandon Cisse was the Packers’ first draft selection in the 2026 draft this past April. Cisse is a raw talent at just 21 years old but earned his way as the starting cornerback opposite Kesian Nixon. While Cisse hasn’t looked bad through two games, he hasn’t set the world on fire either. During the Falcons game, however, the rookie corner put out some genuinely bad film. Cisse missed tackles, gave up catches, and even had an illegal contact penalty that wiped away a pass deflection.
Early in the second quarter, Cisse had Brian Robinson Jr. in his sights for a tackle for loss but whiffed. Star wideout Drake London also beat him multiple times, including a huge 68-yard catch that led to a Falcons field goal. This isn’t time to panic for Cisse, but this week was certainly a “welcome to the NFL” type of game for the rookie.
With how bad the Green Bay Packers were on defense, it almost doesn’t feel right to put anyone on defense in the “winners” section, but if someone deserved it, it would be former All-Pro Xavier McKinney. McKinney has had a bit of a quiet start to the 2026 season, but he started the game with an interception on Atlanta’s first drive. He also got in on five tackles and another pass deflection. Hopefully this game is a sign of good things to come for McKinney, who the Packers need to step up and return to his 2024 form.
As mentioned above, this was a brutal game for the Packers defense in multiple ways. The obvious of which was allowing the Falcons to impose their will in the run game. Atlanta rushed for 242 yards on 41 carries and averaged just under 6 yards per carry at 5.9. 194 of those yards came from Bijan Robinson, who was completely dominant.
The Packers had no answer for the Falcons’ rushing attack, whether it was missing tackles or the runner fighting through contact. Through two weeks, Green Bay’s defense has actually looked impressive, but that was not the case in Week 3. Coming into the season, the Packers’ rush defense was a big question mark, and this week was exactly why. It should also be mentioned that offseason signee Javon Hargrave played his first game of the season, but it was no help for Green Bay’s defensive front.
Matthew Golden continues his sophomore season with what may have been the best game of his career thus far in the regular season. He scored his first touchdown, albeit in garbage time, and also had 100 yards. He was also targeted a whopping 12 times but only caught five passes. Golden is showing why he was a former first-round pick, and despite the lack of production in his rookie year, he has become a legit threat in this Green Bay offense.
Golden and Love didn’t quite seem to be on the same page in this game. Love missed some throws to him, and Golden also had some drops that should have been caught. On his longest play of the game, Golden made a fantastic adjustment on the ball while it was in the air, turning to his opposite shoulder to bring in the pass.
Jordan Love has been up and down to start this year, but he truly seemed off Thursday night against the Falcons’ defense. It’s been no secret that the Packers’ offensive line has been bad this season, and it looks like Love is feeling the pressure. Love came into the game completing around 50 percent of his passes, and that trend continued on Thursday.
Love finished the game 28-of-53, 312 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception at the end of the 4th quarter. Completing just 52 percent of his passes and averaged 5-9 yards per attempt, which must be better. Love really looked out of sync; he was dancing around pressure in the pocket and was missing guys who were open. Regardless of poor offensive line play, Love is under a 220 million contract and at some point has to raise the level of play by his teammates to prove to be worth that deal.
For the third straight week, the Green Bay Packers offensive line has been beyond brutal and is finding itself one of the sole reasons for the team’s struggles. Coming into this game, it was always going to be an uphill battle with OT Zach Bako-Bewele done for the year and guard Aaron Banks out for this game.
The starters across the line were Jordan Morgan, Jager Burton, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk, and Anthony Belton. The line only gave up one sack, but the pressure was constant, just as it’s been all season. The Packers only ran the ball 9 times total and were regularly working in the quick pass game because the line could not be trusted.
It can’t be overstated how bad of a loss this was for Green Bay. The Falcons were 0-2 coming into the game and just came off a week where they scored only three points. While injuries haven’t done the team any favors, they have looked broken and overwhelmed at times this season. Whether it’s blowing a lead to the Vikings. Allowing the Jets to beat them all game, only for New York to choke the game away to poor time management, and now an absolute dismantling at the hands of the Falcons.
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