3 Packers to blame for Week 2 loss in Atlanta
By Kristen Wong
So much for the Jordan Love era.
It's still early in the 2023 season, and the Packers have plenty of time to sort the kinks of their offense and defense out. That being said, Week 2's loss to the Atlanta Falcons should not have ended that way.
The Packers held a 24-12 lead over the Falcons going into the fourth quarter. Somehow, Atlanta managed to stage a comeback to win the game, 25-24.
How did we get here? What happened to the Packers team that so thoroughly dominated the Bears but lost on Sunday to an NFC South lightweight?
No single person is at fault, for this was a combined effort, a masterclass, even, by the Packers' offense and defense demonstrating how to blow a game.
Here are three Packers who could be considered most to blame for Week 2's loss to the Falcons.
Packers to blame for Week 2 loss: A.J. Dillon
Aaron Jones was ruled out of Week 2, which means A.J. Dillon had some decent-sized shoes to fill. Suffice it to say, Dillon did not do a good job at controlling the run game.
Dillon finished with 15 carries for 55 yards, averaging just 3.7 yards per attempt. His longest run was for eight yards, and he only had one catch the whole game. With Jones sidelined, Dillon had to step up as the team's dominant rusher -- and 3.7 yards per attempt just won't cut it.
The Packers were missing offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, which most likely factored into the Packers' struggles to run the rock. Still, for a backup like Dillon who received nothing but praise from coaches heading into the 2023 season, he simply had to make a more positive impact in this game.
After Dillon's unimpressive outing as the RB1 in Week 2, it's not hard to see why the Packers were taking a flyer on Colts' Jonathan Taylor a few weeks ago. Cam Akers trade incoming?