The Green Bay Packers went into their Week 5 scheduled BYE week with a 2-1-1 record following their most recent 40-40 tie on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. Following their first two dominant performances, the Packers were seen as favorites to make it to the Super Bowl. However, after an upset loss to the Cleveland Browns and an unconvincing tie, the Packers certainly have some work to do if they want to keep pace within the NFC North Division.
While NFL teams are constantly making adjustments to the playbook week-to-week, the BYE week offers an extra chance for coaching staffs to highlight improvements to be made immediately. Given the earliest BYE in the NFL, the Packers will have the rest of the schedule to control the trajectory of their season.
Biggest fix: Consistency on the offensive line
The Packers addressed major offensive and defensive issues this offseason, boosting QB Jordan Love's options with first-round draft pick WR Matthew Golden, as well as signing the game's best edge rusher Micah Parsons in a blockbuster move right before the season. However, the Packers' offensive line has been a glaring issue and the shiny weapons on the offense aren't able to operate properly if Jordan Love doesn't have time to throw the ball.
Just five weeks into the season, the Packers have already seen impactful injuries to LT Anthony Belton, LG Aaron Banks, and $88M RT Zach Tom. The Packers were without all three pivotal lineman, making for a tough game for Jordan Love from inside the pocket. This manifested itself during the 40-40 tie where the bulk of Love's passes were at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Jordan Love passing chart vs the #Cowboys
What do you notice ?👀 pic.twitter.com/5JAdwLa70W
— ~ 𝑨𝒏𝒕 ~ (@PCK3RS) September 29, 2025
With Christian Watson slowly returning to practice following his ACL injury from last season, the offense should be able to hit another gear. The BYE week will also prove to be crucial in getting their offensive line back to full health, as RT Tom was previously eyeing a Week 6 return.
Anthony Belton and Aaron Banks are also worth monitoring moving forward as the Packers are running out of option at lineman. Guard Lecitus Smith was recently signed to the practice squad and elevated against the Cowboys in Week 4, so expect him to get some potential minutes if they end up losing anyone in the meantime.
Of course, injuries aren't something a team can necessarily “fix,” but the communication along the line of scrimmage will need to improve. The Packers are currently tied for the most false start penalties in the NFL with 10, largely due to the constant changes within the offensive line. The Packers are also the youngest team in the NFL for the second-straight year, so penalties and mental mistakes will continue being part of the maturation process for this team. If they want to live up to their Super Bowl expectations, cleaning things up on the line of scrimmage will be paramount to their success.
Looking ahead to Week 6
The Green Bay Packers will face the 2-3 Cincinnati Bengals at home in their Week 6 matchup. They're currently second in the NFC North standings behind the 4-1 Detroit Lions, so the Packers will certainly have to make a statement in the next few weeks. Given their upcoming schedule of CIN, @ARI, @PIT, CAR, they should be able to put up some lopsided numbers and show their strength within the tight division.
While Micah Parsons hasn't been the game-wrecking presence we've seen in the past to start the season, the rest of the Packers' defense has been very effective in holding teams in-check. Aside from their shootout against the Cowboys, the Packers held the Lions, Commanders, and Browns to a combined 41 points through the first three weeks of the season. They rank second behind the Browns in fewest rushing yards allowed per game (77.5) and have been fairly effective in stopping the air attack as a result.
Heading into this upcoming matchup against the Bengals, the Packers should be able to capitalize against an offense in a terrible situation at the moment. They've lost three-straight games since losing quarterback Joe Burrow and have tallied eight total turnovers in their last three games. The Packers defense has been opportunistic in the past, but ranks 31st in the NFL with just two takeaways this season – look for them to be much more aggressive in punching the ball out and cutting off routes for potential interceptions this week.
