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The Green Bay Packers were undoubtedly disappointed with the results of their Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Talk about a terrible way to end the year…the Packers were outplayed and outmatched for much of the game before a fourth-quarter comeback masked what was otherwise a blowout. The 27-25 final score made that game look a lot closer than it was, but the truth of the matter was that the Vikings were on a different level — and that's been the case for all of Green Bay's losses this season. The Packers have started slow in all their losses, and despite being a playoff team, they've been outmatched.
Those slow starts have been part of what has doomed the Packers in their five losses, according to head coach Matt LaFleur. That and the fact that the players on their roster just haven't been able to step up to the moment.
“You just can’t do that against good teams,” LaFleur said of the slow starts, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky.
In the same breath, LaFleur also said that “absolutely is a belief we can win one of these games, but we’ve got to do it.”
The Packers will have another chance to beat a good team in the playoffs, but in Week 18, the final weekend of their regular season, they'll get a chance to beat up on a bad 4-12 Chicago Bears team. This is a rivalry game, the NFL's oldest and most prolific, so records go out the window whenever these two teams play.
With that said, these three players need to step up for the Packers against the Bears to improve the vibes surrounding the team heading into the playoffs.
The Packers need Lukas Van Ness to step up again
Part of the reason General Manager Brian Gutekunst felt comfortable trading veteran pass rusher Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the trade deadline was that the Packers had former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness behind Smith on the depth chart.
The Packers selected Van Ness out of Iowa with the 13th pick in 2023 with the hopes that he could develop some pass-rush moves to go along with his built 6-foot-5, 272-pound frame.
He notched two sacks in the three games directly after the trade deadline, seemingly proving Gutekunst's hunch about him right. Van Ness has been on a milk carton since, though. He's totaled just seven tackles with no sacks and barely any quarterback pressures in the past four games.
If the Packers want to make a run through the playoffs they're going to need to get pressure on the quarterback, and they're going to need Van Ness to be a big part of that. Getting some momentum against rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears heading into the playoffs would be a huge thing for Van Ness and the Packers.
Carrington Valentine needs to prove he can be a shut-down corner
Carrington Valentine was a seventh-round pick for the Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft. Getting any production out of a seventh-round pick is a bonus, so the Packers have to be thrilled about Valentine's production over the past few weeks.
Valentine has notched two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in Green Bay's last three games, and they'll need him to keep producing.
With the news that Jaire Alexander is likely out for the rest of this season and could be done with the Packers in general (but that's a different story), Green Bay needs someone to step up to be the No. 1 cornerback.
Keisean Nixon is more effective in the slot and former first-round pick Eric Stokes is inconsistent, to say the least. If Valentine can continue to play like a top cornerback that would alleviate a ton of Green Bay's problems heading into the playoffs.
If Valentine can pick off Williams or at least slow down the trio of Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, and DJ Moore, that would be a huge win for the Packers.
The Packers should lean on Emanuel Wilson against the Bears
LaFleur has not been shy about leaning on Josh Jacobs this season and it has worked out for the Packers in a big way. He's rushed 295 times for 1,285 yards and 14 touchdowns, which are all top-five marks amongst NFL running backs.
The thing is, the Packers need to keep leaning on Jacobs if they want to make a long run in the playoffs, so they're going to have to give him a bit of a rest against the Bears.
If the Packers can get up early on Chicago, expect Emanuel Wilson to get a good share of the carries. Even if it's close, the Packers should utilize Wilson in order to keep Jacobs fresh for the Wild Card round.
Wilson has rushed for 429 yards and three touchdowns this season and while he's no Jacobs, he's a more than adequate runner in a “meaningless” game like this.
