The mood in Green Bay took a sharp turn after the Packers’ 34-26 loss to the Broncos. Sitting at 9-4-1 and fresh off a four-game unbeaten streak, they watched a golden chance slip away while losing multiple key starters.
Afterward, Matt LaFleur did not sugarcoat where things stand, calling it a “double-whammy” to drop a crucial game and see “pieces that are critical for our success” go down, before stressing that nobody is going to feel sorry for them. Everyone has to elevate their play the rest of the way.
Even with Micah Parsons likely lost to a torn ACL, at least one star in that locker room is not backing off expectations. Edge rusher Rashan Gary delivered a clear message about what opponents should expect from Green Bay’s defensive front down the stretch.
As Matt Schneidman relayed on X, Gary put it: “This what I say. For the rest of the season, what we got? Three more opportunities? Watch how the front play.” For a defense that just failed to sack Bo Nix once and let Denver’s offense get comfortable, that sounds less like bluster and more like a public challenge to his own group.
The loss itself exposed how thin the margin has become. Parsons, acquired for two first-round picks and Kenny Clark, left late in the third quarter with the non-contact knee injury that now threatens both this season and next.
Injury updates since the game have been mixed at best. Right tackle Zach Tom and safety Evan Williams are both believed to have avoided long-term damage with their knee issues, but their status still bears watching as depth gets tested.
Watson traveled home with the team, an encouraging sign after his scare, while LaFleur admitted Parsons’ prognosis “doesn’t look good,” all against the backdrop of Nix carving up the defense for 302 yards and four touchdowns while Love’s two interceptions loomed large in the final score.
Green Bay’s season is far from over, but the tone has changed. LaFleur’s reality check and Gary’s promise about the front seven now define what the final three games will be about: a battered contender trying to prove it still hits like one.
