How can the Green Bay Packers avoid another late-season collapse?
Green Bay Packers beat reporter Rob Demovsky of ESPN wants to know if "The Pack" can avoid another late-season collapse in 2026.
The Packers went 0-4 to finish the 2025 season and lost to the Chicago Bears in the wild-card round of the playoffs despite having a 21-6 lead.
"How can they avoid another late-season collapse? The Packers were 9-3-1 and had a nine-point lead in the third quarter of their Week 15 game at the Denver Broncos, who would go on to be the top seed in the AFC," Demovsky wrote. "That's when it all crumbled. The Packers lost to the Broncos and didn't win another game the rest of the way, ending the season on a five-game losing streak. The Broncos game wasn't the only one they gave away. They blew fourth-quarter leads in two losses to the Bears, in Week 16 and in the wild-card game. Coach Matt LaFleur has talked all offseason about finishing games better, but that's not exactly something you can practice in a tangible way."
Micah Parsons tore his ACL last season against the Denver Broncos in Week 15. Green Bay didn't win a game after that.
The Packers lost Romeo Doubs to the New England Patriots in free agency and traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason.
Without Wicks and Doubs, Green Bay has Tucker Kraft, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams, Skyy Moore, Jakobie Keeney-James, Isaiah Neyor and Will Sheppard on their roster at wideout for Jordan Love to target.
Love signed a four-year, $220 million contract with Green Bay in 2024. It's time for him to play like a superstar and live up to that monster contract.
The 27-year-old Love finished last season with 3,381 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns while completing 66.3% of his passes.
Love enters next season with 11,535 passing yards and 83 passing touchdowns. He's 27-20-1 as a starter.
The Packers open the 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings. It's time for Love to play like an MVP, especially since Parsons will miss the start of the campaign recovering from his ACL tear.
Love recently revealed the "biggest thing" he's trying to improve in his game. The gunslinger is focused on his footwork moving forward.
"My biggest thing that I've noticed since I got back is just my feet in the pocket, trying to be as smooth and consistent as possible," Love said. "When I go through my reads, get into my hitches and not getting antsy, not getting to that point where you're trying to move through the pocket too fast. Just staying calm, staying relaxed, move through my reads. If I've gotta move around in the pocket, keeping those movements pretty tight and not kind of running into where guys might be peeling off and able to hit you."
According to Packers.com, Love is one of only three QBs to throw 80-plus touchdown passes with fewer than 30 interceptions since 2023. The other two? Reigning MVP Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams and two-time MVP Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens.
Let's see if Love can win the MVP award next season.
