Packers blowout to Saints: The good, the bad, the grade

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Sep 12, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur reacts dung the second half against the New Orleans Saints at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Packers blowout loss to Saints: The Bad: Aaron Rodgers, Joe Barry, Matt LaFleur

There’s plenty to go around in this section that I was forced to cut it short.

For starters, Aaron Rodgers played one of the worst games of his career. He finished 15-for-28, 133 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions, and his 36.8 rating was the fourth-worst of his career. He tried to play hero ball all game long and the team’s timing suffered as a result. His red-zone interception to start the second half completely changed the complexion of the game.

The coaches weren’t any better. Matt LaFleur’s teams have laid some complete eggs throughout his tenure, and they’ve almost always come on a road trip across the country. It’s bordering on becoming a scary trend for the third-year coach.

The guy he hired to run his defense also had a terrible debut. Joe Barry’s defense looked a lot like Mike Pettine’s defense. He continuously called soft and passive coverages, allowing the Saints to get five to six yards a play. After an offseason of optimism on this side of the ball, the season-opener couldn’t have gone any worse.

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