The Green Bay Packers' 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns continues to age as poorly as possible, as fans can only look ahead with frustration. There isn't any doubt that Green Bay is the more talented roster and easily should've won this game. Blame must be laid at the feet of Jordan Love, who didn't make the needed plays and turned the ball over to help turn the tide of the game. Regardless, there is no going back and no denying the rough position the Packers have put themselves into. USA Today's Ryan Wood noted this, pointing out the potential cost of what is being viewed as a Week 3 lesson.
The Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Bucs, and San Francisco 49ers all remained undefeated, while division foes in the Vikings and Lions both pulled even in the division race. For a franchise that was the early favorite to be the NFC's top seed, things aren't looking all that bright. Losing to the Browns simply showed the youth of a team that believed they had the ability to overlook an opponent who gave the Packers their best shot.
Packers' Week 3 Lapse Proving to Be Costly After NFC Contenders Pull Ahead
Green Bay's loss was universally pointed to as a team that was reading their own headlines and feeling themselves a bit too much. However, the concerning piece of this was the fact that even halfway through the game, when it was clear things weren't going the Packers' way, the roster was unable to come alive. The defense did its part, limiting the Browns to 13 points and creating a turnover.
However, there simply isn't an excuse for being unable to wake up when you realize what you thought was a bad team proves to be up to the challenge. It has cost the Packers in the NFC race and given division rivals full confidence. Both the Lions and Vikings enjoyed resounding wins, with the Lions beating the Baltimore Ravens on the road in an impressive shootout.
For the Vikings, there is even more confidence after blowing the Bengals off the field with Carson Wentz in at quarterback. Everything that could have gone wrong for the Packers throughout the rest of the league has made the loss to Cleveland sting all the more.
Fans can only hope that this served as a warning for the weeks ahead, and that the franchise has no plans of letting another team slip on them as the Browns did in Week 3.