Packers dealing with unexpected adversity as they prepare to host Eagles

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — First, they lost a game they were favored to win by two touchdowns. Then they discovered they had lost their star tight end for the rest of the season.

Now the Green Bay Packers have cause for concern as they spend this week preparing for a Monday night matchup with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Green Bay (5-2-1) still leads the NFC North but has reason to worry about an offense that couldn’t finish drives in a 16-13 loss to Carolina on Sunday and now must find a way to replace Tucker Kraft, who will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury.

“Certainly, we’re disappointed,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Monday. “Absolutely. But we’re going to take a look at it, we’re going to own it and we’re going to learn from it and we’re going to move on."

The Packers never punted against Carolina, but they finished with just 13 points because they scored one touchdown in five trips to the red zone. The other four red-zone opportunities resulted in two field goals, one fumble and one missed fourth-down conversion attempt.

“That’s just been story of our season,” offensive tackle Zach Tom said after the game. “Just not being consistent with really anything we do. We’ve got to get better and attack the week."

When they're at their best, the Packers are as good as anyone.

The Packers opened the season with a 27-13 win over the defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions. They won 35-25 on the road against the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers.

But they’ve struggled in matchups they were expected to win convincingly.

They collapsed down the stretch in a 13-10 road loss to the Cleveland Browns, who have two wins on the season. They needed a late touchdown to hand Arizona its fifth straight defeat. Their loss to Carolina came one week after the Panthers fell 40-9 at home to Buffalo.

“We’re still yet to play a complete game as a team,” running back Josh Jacobs said. “That’s something that we’re striving (for) every day and not being able to do it, it does feel weird.”

Green Bay continued to move the ball effectively, at least until it reached scoring position. The Packers outgained Carolina 369-265. ... The Packers allowed only 102 yards passing.

Green Bay had just three turnovers in its first seven games but lost a fumble and threw an interception Sunday. ... The Packers recorded just one sack against an injury-riddled Carolina offensive line that had yielded seven sacks a week earlier. ... A Green Bay run defense that had ranked third in the NFL allowed 163 yards rushing. The Packers hadn't given up more than 117 yards rushing in any games before Sunday.

S Xavier McKinney had an interception in the end zone. Two plays earlier, McKinney produced a strip sack, though Carolina's Chuba Hubbard recovered the fumble. McKinney also had a team-high nine tackles. ... Jacobs had his 10th touchdown run of the season Sunday. Jacobs is the first Packer to have at least 10 touchdown runs in consecutive seasons since Jim Taylor did it in three straight years from 1960-62. ... WR Romeo Doubs had seven catches for 91 yards, both season highs.

K Brandon McManus made field goals of 49 and 27 yards, but he also missed a 43-yarder that would have put Green Bay ahead in the third quarter. McManus is 8 of 8 from inside 40 yards but just 1 of 5 on field-goal attempts from 40-49 yards this season. ... WR Savion Williams fumbled in the red zone on Green Bay's opening drive. ... One week after throwing for 360 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-25 win at Pittsburgh, Jordan Love was intercepted once and failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season.

Along with the Kraft injury, WR Matthew Golden and DL Colby Wooden injured their shoulders and OG Aaron Banks left with a stinger. LaFleur indicated the injuries to Golden, Wooden and Banks don't appear to be long-term situations. He described Golden's status as “more day to day” than week to week. ... WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and DE Lukas Van Ness (foot) were each out for a second straight game.

13 — The Packers closed as 13-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The last time the Packers lost as a double-digit favorite was on Dec. 2, 2018, when the Arizona Cardinals won 20-17 at Lambeau Field as 13 1/2-point underdogs. The Packers fired coach Mike McCarthy after that game.

The Packers' Monday night home matchup with the Eagles is a rematch of their 22-10 loss at Philadelphia in last year's wild-card playoff round. This will be the third time in four years that the Packers have hosted the defending Super Bowl champions. They won the last two such matchups, beating the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023.

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