3 Packers most to blame for letting crucial game vs. Lions slip away

Lukas Van Ness, Josh Jacobs and Jonathan Gannon.3 Packers most to blame for letting crucial game vs. Lions slip away appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Coach Matt LaFleur’s Green Bay Packers suddenly find themselves at the bottom of a tightly contested NFC North Division after their road loss to the Detroit Lions, which came amid a crucial blunder by running back Josh Jacobs, which he apologized for afterward. QB Jordan Love gave an honest verdict of his team’s offense after the loss, which was outshined by record-setting Detroit signal caller Jared Goff.As the dust settled on another tough Packers road loss, it was time to start assigning blame. The Packers have a talented team on paper that isn’t performing quite up to its standards, although the opponent and the situation had a lot to do with it in Detroit. While some, including broadcaster Tom Brady, blamed the refs, the Packers’ coaches and players deserve the brunt of the blame heading into Week 8’s pivotal home matchup against Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers.Here are three Packers most to blame for the Week 7 loss.Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)Packer #1: Jonathan GannonGreen Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, left, talks with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon during the fourth quarter of their preseason game Friday, August 28, 2026 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Green Bay Packers beat the Arizona Cardinals 42-38.Gannon made news headlines earlier this week as he was the subject of an interview with Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs was asked about the Green Bay defensive coordinator and replied that he didn’t know who he was.The Packers’ Week 7 defense did little to change perception around Gannon as the Packers were eaten up on third down plays. The Lions converted 5-of-10 third downs, holding the ball for slightly longer than their visiting opponents did and making Gannon look foolish several times on smart play calls from new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.Gannon’s Packers had just one sack on the day and were picked apart by Goff, who completed 22-of-32 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns, one of the best QB performances of the entire weekend in the NFL.The Packers clearly miss Micah Parsons, who tore his left ACL and meniscus in his left knee back in December 2025. Parsons ate the Lions alive last season but he isn’t playing now and Gannon hasn’t adjusted his play calls well enough.The Packers’ offense is getting blamed for plays including Love’s deep pass interception that was snagged by Brian Branch, but the defense deserves plenty of blame.Packer #2: Lukas Van NessVan Ness is a former first round pick with a huge degree of meaning to the Packers’ defense. He didn’t play like the star pass rusher and tackler that he is against the Detroit Lions, as he was rendered a non-factor by Detroit’s rising young offensive line led by Penei Sewell and Blake Miller.Miller’s 2026 NFL Draft selection and the release of former left tackle Taylor Decker has allowed Sewell to play left tackle, and bolstered the Lions’ offensive line. Sewell was beaten like a drum several times by Parsons last season, but Van Ness didn’t have the same impact against a Lions Honolulu Blue and Silver wall that controlled the game.Van Ness finished with zero tackles and zero sacks, an unthinkable performance for a player with the instincts, play recognition skills, strength and athleticism to wreak havoc against most offensive lines in the NFL this year.Without Parsons, Van Ness needed to step up, but he was a non-factor at Ford Field in a crushing defeat.Packer #3: Josh Jacobs The Packers’ run game was shut down by the Lions leading to adjustments from Matt LaFleur and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, a former Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman, but it didn’t lead to a high-scoring day when Green Bay needed it the most.Jacobs contributed just 11 carries for 36 yards in the rushing game as the Lions were able to force Green Bay to become one-dimensional. Jacobs thrived in the passing game with five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown against the Lions’ depleted linebacking corps, but he wasn’t able to haul in a crucial potential game-winning touchdown catch on third-and-five late in the fourth quarter.Jacobs had a half-step on the Lions defender, but dropped the pass, leading to rookie kicker Trey Smack’s missed field goal that allowed the Lions to go down and score the game-winning points.Jacobs is a veteran leader for LaFleur’s team who adjusted his game on the fly and became a solid receiver in a tight game. He isn’t perfect by any means, but he also didn’t help his team win the game when the chips were down, an indication that he deserves a significant amount of blame for this loss on a franchise where Super Bowl appearances and division titles are the expectation each year.Related: Packers’ Xavier McKinney calls out refs in wild NSFW rant after loss to LionsRelated: Packers’ Josh Jacobs apologizes to team after crucial blunder in loss to Lions