The Green Bay Packers will enter Thursday night’s home opener against the Atlanta Falcons with protection concerns around Jordan Love, a reshuffled offensive line and an injury report that has removed several key contributors. Left tackle Jordan Morgan, the 2024 first-round pick, has played every offensive snap at his preferred position through two games, but coaches say he must eliminate snap-count and other pre-snap issues.
Key takeaways
- Jordan Morgan has started both games at left tackle, but Green Bay needs cleaner timing and fewer controllable mistakes from Love’s blindside protector.
- Second-year receiver Matthew Golden has 18 targets, 10 catches and 153 receiving yards through two weeks.
- The Packers rank last in the NFL on third down, converting only 4 of 21 attempts.
- Anthony Belton is expected to take over at right tackle after Zach Bako-Bewele suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury.
- Guard Aaron Banks, receiver Jayden Reed and defensive tackle Warren Brinson have been ruled out against Atlanta.
- Atlanta will start Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback after Cooper Rush handled the Falcons’ first two games.
Offense seeks cleaner execution
Morgan arrived in Green Bay after playing left tackle at Arizona, but his first two NFL seasons included work at left guard, right guard and right tackle. He impressed at left tackle during last summer’s camp before Rasheed Walker won the job. Morgan’s only previous start there came in a Week 18 game with Clayton Tune at quarterback.
This time, Morgan faced no preseason competition for the position and has remained on the field for every offensive snap. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said Morgan showed improved technique in the overtime win over the New York Jets, but acknowledged communication problems involving Love’s cadence.
“There were some better fundamentals,” Stenavich said. “But we have to be on the same page with the snap count. There were too many issues, whether it was penalties or coming off the ball. We were fortunate to win despite that.”
The Packers need Morgan to avoid the kind of hesitation or false-start trouble that can leave Love exposed. The quarterback is playing under a $220 million contract, and Green Bay’s offense is still trying to find consistency despite its 2-0 start.
Golden has emerged as one of the early focal points. The 2025 first-round selection had 44 targets as a rookie, finishing tied for 85th among NFL wide receivers. In two games this season, he is tied for seventh at the position with 18 targets. He had 29 receptions for 361 yards in 14 games last year; his 2026 totals already stand at 10 catches for 153 yards.
Golden is also tied for 14th among wide receivers at 6.6 yards after the catch per reception. Head coach Matt LaFleur named him Green Bay’s offensive player of the game against the Jets after he produced four catches for 58 yards and drew two pass-interference penalties worth 61 yards.
LaFleur pointed to an 8-yard third-quarter catch as a sign of Golden’s progress. In the opener, Golden caught a stick route about five yards short of the line to gain on third-and-8 from the Green Bay 46. He broke one tackle but tried to escape around cornerback Isaiah Rodgers rather than cut between two defenders, and he was stopped three yards short.
Against New York, Golden ran the same route on second-and-7 from the Packers’ 6-yard line. He caught the ball three yards short of the sticks, split the defenders and gained eight yards for a first down.
“We call it a drop step,” LaFleur said. “When there are two defenders, the message is, ‘See two, split two.’ It did not happen in Week 1, we challenged him on it, and then he made that play in the last game.”
Even with Golden’s growth, Green Bay’s third-down results have been poor. The Packers are 32nd in the league at 19 percent, with four conversions on 21 tries. Their problem has often started before third down: only four attempts have been third-and-3 or shorter, while just three have come on third-and-4 through third-and-6. Fourteen of the 21 plays have required seven or more yards.
Stenavich said Green Bay has converted at roughly a 50 percent rate when facing third-and-7 or less, but too many first- and second-down failures have created third-and-long situations. LaFleur called the unit’s third-down performance “disgusting.”
Belton steps in as injuries mount before Atlanta visit
Belton is now in line for an extended run at right tackle after Bako-Bewele reinjured the same knee that underwent offseason surgery for a partially torn patellar tendon. The latest tear will end Bako-Bewele’s season.
Belton, a 2025 second-round pick, started seven games at right guard last season before eventually replacing Morgan in that rotation. He lost the guard competition this summer to Jacob Monk, who had not previously started at the position, but coaches also prepared Belton at right tackle while Bako-Bewele worked his way back from surgery.
He played 86 regular-season snaps at right tackle last year, including 81 in Weeks 2 and 3 when Bako-Bewele was sidelined. Belton logged 56 snaps against the Jets and is now set to protect Love’s right side.
Stenavich said Belton’s work at tackle was part of a contingency plan. The coordinator described him as a larger player than Bako-Bewele who remains athletic enough to operate in space, generate movement in the run game and handle Green Bay’s regular offense.
The Packers will be without Banks after a toe injury limited him to less than one half of football this season. Banks played 15 games last year but dealt with injuries through much of that campaign.
Reed will miss Thursday’s game after suffering a neck injury on the second offensive snap against the Jets. He remained in New Jersey on Sunday night and is still being evaluated. LaFleur said it was too soon to determine whether Reed could return this season.
Brinson, who hurt his calf during warmups before the second preseason game, has been ruled out for a third straight contest despite earlier optimism that he could be ready for Week 1. Defensive tackles Javon Hargrave, listed with a knee injury and concussion, and Anthony Campbell, who has an ankle issue, are questionable.
The Falcons arrive at Lambeau Field without a red-zone trip in their first two games, though Green Bay expects a different offense with Penix replacing Rush. Packers safety Evan Williams said Atlanta’s early-game tape still offers formation and scheme clues, but the staff must also study Penix’s previous snaps to anticipate adjustments built around his strengths.
Atlanta’s most dangerous weapons remain running back Bijan Robinson and receiver Drake London. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon called Robinson an elite player as both a runner and receiver, citing his contact balance, big-play ability and central role in the Falcons’ attack.
Cornerback Brandon Cisse said Robinson and London can change a game at any time, making their locations on the field a constant concern for Green Bay’s defense. The Packers will try to contain both as they seek to protect their unbeaten start in Thursday night’s home opener.
