The Packers have talent, but they are officially on alert after blowing the Panthers game

It was a tough afternoon for the Green Bay Packerswho did not perform it defensively and had plenty of guilt to share. The Packers certainly have talent, but they’re officially on alert after falling short at home against the Panthers.

Carolina walked into Lambeau Field and the Panthers danced to a 16-13 victory that few people expected.

As good as the Packers’ record is, the results of most games suggest a team that might not be as good as 5-2-1. If nothing else, the Packers are certainly not putting fear into the NFC.

The Packers have a lot to prove

It’s called “considering cheating” because this team is still good. But at some point, the picture needs to look like a playoff team.

That was the case in the first two games of the season. The Packers easily handled the Lions before taking down a then mostly healthy Commander team.

It’s been a mess ever since. They suffered an unacceptable 13-10 loss on the road to the Browns. Then, with the whole country watching, their defense embarrassed themselves in a 40-40 tie against the Cowboys. It was a game the Packers barely tied, thanks to questionable late-game clock management by the head coach Matt LaFleur.

Their next win came against a Joe Burrow-less Bengals team with a treacherously bad defense. But the Packers led just 24-18 with 4:11 left.

Next, the Arizona Cardinals entered after four straight losses and without their starting quarterback. And yet, the Packers didn’t take the lead until 1:50 into the game.

The Packers then trailed the Steelers by five points entering the fourth quarter before rallying for the win.

This is simply a team that has not been impressive over the last six weeks. And that’s about a third of the season.

Cheat watch, indeed.

A key injury could hurt the Packers’ ceiling

It doesn’t help that the Packers may have to move forward without one of their top offensive weapons. Tight end Tucker Craft suffered what can it be serious knee injury in the loss to the Panthers, according to Packers.com

“Everybody knows what a season Tuck is having, what a player he is for Green Bay,” Rashaan Gary said. “What kind of player he is on the training field, in the dressing room, just like a person.”

“When you see a guy that’s worked hard from OTAs to the offseason to camp, you see him preparing, getting ready to have the great year that he is — that’s a guy we need on the team.”

Added Josh Jacobs: “I know who he is to this team and what he means to this team. It’s a tough blow for us. A lot of guys, even in the locker room and even in the huddle afterward, we felt it. He’s a leader on this team. He’s a captain, and he’s one of those guys that you really love to have on your team.”

KB Jordan Love should be a big part of the turnaround

That’s it little things that matteraccording to Packers.com.

“I think it all comes down to execution,” Love said. “Penalties, turnovers and not finding a way to score in the red zone.”

“If they’re going to play two-high, you’ve got to stay with the run game. And find ways to dunk and dunk the ball downfield. It comes back to finding ways to run the ball high and maximize yards after the catch.”

Coach Matt LaFleur said he expects his team to bounceaccording to Packers.com.

“I expect us to attack this,” LaFleur said. “It’s tough. It’s a tough pill to swallow. I don’t think it was for lack of effort or anything like that.”

“We’ve got to get back to having a solid week of practice. And I know that’s probably not the sexiest answer that everybody wants to hear, but that’s the reality. If you lose, you’ve got to go back to the drawing board and you’ve got to get back to work.”

One area the Packers must improve is scoring. The defense appears to be there for a Super Bowl run. Offense must follow. But that didn’t get the job done against the Panthers.

“It’s very frustrating,” Love said. “I think everyone felt it was a foul. The first half, we were limited in possession. In those games, you have to maximize every time you’re on the field. We didn’t do that. That’s what we did.

“It’s one of those areas where we have to find ways to improve, and continue to build and put up more points.”