The Packers now have lost six straight dating back to last year. The longest losing streak in recent memory and a team establishing the wrong type of identity.

That’s the common sentiment from fans after coming off another devastating loss to divisional rival Minnesota this past Sunday. A game where the Packers had control for most of the afternoon and still found a devastating way to lose.

A couple of things you have to remember: First, the NFL season is a long one. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Second, yes, a loss is a loss, but not all losses are the same.

Let’s not forget that leading up to the Broncos game last season, the Packers were a Super Bowl favorite. Unfortunately, the team had quite possibly the worst luck imaginable as the season went on.

Week one review

Sunday’s 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and especially the way the Packers lost, largely overshadowed a lot of the good things I saw—which is why I’m so optimistic about the upcoming season.

After the game Sunday, I went back and watched some of the things that stood out to me live. I posted a clip on X, of a couple of calls that I felt altered the game on. I’ll never solely blame the refs for any loss; however, there was quite the disparity in the way the game was called.

Overall, the offense really handled its business despite the shortcomings of the offensive line. It’s amazing how good the passing game can look when Matt LaFleur lets Jordan Love cook.

The run game definitely missed Josh Jacobs on Sunday. MarShawn Lloyd did little with the opportunity, but the Vikings have a great defense and he hasn’t played much meaningful football in two years.

It’s hard to understand what the coaching staff was thinking by trotting out Donovan Jennings and Jacob Monk at the guard positions. I don’t believe either of them are long-term answers there, and I hope the Packers coaching staff figures out the offensive line ASAP.

For what it’s worth, I would love to see Anthony Belton at left tackle, Jordan Morgan at left guard, rookie Jager Burton at center, Sean Rhyan at right guard and Zach Bako-Bewele at right tackle.

Matthew Golden had six catches on 12 targets for 95 yards and realistically should’ve had a touchdown if it weren’t for a non-call in the end zone.

Christian Watson had six catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns, including an 81-yard touchdown—the longest reception of his career and the longest completion of Jordan Love’s.

And Tucker Kraft came back like nothing happened.

The defense looked good, and please don’t overlook the fact that the defense had three third-down stops wiped away by penalties on the Vikings’ go-ahead drive. That’s really hard to overcome in the NFL.

Special teams also looks infinitely better. The Packers had drives starting at the Vikings’ 40- and 36-yard lines, which is easily within Trey Smack’s field-goal range.

How great is it that our special teams can essentially set up our kicker for a free field goal without the offense having to do anything? They really handled their business.

On the surface, the Packers look like a defeated team, incapable of overcoming adversity and getting out of their own way. But if you look at some of the building blocks for this season, I think fans are just going to need to practice some patience as the season goes on.

Get the late-game losses out of the way now. Learn how to overcome adversity and put together a solid four quarters of football so that later in the season, “you’ve been there before.”

Oh, and pray for a healthy season.

Jets matchup/preview

It’s hard to take too much away from the Jets and Titans game last Sunday, as Tennessee may be competing for a top-three draft position again and searching for a contingency plan at quarterback.

I don’t think the Jets are going to be as bad as they were last year, but I’m also not convinced they’re close to being a playoff team. Geno Smith is going to command the offense, and Breece Hall looks fully healthy heading into this season.

The Jets have a very good offensive line, and I think they’re going to lean heavily on the combination of Breece Hall and former Wisconsin Badger Braelon Allen. This could be a big game for Chris McClellan and the Packers’ defensive front. Establishing and controlling the line of scrimmage will be huge for Green Bay on Sunday.

I think this game will be closer than people expect, and think we could see another high-volume passing game for Jordan Love with all of the question marks still surrounding the offensive line.

The Jets also have an exploitable secondary, and I think Matthew Golden is poised for another big game.

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has faced Matt LaFleur plenty of times, having previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions before taking over in New York. He knows this Packers offense and LaFleur’s tendencies, so I expect him to have a good game plan ready.

I really hope the Packers approach this week aggressively and focused and don’t treat it like a bye week. This could definitely be a trap game, and I would hate to see this team start the season 0-2.

The Packers need to continue feeding Christian Watson and Matthew Golden. In the running game, I’d like to see more outside-zone concepts and for them to utilize some of MarShawn Lloyd’s speed on the edge. Get the linebackers moving horizontally and make the game easier for Jordan Love.

Most importantly, come away from MetLife Stadium healthy and intact.