GREEN BAY, Wis. -- First, they said they needed to run the ball more. Then, they said the focus should be on creating a rhythm with easy completions. Now, they want to become a big-play offense that throws deep.
All this in the month of October alone.
At this point, the Green Bay Packers can do nothing more than try something -- anything -- new to jump-start their young and inexperienced offense that was abysmal again in Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Coach Matt LaFleur had 13 days to come up with an effective plan for the Broncos, but it was evident early how much progress they made during their bye week.
"Obviously, zero," LaFleur said after the game in Denver.
That matched how many points LaFleur's Packers scored in the first half against a Broncos team that not only had just one win in its first six games but came in with the worst defense in the NFL in terms of yards and points allowed.
No one -- not even the most optimistic members of the Packers' organization -- figured the start of the post-Aaron Rodgers era would come off without a hitch. This, however, felt like more than just the usual growing pains that many expected in the transition to Jordan Love at quarterback.
The 9-0 halftime deficit to the Broncos means the Packers have been outscored 63-6 in the first halves of their past four games. It marks the first time they have been held to three or fewer first-half points in four consecutive games in the same season since 1988.
And while there was another second-half rally that saw the Packers take a 17-16 lead with 8:31 to play on a fluky, 4-yard fourth-down touchdown that bounced off the hands of Romeo Doubs right to Jayden Reed, they still failed to hit the 20-point mark for the fourth straight game. It's the first time that's happened since 2005, when they were actually held under 20 in six straight games on the way to a 4-12 season.
.@RomeoDoubs deflects it, @JaydenReed5 catches it! 🤯
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 22, 2023
TOUCHDOWN 🙌
#GBvsDEN | #GoPackGo
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/Uc6V5znpSO
If something doesn't change, this season could be headed in a similar direction.
But there's this: In all the ugliness that dropped the Packers to 2-4, Love came away from halftime believing they came up with something resembling an effective strategy.
"Everyone's kind of frustrated," Love said. "But I think in the second half, I think me and Matt talked about it: We've got to take some more shots in the second half, push the ball downfield, and I think that's what we did."
It worked. To a point. But that point ended before they could finish it off. Love tried another deep shot on third-and-20 from their own 46-yard line in the final minutes, but he underthrew receiver Samori Toure, and backside safety P.J. Locke slid over and picked it off at the Broncos' 12-yard line to seal the game.
🔒🔒🔒
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 22, 2023
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/fWPOZx32yJ
"We were able to get some chunk plays, and we know that chunk plays lead to points," LaFleur said. "That's how this league works. It's hard to take those 3-, 4-, 5-yard gains and consistently march the ball down the field. We know we have to find ways to generate explosives, and early on in the game we just haven't been doing that."
There's reason to think it could work. In the first half, Love averaged just 2.4 air yards per pass attempt and minus-0.1 air yards per completion, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In the second half, he averaged 9.3 air yards per attempt and it resulted in 6.1 air yards per completion.
But then there's this: Love didn't complete any of his three passes on Sunday that traveled 20 or more yards in the air and one them -- the heave at the end to Toure -- was picked off. Through six games, Love is just 6-of-27 (22%) with no touchdowns and three interceptions on those throws, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
"We obviously want to take as many shots downfield as we can," said Love, who finished 21-of-31 with two touchdowns and one interception but totaled just 180 yards.
When asked if he thought the Packers were equipped to play that style, Love said: "100%. We've got playmakers on the outside at receiver. I think that's what they do well is running downfield. And I think that's what we've got to do, we've got to put some more pressure on the DBs and then it'll open up more checkdowns and open up more room for playmakers to make plays."
The Packers lost a couple of those playmakers late in the game. Tight end Luke Musgrave sustained an ankle injury that had him in a boot afterward, and receiver Christian Watson went down late with an undisclosed issue.
In the previous weeks, the Packers indicated that a more consistent running game coupled with shorter passes designed to raise Love's completion percentage was the way to go. Still, running back Aaron Jones, who totaled 57 yards from scrimmage on eight carries and three catches in his return from a hamstring, agreed with Love's sentiment.
"We just got to keep that mindset from the start. From the very first snap, thinking in your mind 'attack, physical,'" Jones said. "You can't just come in starting late. Getting a late start, getting a late jump, and spotting teams points, ... we can't do that."
By Monday afternoon, LaFleur was talking about a mix between the run game and some deep shots.
"You want to start trying to find ways to get explosive plays and chuck the ball all over the field," LaFleur said after reviewing the game film. "But I also know that I think there's something to being able to run the football, and sticking with that. I think you saw kind of some of the effects of that in the second half, when we were able to get some larger gains on the ground."
Perhaps none of this should have been a surprise.
Remember, Packers president Mark Murphy said back in July that the defense might have to carry this team for a while. And for the second straight game, the defense turned in what LaFleur deemed an acceptable performance, saying his team should win any game in which the defense gives up fewer than 20 points.
"I don't know what we think we are," cornerback Rasul Douglas said. "But I guess we're just supposed to be some miracle second-half team, 'Space Jam.' Everybody drink the juice or whatever and just win. That s--- is just not the NFL. We're not doing that. So, you have to come out, we have to do whatever we're doing in the second half in the first half, and repeat that in the second half. Once we do that, we're good."