Packers' No. 1 task after loss: Protect Jordan Love

The Green Bay Packers' top priority after their 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings is fixing an offensive line that left quarterback Jordan Love under constant pressure. Love faced 10 unblocked pressures on Sunday, the most of any quarterback in Week 1 and tied for the most in a game by any quarterback in the past five seasons, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Official game statistics credited the Vikings with 15 hits on Love, though offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich corrected that number to 18 when asked what he told the offense afterward. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said, "What's disappointing is we had a few protection busts that absolutely should not and cannot happen."

One of the most costly breakdowns came with a little more than 5 minutes left, after the Packers fell behind 25-22 having earlier led 22-10. Love was sacked on consecutive plays, losing the ball on the second sack and giving Minnesota possession at the Packers' 1-yard line, where the Vikings put the game away.

The line's issues followed a disrupted training camp in which guard Aaron Banks rarely took 11-on-11 snaps because of a lingering knee issue, and Bako-Bewele was limited after offseason knee surgery. Banks was a late scratch for the opener, and rather than turning to rookie Jager Burton or shifting Anthony Belton and Jacob Monk, the Packers started Donovan Jennings, who Stenavich said had been performing better in practice.

The Vikings blitzed Love on 78.3% of his dropbacks, the fourth-highest rate in any game since at least 2018, under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Green Bay handled it well in the first half, gaining 189 passing yards and two touchdowns against the blitz, but the operation broke down in the second half, when Minnesota sacked Love four times and intercepted him once while blitzing.