Packers raise red flags on playoff hopes as Week 4 standouts emerge

One month into the 2026 season, the Green Bay Packers’ record looks respectable on paper, but a closer look has analysts doubting their playoff ceiling. In its latest “Cover 32” column, CBS Sports spotlights Green Bay as one of the league’s more troubling early-season teams, even after a 17-14 Week 4 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Penalties, stalled offense and injuries haunt Green Bay

The Buccaneers game is held up as a prime example of the Packers’ issues. Facing undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, starting in place of injured Baker Mayfield, Green Bay nearly gave the game away in the fourth quarter. Protecting a three-point lead, the Packers coughed up the ball on a Kaleb Johnson fumble, then immediately followed with a Jordan Love interception by Buccaneers corner Jacob Parish on the next possession, inviting a comeback that Tampa Bay failed to complete.

According to the column, the Packers have essentially been battling both their opponents and themselves every week. They were flagged 10 times in Week 4, running their season totals to 42 penalties and 344 penalty yards, among the highest figures in the NFL. On offense, they are averaging just 18.3 points per game, their slowest four-game start since 2006, and they sit last in the league with a 26.1% third-down conversion rate. Their rushing output is also near the bottom, while the defense is surrendering a 48.2% conversion rate on third down, leaving little margin for error on either side of the ball.

Injuries and absences have only compounded the problems. Micah Parsons remains sidelined as he rehabs the torn ACL that ended his 2025 season, and Josh Jacobs is on the commissioner’s exempt list. The team has also been hit hard at other spots, losing Jayden Reed and Zach Bako-Bewele in earlier weeks and seeing linebacker Edgerrin Cooper go down in Week 4.

Green Bay’s résumé to date does little to reassure. Their two wins have come against the Buccaneers and New York Jets, who are a combined 1-7. The Jets, led by Geno Smith, nearly forced an overtime upset. Their losses, meanwhile, came to a Carson Wentz-led Minnesota Vikings team and an Atlanta Falcons squad quarterbacked by Michael Penix Jr. in his first start since a third ACL tear.

The upcoming schedule ramps up the difficulty. Over the next three weeks, the Packers will see the Chicago Bears in Week 5, the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6 and the Detroit Lions in Week 7, all with more established offensive firepower than some of Green Bay’s earlier opponents. Sportsbooks have already adjusted: the column notes that Green Bay’s playoff odds have shifted from preseason favourites to longer shots as the market cools on their chances.

Lamb, Walker and other Week 4 game-ball performances

Beyond Green Bay, “Cover 32” uses Week 4 to spotlight several individual performances across the league. CeeDee Lamb earns a game ball for a record-setting outing in the Cowboys’ 34-30 road win over the Houston Texans, becoming the first Dallas player ever to log at least 15 receptions and 175 receiving yards in a single game while scoring a late go-ahead touchdown.

The column also highlights New York Giants rookie linebacker Arvell Reese, the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, who filled the stat sheet in a 36-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals, including a late-first-half interception that set up a touchdown. Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai stepped into a larger role after a D’Andre Swift fumble and responded with 30 carries and two scores against the Jets, while Kyren Williams powered a Los Angeles Rams comeback in Philadelphia with two fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns and a career-high 10 catches.

Kansas City Chiefs back Kenneth Walker III continued his hot start, rushing for 177 yards and two touchdowns in Las Vegas as the Chiefs moved to 4-0; he became the first Kansas City player since Jamaal Charles in 2009 to post at least 175 rushing yards and two rushing scores in a game. Carolina Panthers receiver McMillan also drew praise for a career performance in a 32-26 win over the Detroit Lions, joining Steve Smith Sr. as the only players in franchise history to record at least 10 catches, 150 receiving yards and two touchdown grabs in a single contest. The same column points to a strange sideline dispute involving head coach Mike Vrabel as one of Week 4’s biggest coaching missteps, underscoring how volatile — and revealing — the early part of the NFL season has been.