My Thoughts from the Green Bay Packers at the New England Patriots (11/8/2026)

 Here are my thoughts from today's Green Bay Packers' 45-27 win at the New England Patriots:

That was a great quick start by the Packers. They capitalized on the early interception by Xavier McKinney and then made it look easy as they moved downfield on that second drive then eventually went up 17-0. Loved to see that because it set the right tone and gave them a buffer for later in the game, when the Patriots made some big plays of their own.

So, what do we think of Matthew Golden now? I remember a lot of "fans" calling him a bust after his rookie year but he's quickly growing into a top receiver. That second scoring drive was all him.

We can't forget about Christian Watson either. I thought for sure, with a broken rib, he'd have a limited impact in this game but that wasn't the case, making just as much of an impact as Golden throughout.

And Savion Williams makes three. There doesn't seem to be anything Williams can't do, whether it is running the ball or catching it. His numbers aren't as impressive as the other two, but he has been making his own mark in games, including this one.

I'm just going to say it, Kaleb Johnson deserves the opportunity to be the starter at running back. I know Josh Jacobs is the Packers' preferred starter, even with his legal issues, and Johnson had some fumble issues earlier in the season but while Green Bay's run game is still a work in progress (to put it mildly), Johnson has been the one guy who has produced. He averaged nearly five yards per carry today, including a powerful run for a score. He could be the spark the Packers need on the ground.

OK, I'll admit it, I underestimated the Packers' secondary this season. I thought they would be the weak link on the defense, but they have been making some big plays. That interception by Evan Williams, following a tip by Brandon Cisse deserves the highlight reel.

I'm getting a bit worried about the injuries at linebacker. Ty'ron Hopper was already the emergency LB after injuries to Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin and Green Bay lost him early in the game. That late injury to Isaiah McDuffie hopefully isn't anything too serious because they are running out of bodies.

Kicker Trey Smack didn't have a particularly spectacular day but also didn't have any negatives/misses today either. I'll still probably hold my breath whenever he is sent out to kick a field goal or PAT but there's hope he's working through his struggles.