Packers reach historical low point for red-zone defense to start season

The Green Bay Packers have reached a new historical low point for red-zone defense.

The Packers gave up two red-zone touchdowns to the Chicago Bears on two red-zone trips on Sunday, making opponents 15-for-15 scoring touchdowns inside the 20-yard line against Green Bay through the first six games of 2021.

The perfect opponent success rate is historically bad. And historically rare.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers are the first team in at least 40 years to fail to get a red-zone stop during the first six weeks of a season.

Counting last year’s postseason, the Packers have allowed 19 straight touchdowns in the red zone. The last stop was in the first quarter of Green Bay’s win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.

On Sunday, the Bears got a 1-yard touchdown run from rookie Khalil Herbert and a 5-yard touchdown pass from Justin Fields to Darnell Mooney in the red zone.

The Packers are aware of the issue, but the fixes have been elusive.

“We’re poor right now in the red zone,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry last week. “It’s always an area of focus, but it’s something that we’ve put a lot of time and energy into it. It’s something that we’re working on constantly and talking about and preaching.”

It’s not all bad news. The Packers only allowed two scoring drives on Sunday, and the defense ranks 13th in points allowed, 16th in the percentage of drives ending in a score and sixth in yards per play through six games. The red-zone struggles are real, but the Packers defense is mostly handling its business over the other 80 yards of field to defend.

Up next for the Packers is the Washington Football Team. After six games, Washington is 14th in the NFL in red-zone scoring at 62.5 percent (10/16). Will the red-zone scoring streak finally end in Week 7?

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