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Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft was understandably emotional following another fourth-quarter collapse Sunday in a 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He didn’t mince words postgame, instead offering an early rallying cry for his team.
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“The only people who can beat us are us. That’s it,” Kraft told Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “We’re the best team in the NFL, but if we don’t go out there and play like it, no one’s going to believe us.”
The Packers jumped out to an early two-score lead in Sunday’s season opener, and stayed in front through three quarters. But poor decision-making and execution down the stretch opened the door for the Vikings.
With the Packers nursing a 22-17 lead and 13:21 left on the clock, LaFleur chose to go for it on fourth-and-one from the Minnesota 17-yard line unsuccessfully. This occurred after he took a field goal off the board following a Vikings’ penalty, which would’ve given the Packers an eight-point advantage. Minnesota went on to take the lead the following drive, outscoring Green Bay 22-0 the rest of the way.
While it ended up being the turning point of the matchup, Kraft was defiant when asked if LaFleur’s decision was ultimately what doomed the Packers.
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“That momentum swing was due to our own fault,” Kraft said. “We allowed that to happen.”
LaFleur’s Late-Game Gamble Energized Vikings
Analytically, LaFleur choosing to go for it when he did was probably the right decision. But taking the gamble then, over points your team already had, wasn’t the move, especially with momentum already favoring the Vikings after holding the Packers to a punt and a field goal in the third quarter.
Furthermore, LaFleur’s play call was baffling. A quarterback sneak with an empty backfield behind an offensive line that had been pushed around most of the day? Regardless, it energized the Vikings, who took the lead on their next drive and never looked back.
These types of losses are becoming commonplace under LaFleur. The Packers have now lost six straight games dating back to last year. In four of those games, they led by more than one score in the second half.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 9:02 PM.