The warning came quickly and without excuses. What happened Saturday night forced the Packers to confront a reality they can no longer ignore. And the words that followed cut through any remaining comfort. The Packers are in the playoffs, yes. But after what just happened, the destination may already be decided.

That reality hit hard from Javon Bullard. The Packers safety didn’t hold back. He took full responsibility.

“It’s on us really, I’m gonna give you the books, it’s on us,” Bullard said. “We knew what they were doing. They ran the ball. We couldn’t stop the run. Point-blank period.” Then the warning landed. Fix it now, or the season ends in the Wild Card.

“We got to fix that tomorrow if we want to go past the wild card game in the playoffs. If we don’t,” he added, “we’ll be sitting our a– right back in Green Bay.”

The frustration was understandable. The Baltimore Ravens tore through Green Bay’s defense. Derrick Henry alone racked up 216 yards and four touchdowns. Baltimore finished with a staggering 307 rushing yards. The 41-24 defeat locked the Packers into the No. 7 seed and laid bare the defense’s weakest link under the brightest lights.

Then came another setback. Defensive tackle Jordon Riley suffered an Achilles injury and is likely out for the season. That’s a big deal. The Packers are already missing Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt. The defensive line is stretched thin. The margin for error is gone.

There are also questions about the plan. The corners were left hanging. The run defense paid a high price. Bullard knows the film will reveal missed assignments, late support, and a lack of push.

Offensively, there was a bright spot. With Jordan Love sidelined, Malik Willis threw for 288 yards, ran for 60 more, and scored three times. It didn’t change the result. It doesn’t change the problem.

January football is simple. Stop the run or go home. The Packers already know which road they’re on.

Bullard’s words echoed beyond the locker room, and so did Matt LaFleur’s acknowledgment. The loss wasn’t just ugly; it reset Green Bay’s reality.

Packers’ playoff path darkens after humbling night at Lambeau

On a night that demanded resolve, the Green Bay Packers unraveled in front of a national audience and walked off the field with more questions than answers.

The Packers entered Week 17 still clinging to hope. Even without Jordan Love, there were no excuses. The Baltimore Ravens were also shorthanded, missing MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Baltimore needed a win to survive. Green Bay had a chance to stay in the NFC North race.

Instead, the Packers waved the white flag. The loss locked the Packers into the NFC’s seventh seed and ended any remaining division dreams. The game was not competitive. It was one-sided and troubling.

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Head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t hide from it.

“That was a humbling night,” LaFleur said. “They came here and were in complete control the whole game. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t up to our standard in how we played and how we coached.”

The Packers’ season may have started to unravel two weeks earlier in Denver when they lost Micah Parsons and watched a nine-point lead slip away. Since then, the defense has struggled to bounce back. Without Parsons, Green Bay has been unable to stop the run.

Even Jerry Jones once said Parsons couldn’t stop the run. Ironically, the Packers can no longer stop anyone without him. Opponents will run the ball until Green Bay proves it can stop it. Right now, it can’t.

LaFleur might consider resting starters next week against Minnesota, which would mean the Packers head into the Wild Card round cold and lacking momentum. He called Saturday night humbling, but it could also serve as a warning for what’s to come.

Green Bay has two weeks to address this serious issue. If they don’t, this season will end just as it’s currently trending.