The Green Bay Packers 2024 season ended Sunday in Philadelphia with a similar refrain: Matt LaFleur's club couldn't beat the elite opponents.
The 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles pushed the Packers' record to 0-6 versus teams that finished the season at least four games over .500. Green Bay lost twice to the Eagles, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. They went 11-1 against all other clubs (only loss coming in Week 18 to Chicago).
Green Bay knows that in order to turn things around in 2025, they have to win those big games.
"Shoot, you've got to beat 'em," rookie safety Javon Bullard said, . "Good teams beat good teams. You can't consider yourself to be one of those elite teams if you haven't beat 'em. You know what I mean?
"I feel like we're a good team in this league, and our record shows we're a good team in this league. But to be an elite team, you have to beat an elite team, and we ain't do that."
All season, the Packers looked a tier below the best clubs, which is how they ended up the No. 7 seed, washing out of the playoffs in the Wild Card Round. Their best wins came early in the season, against the Los Angeles Rams, who were 1-4 at the time, and the Houston Texans before Halloween. Down the stretch, for the most part, the Packers beat the teams they were supposed to and lost to those above them in the standings.
"The big teams in the big games, we gotta win. We just didn't win the big games," Keisean Nixon said Monday.
The Packers remain a young and talented team. Boasting the most youthful roster in the postseason, Sunday's disappointing day, which included Jordan Love struggling against a good defense, was a learning curve moment.
There is a bitter taste in Green Bay heading into the offseason that is sure to linger.
"As a team, we need to wake up," tight end Tucker Kraft said. "Everyone talks about how we're not OK with just making the playoffs, but we have yet to walk the walk.
"I feel like I have a lot to offer in that (leadership) aspect. This isn't the end, not at all. This is just the beginning of a long road to next year already."
