(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 10: Josh Jacobs #8 of the Green Bay Packers runs the ball for a 6 yard touchdown against Nolan Smith Jr. #3 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on November 10, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
There was ample frustration in the wake of the Packers‘ 10-7 loss to the Eagles on Monday night, a game in which the defense dominated but the offense sputtered with repeated bouts of ineptitude. The teams were, statistically, evenly matched on the night, but the two Packers turnovers (to just one for the Eagles) proved to be costly–especially the final turnover by Josh Jacobs.
That was, it turned out, one of the uglier plays of the season for the offense, as the team lined up for a fourth-and-1 from its own 44-yard line with 1:26 to play and one big chance to tie or take the lead on the line. The play was doomed from the beginning. Not only did the Packers line up in an illegal formation, but when quarterback Jordan Love called out the play at the line, the Eagles reacted–pointing out exactly where Jacobs was supposed to go.
“Fourth-and-1, they called out our play,” Jacobs said. “We ran it four times, they called it out.”
The result was predictable. Jacobs was stuffed behind the line, made a vain attempt to lateral to Love and the Eagles took over.
“We got a good draw, a push, the clock was going down, we kinda snapped it fast, faster than we wanted to and they made a play,” Jacobs said. “I tried to pitch the ball back to Jordan, that’s where the fumble came. At that point, you’re kinda playing backyard football.”
The outcome of the play was worrisome, but the very fact that the Eagles knew what the Packers were doing all along speaks to a wider issue about the quality and variety of coach Matt LaFleur’s plays.
LaFleur’s job security with a disappointing team that is expected to compete for a Super Bowl was a hot topic after the game, and when it comes to his shortcomings, the fourth-down flop was Exhibit A. The Packers are obviously not going to fire LaFleur midseason, but perhaps a change in play-calling duties is in order.
Jacobs certainly doesn’t want to be in a position in which the defense knows where he is going to be before the ball is snapped.
“As a runner it don’t never feel good,” he said. “Whenever they know what we doing it don’t ever feel good because it changes my mind on how I am going to run the ball if I am being honest. It makes me kind of guess what I am going to do. Obviously, people are smart, if we got code words and you hear it a few times, like, you’re gonna eventually react to it. That’s football, but yeah, it’s never a good feeling.
“They called it out. We called our play, they said, ‘Inside zone, it’s coming right here.’ So I kinda like didn’t want to run right there, you know? But that’s kinda how it played out.”
GettyPackers head coach Matt LaFleur.
While the offense as a whole has been on a downswing, the Packers running game remains a mystery. The team has 1,007 yards on the ground, 20th in the NFL, after ranking as the No. 5 rushing attack last season, with 2,496 yards.
Jacobs said a turnaround is a matter of cleaning up the “messes.”
“Not making any excuses,” he said. “We’ve got to clean up the work. A lot of the game is messy, especially after creating good plays, we just got to be more consistent. Our defense held them down, stopped them real good, played like a championship defense. Offense, that’s on us. We gotta pick it up.”
For the second consecutive offseason, the New York Mets appear to be competing to pry an outfielder away from their crosstown rivals.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets are interested in free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, who spent the 2025 season with the Yankees. Heyman noted that the Mets have openings at center field and first base—two positions Bellinger can play.
https://t.co/Cj9o233gEH Can the Mets possibly sign a star Yankee OF for the second straight winter? They are interested
Bellinger, 30, joined the Yankees in a salary-dump trade days after the Chicago Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker last December. It was one of multiple defining moves in the Yankees’ pivot from Juan Soto, who signed a historic 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets after one season in the Bronx.
Over 152 regular-season games in pinstripes, Bellinger hit .272/.334/.480 (.813 OPS) with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs. The left-handed slugger finished with 5.1 bWAR, the highest mark he has produced since his 2019 NL MVP campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers (8.7).
Bellinger not only excelled batting behind Aaron Judge but was also one of the best defenders in baseball. Playing all three outfield positions and first base, he accumulated eight defensive runs saved and was credited with +7 Outs Above Average by Statcast.
An UNBELIEVABLE Cody Bellinger catch secures the Yankees win! pic.twitter.com/XdzM96Amiw
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has emphasized improving run prevention since the offseason began, citing it as one of the main reasons the team fell short of expectations in 2025. Adding a player with Bellinger’s defensive abilities to the starting lineup could help address that issue, though his exact role would depend on other moves.
When asked about the team’s center field options Tuesday at MLB’s GM meetings in Las Vegas, Stearns said Mets No. 2 prospect Carson Benge will have a chance to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training. The 2024 first-rounder posted an .857 OPS with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs across three levels this past season, though he hit .178/.272/.311 in 24 Triple-A games.
If Benge starts in center, that would leave first base as a potential Pete Alonso replacement or either corner outfield spot as Bellinger’s most realistic long-term fit in Queens. Both Soto and Brandon Nimmo are under contract through at least 2030, so the Mets would likely have to move one to a full-time DH role or trade Nimmo to accommodate Bellinger in the outfield.
At no point during Bellinger’s first nine big-league seasons has he been a full-time first baseman, though he has made 350 career appearances (274 starts) at the position. His career marks of 10 DRS and -1 OAA at first are not as strong as his outfield metrics, though they are noticeably better than Alonso’s defensive numbers (-9 DRS, -9 OAA) in 2025.
If there is one concern about Bellinger’s potential fit in Queens, it is that the Mets already have an abundance of left-handed bats at the top of the lineup. That said, the two-time All-Star led all left-handed hitters in on-base percentage (.415) and slugging (.601) against lefty pitching in 2025.
Like Alonso, Bellinger opted out of the final year of his contract ($25 million guaranteed) in search of a longer-term agreement this offseason. Both Spotrac and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel project Bellinger to secure a six-year deal in free agency—one that would exceed his previous financial guarantee in average annual value.