5 takeaways from Packers loss to Broncos

2. LaFleur regrets recent play call.

Facing third-and-3 with less than two minutes left from their own 46-yard line, trailing by two points, the Packers went for it all. QB Jordan Love’s deep shot to receiver Samori Toure hung in the air too long and was intercepted by Broncos safety PJ Locke as he cut across the field.

Just like in Vegas, another late rally was spurned as the Packers went bankrupt.

“You put that last one on me,” LaFleur said. “Maybe I should have called for a safer game, got half of it, and tried to set yourself up for a manageable situation in the next one.

“We shot the ball and obviously didn’t get there.”

Love said he had never seen Lock go that way from his normal position and was surprised by his ability to get to the ball. It ended up being the only turnover of the game.

“We called a play, and it’s for that coverage,” Love said. “I tried to shoot the ball over the top to Samori, but the back defense managed to handle it.

“You can look back and say we could have done a lot of different things… who knows? One of those things is, what if.”

Whatever it takes, the bottom line is what needs to change.

“Everyone is very disappointed,” Loew said. “We have to find a way to win, we have to find a way to win these games.

“We were put in those situations too many times on offense to win the game, and we didn’t take advantage of that. We don’t take advantage of end-game situations, and the situations will stay the same. Coming.”

3. There are two other errors in particular that stick with this one.

First, rookie kicker Anders Karlsson missed his first kick of the season in the first half, hitting a 43-yard field goal wide when the Packers were desperate to get points on the board before intermission.

Then, on the final drive, the third-and-3 down was caused by a penalty on Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins when the offense pulled the QB — who had worked great on the previous TD drive — on second down.

The Packers were on the Denver 44-yard line, and Love’s drive up the middle appeared to go inside the 40, but the penalty killed the play and put Green Bay back on its side of midfield, in a long-yardage situation.

The offense probably didn’t need another first down to give Carlson a shot on a long goal to restore the lead, but after the penalty the Packers were out of range and never got back.

“That was another crucial penalty at the end of the game,” Lafleur said. “There seem to be a lot of those blunders that keep coming up. These are the things that cost you.”