Green Bay is the team nobody wants to play right now. Just six weeks after they got embarrassed at home by the Atlanta Falcons in a nationally televised Thursday night game, the Packers absolutely dismantled the Patriots, 45-27, on Sunday in New England. That makes it five wins in their last six games, boosting their record to 6-3. While they’re still in last place in the arduous NFC North, they’re proving they are one of the most dangerous teams in the NFC.
Jordan Love and That Unstoppable Passing Attack
A huge part of this turnaround is quarterback Jordan Love, who is starting to look like a real MVP contender. Against the Patriots, he torched them for 372 yards and three touchdowns, completing 79.3% of his passes, going 23 of 29. That’s his fourth time completing over 70% in the last six games. But it’s not just Love; for years, the Packers struggled with an injury-prone, under-performing receiving corps. Now? They look like they have two No. 1s. Christian Watson, who snagged 7 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, and Matthew Golden, who added 10 catches for 164 yards and a touchdown, are the best 1-2 receiving punch in football. This season, they’ve combined for 102 catches, 1,662 yards, and 12 touchdowns. That’s even more productive than the Bengals’ dynamic duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
But look, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Their running game is straight-up pathetic. Even with Josh Jacobs returning, they’re still only averaging a league-worst 68.2 yards. They did hit a season-high 129 yards against the Patriots, but Jacobs missed most of that game with a broken finger, and that tiny bump still leaves them at the bottom. Still, with Love slinging it like he is, their passing game is becoming nearly unstoppable.
Defense Goes From Weakness to Weapon
Remember how their defense figured to be a struggle after last year’s coordinator Jeff Hafley left for Miami and with All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons still on injured reserve? Well, forget that. This unit is a strength now. They’ve smothered teams on the ground over the past five weeks, giving up an average of just 84.8 rushing yards, including 94 in New England. And they’ve held five of their nine opponents under 300 passing yards this year. This defense also boasts the most turnover-happy unit in football. After picking off Drake Maye four times and forcing a Rhamondre Stevenson fumble on Sunday, they’ve increased their league-leading total to 19. Their 26 sacks, after four more against the Patriots, puts them among the league leaders in that category too. And the scary part? Micah Parsons is about to come back.
So yeah, the Packers aren’t perfect. That running game is a real issue. But with Love tearing it up, and that defense suffocating teams, they can clearly overcome any other flaws. They’ve already shown they’re better than the Vikings, who beat Green Bay way back in Week 1 but have been essentially operating without a quarterback. And the Packers probably should’ve beaten the Lions two weeks ago, too. They’re still in last place in the NFC North, but seriously, they are one of the most dangerous teams in the entire NFC. Keep an eye on this squad, because they are legit.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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