With the 26th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Jordan Love out of Utah State. Many mocked the move and said that the Packers made the worst decision possible. The Packers still had future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers leading the team when he (Love) was drafted and many fans believed that the selection would push Rodgers out of the organization. While the fans were ultimately right, it wouldn’t happen until 2023 when Rodgers demanded a trade. He would be sent to the New York Jets bringing several of his teammates with him that could handle Rodgers leadership.
In 2023, the Jordan Love Era began. Prior to 2023, Love had just one start in his three year career and it wasn’t pretty, filling in for the injured Rodgers. This season, Love was much better but was quite streaky. The Packers finished the season 9-8. However, they managed to beat not only the Vikings, but the Bears to squeeze into the playoffs as the NFC’s 7-seed. However, the season didn’t start that way.
“I’ve never seen an in-season improvement of a QB like Jordan Love.”@ColinCowherd on why the Green Bay Packers are a problem now, and moving forward: pic.twitter.com/7tBGwQnbfi
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 15, 2024
Believe or not, this is a great take by Colin Cowherd. The Packers are only in the 7-seed position because of how they started the year and how Jordan Love has developed throughout the year. All the legendary quarterbacks developed much slower. Look at Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Tom Brady is objectively the greatest football player to play the game and he didn’t have the development that Jordan Love has had. If we look at Manning, he was drafted and thrown immediately into the deep end. He is known for one of the worst rookie seasons ever and still is in the Hall of Fame.
If you want to make some more direct comparisons, how about Packers quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers? Some are even saying that Love has surpassed Rodgers, which may be a bit of an exaggeration. However, with the Packers’ convincing win against the Cowboys 48-32 in Dallas, the Packers don’t look like any normal 7-seed. Their last loss came against the Buccaneers who are the 4th-seed and if they win against the 49ers, will face either the Bucs or divisional rival Detroit Lions away.
If The Green Bay Packers Are Able To Upset The 49ers, There Is A Strong Chance They Will Win The NFC.
If the Packers were to also upset the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, the Packers would be overwhelming favorites against whoever wins the other game despite the game being away. The Cowboys had one of the top defenses in the league, but the versatility of the Packers offense was a mismatch. With 49ers also having another top defense, if the Packers win, they might have found a blueprint for winning against teams where the defense is a focus. In order for it to work, the Packers defense will have to be at its best, similar to how it was for the Cowboys’ game for the first three quarters.
Like previously mentioned, the Packers are no traditional 7-seed and that is all due to the quarterback they decided to draft a few years early so he could learn from Aaron Rodgers.
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