The Green Bay Packers were one of the biggest surprises in the NFL last season. Of course, this was because they made the offseason decision to trade future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets and move forward with Jordan Love as their starter at the position. Many national analysts, and a large portion of the Packers’ own fanbase, did not think they had much of a chance to be successful.
For a few weeks, they looked like their predictions would be proven right. Love and the Packers stumbled to a 2-5 start that left many wondering if they had made the right decision. However, a 7-3 finish in their final 10 games was good enough to clinch the seventh and final wild card spot in the NFC.
As everyone may recall, the seventh-seeded Packers then went on to to upset the NFC East Champions (and former head coach Mike McCarthy) in the first round.
Expectations Are Higher for the Green Bay Packers in 2024
Now that Love and his young group of pass catchers have a full season of NFL games worth of playing together under their belts, and after their strong finish to the 2023 season, expectations are much higher for this team. While there will still be growth and improvements that need to be made, as there are every year on every team, they have shown what they are capable of doing at a high level.
Having players healthy will go a long way to helping them reach these high expectations. Christian Watson and Eric Stokes visited a hamstring specialist in Madison, Wisconsin this offseason and believe they have figured out what was causing their perpetual injuries and, just as importantly, how to avoid them.
Free agent signings Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney bring a level of excitement due to their high-profile nature. While losing fan-favorite Aaron Jones might have come as a shock, Jacobs was the 2022 NFL rushing leader and an All-Pro. McKinney might be the best safety Green Bay has had since Nick Collins.
Finally, the hiring of Jeff Hafley to replace Joe Barry as defensive coordinator may just have been the move Green Bay needed to finally change the culture on defense. While talk is cheap and needs to be backed up by play on the field, Hafley and his coaches are singing an aggressive tune that focuses on being disruptive in the backfield.
The Green Bay Packers May Be 1 of 3 NFL Playoff Teams for the NFC North
The Packers, of course, were not the only NFC North team to make the playoffs last season. While Green Bay snuck in as a wild card, the Detroit Lions won their first regular season division title since 1993. Detroit made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game and are predicted by many to repeat as the NFC North winners, and some think may finish with the top seed in the NFC.
The Chicago Bears, too, are getting a great deal of offseason hype. They have a new quarterback in first overall pick Caleb Williams and have done a pretty good job of surrounding him with quality pass catchers. This offseason, they added multiple Pro-Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers and drafted standout Rome Odunze.
In a recent article posted by Bleacher Report, Maurice Moton predicted the first round playoff matchups in each conference. He did, indeed, have the Packers, Lions, and Bears all making it, with Detroit as the top seed and Chicago getting a sixth seed.
Analyst Predicts the Green Bay Packers Will Face Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL Playoffs
Moton has the Packers as the fifth seed playing against the Kirk Cousins-led Atlanta Falcons as the fourth seed. This would mean Green Bay would have earned the first wild card spot while Atlanta would have the worst record of the NFC’s division winners.
He writes:
“The Falcons passed up on a top defensive prospect in the first round of the 2024 draft, but head coach Raheem Morris has seen his former Los Angeles Rams team reach the playoffs (and win a Super Bowl) with a middling defense and a top-nine offense in two of the last three years. Atlanta may have similar defensive and offensive rankings this year with the same result.
“With adequate protection, Love can spread the ball around among a budding pass-catching group, which features wide receivers Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks and tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
“The Packers don’t have to be heavily reliant on Love’s arm, though. On the ground, running backs Josh Jacobs, AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd can balance the offense with a mix of physicality and speed.
“A Falcons-Packers matchup could be a treat for anyone who enjoys two offenses trading scoring drives in a postseason battle.”
Green Bay is 4-6-1 against Cousins in his career, including one game while he was the quarterback of the Washington Commanders.
It would certainly prove to be an interesting matchup considering the Packers’ new defensive scheme and how well Cousins and Packers players know each other.
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