Don't look now, but the Green Bay Packers have another superstar quarterback in Jordan Love, and that should terrify the rest of the NFL for years to come.
In his first career playoff game, Love posted a near-perfect passer rating of 157.2 in the 48-32 win over the Cowboys. Completing nearly 80 percent of his passes, the former first-round pick threw for 272 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions in the win. Aaron Jones was unstoppable on the ground, carrying the ball 19 times for 115 yards and three scores of his own.
According to Locked On Packers host Peter Bukowski, the 48 points scored by the Packers tied a franchise playoff record.
The #Packers have now tied the franchise record for most points in a playoff game with 48.
That was how many Aaron Rodgers put up in Atlanta in what I still think is the best game I've ever seen a QB play.
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) January 15, 2024
Along with being the youngest team in the NFL, the Packers were also the youngest team to make the playoffs since the 1974 Buffalo Bills. That didn't seem to phase anyone, especially head coach Matt Lafleur, as they also became the first No. 7 seed to win a playoff game since the NFL playoffs were expanded to 14 teams back in 2020.
Despite being surrounded by playmakers almost entirely in their first or second seasons in the NFL, Love finished the year with 4,159 passing yards, 32 touchdowns (the second most in the NFL), and 11 interceptions. There were some rough stretches in the middle of the season, but he finished the year with 20 total touchdowns and just one interception over the final eight games of the regular season.
Thanks to home-run draft picks that include the likes of Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Tucker Kraft, the Packers have assembled a loaded roster of talented weapons on cheap deals. Even Romeo Doubs, a second-year wideout who was a Day 3 pick out of Nevada, dominated the Cowboys to the tune of 151 yards and a touchdown on six receptions.
Jordan Love is DEALIN ???
— Darius Butler (@DariusJButler) January 14, 2024
What's even more impressive is that the Packers have found their groove on offense without their most explosive weapon in Christian Watson, who has been hampered by hamstring injuries throughout the 2023 season. Without his deep-threat ability, the Packers haven't missed a beat, and his return in time for the playoffs gives the offense yet another wrinkle for opposing defenses to deal with.
The return of Aaron Jones had a legitimate impact on the Packers offense. Despite a quiet season that included six games missed due to injury, Jones capped off the regular season with three straight games with over 100 rushing yards, and eclipsed the triple-digit mark again on Sunday.
The NFL should be terrified of this ascension from Love and the Packers offense. The 25-year-old quarterback will likely receive a massive contract extension to keep him in Green Bay this offseason, while his entire supporting case in the passing game will still be on rookie deals. Meanwhile, the Packers have five top-100 draft picks to continue solidifying the 53-man roster going forward.
General manager Brian Gutekunst was criticized by some for his decision to move on from future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Much like his predecessor in Ted Thompson, Gutekunst stuck in his belief of his first-round quarterback, and decided to hand the keys to Love.
Instead of a rebuilding year with a first-year starter under center, the Packers snuck into the playoffs and dominated a Super Bowl favorite in the Cowboys. The late-season push is giving a young team invaluable playoff experience, and that will only help them going forward into 2024 and beyond.
The NFL might have thought that the Packers would fade away in the post-Rodgers era, but Jordan Love has this team back in the conversation as potential contenders for years to come.
