Bonus Football

            The Packers making the playoffs this season is just a bonus on top of everything they’ve done. I know I briefly mentioned this in my last blog, but it’s a pretty big deal when you think about it all things considered.

            To start, you have to talk about Jordan Love and what was expected of him going into this season. After sitting behind Aaron Rodgers for three seasons, the Packers felt that he was ready to take the next step of being the starter. The Packers were deeply scrutinized, especially considering the weapons they left Jordan Love to work with in his first season. In hindsight, it’s easy to say he had weapons all along, but that just wasn’t the case the first half of the season.

            After his monster performance against the Bears in week one, Aaron Jones would end up missing multiple games with a hamstring injury. Alongside Jones, Christian Watson was also dealing with a hamstring injury to begin the season. He wouldn’t appear in the Packers’ offense until week four against the Lions. Both players were in and out of the lineup constantly and it kept the offense from finding a true identity. Through weeks 4-8, Jordan Love struggled. The Packers lost four straight and Love threw multiple interceptions, including key ones at the end of multiple games. As some would say, the sky was falling.

            That didn’t stop Matt LaFleur and the Packers though. A lot of credit this season has to be given to LaFleur after that brutal stretch that was tormented by injuries. LaFleur kept faith in his young guys and kept the team together at their lowest. Following their loss against the Steelers in week 10, LaFleur saw something in Jordan Love that would change the course of the season for the better.

            The Packers were 2-6 following the loss to Pittsburgh and there was a lot of talk about a top-five draft pick possibly for Green Bay. Their upcoming stretch against the Chargers, Lions, and Chiefs looked very tough and would certainly determine how the rest of their season would turn out. For the guys in the locker room, that upcoming stretch didn’t faze them at all. During that stretch, the Packers would win all three games and Jordan Love would throw for a total of 857 yards and 8 touchdowns. Just like that, the Packers were back in the mix.

            Although the Packers were riding high off three straight against great teams and quarterbacks, they would quickly be brought back down to reality. The Giants and Buccaneers would get the best of the Packers, more specifically their defense. Both these games were frustrating and it’s safe to say the Packers were the better team in both of these games.

            But once again, Matt LaFleur would rally his team and the Packers would win three straight games to get into the playoffs with a little help from their fellow NFC competitors.

            The theme I’ve thought of to describe this season is, Ups and Downs. The Packers have had their fair share of highs and lows this season. In reality, that’s what you’re going to get with the youngest roster in football during a transition season. Especially the year after you lose your franchise starter of 15 years. The goal this season was finding the next guy, and the Packers achieved that goal through Jordan Love, his coaches, and teammates.

            The fact the Packers snuck into the playoffs this season is truly special, especially after the ending they had last season. Sports is about the ride throughout the season and what a ride it has been as a fan of the Green Bay Packers this season. They have a chance to shock the league again this season as they travel to AT&T Stadium in Dallas to face the Cowboys.

            What do the Packers have to lose? Nothing, because nobody is giving them a chance. So what’s to stop them from handling business on their own?

            Real Packer Fans Know🧀