The Green Bay Packers smashed expectations last season en route to a Divisional Round appearance. Jordan Love notched his first playoff win as a full-time starter by leading the league’s youngest offense to a blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round. One NFL writer thinks the Packers aren’t getting enough attention before the 2024 season.
The Packers have budding talent all around the team. However, they’ll face tough competition in the NFC North from a Detroit Lions team still ascending the league’s ranks and almost knocked off the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game in January.
The Green Bay Packers were ranked No. 6 in February
Following the playoffs, the Packers received a lot of Love. As previously discussed on WSH, The Athletic ranked the Packers as the No. 6 best team in February:
That outlook is shared by The Athletic in their latest NFL Power Rankings next season. Josh Kendall explains more in his article and how head coach Matt LaFleur is key to the Packers’ success:
“A Matt LaFleur Appreciation Post: The Packers head coach somehow is the forgotten man in the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay conversation. LaFleur is 56-27 in five seasons in Green Bay. That .675 winning percentage is better than Shanahan or McVay, not to mention every other active coach in the league other than Jim Harbaugh (.695). Until last season, Aaron Rodgers got the credit for LaFleur’s accomplishments, but the Packers (who are $2.9 million above the salary cap) are doing it now with 25-year-old Jordan Love,” Kendall wrote.
Looking at the rankings, there’s the Kansas City Chiefs at the top spot, with the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans following the Super Bowl champion. With the Packers projected to be the league’s sixth-best team, there’s a pretty good chance Green Bay is going to exceed expectations once again.
The Athletic appears to like how the Packers attacked the offseason since the article by Josh Kendall was written.
Mike Jones with The Athletic named the Packers as one of the league’s underrated teams this summer. Jones thinks the Packers’ additions this offseason will be more competitive in 2024:
The Detroit Lions have garnered a lot of attention this offseason, and rightfully so after their march to the NFC Championship Game. But the Packers are flying under the radar and appear poised to make a surge in 2024 thanks to the growth of Jordan Love, addition of running back Josh Jacobs and veteran safety Xavier McKinney, and impact rookies like offensive tackle Jordan Morgan and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
The key to the Packers’ success will be their health. The team has stressed the importance of keeping players healthy this offseason. If the Packers can stay healthy, they could be a threat to make the Super Bowl.
