With five games left the Packers have entered the home stretch of the 2024 season. What should Packers fans be keeping an eye on as the post season and a likely playoff birth approaches?
The win Thursday was perhaps the team’s most complete win all season, with all three phases playing well. With that in mind, lets break the team down into each unit and highlight some things to watch for as the Packers enter this pivotal stretch.
The Packers Offense
Is Toyotathon Jordan Love here to stay?
I think it’s been overlooked how much Love’s injuries affected his play even after getting back on the field. Last year, particularly in the later half of the season, blitzing Jordan Love was a mistake.
This year, looking at the early games after he returned it seemed as though he had regressed in a major way. It seems evident now that Love is healthy, that those lower body injuries were severely limiting him in that regard. Over the last three games against the blitz, Love is 15-of-20, 194 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 121.4.
If this is the Love the Packers are getting the rest of the way, then Green Bay can go toe to toe with any team in the league.
The Packers Defense
Is the Packers pass rush waking up at the right time, and does Xavier McKinney have a shot at the Packers franchise interception record?
I didn’t understand trading Preston Smith when the Packers did, especially since they added nothing at the deadline to replace him. Since then?
It’s not just Van Ness that has seemingly benefited from this addition by subtraction either. Rashan Gary and Brenton Cox over the last three games have nearly matched Smiths sack output in the nine games he played for the Packers this year. The Packers sacked Tua five times on Thursday, their most impressive performance since Week 3 when they annihilated Will Levis with eight sacks.
If the pass rush really has improved, that could lead to more poor decisions by opposing quarterbacks. Those poor decisions could help Xavier McKinney break a franchise record that’s been held for 80 years.
This is Irv Comp. As a rookie Irv set Green Bay’s interception record at 10 picks. Truly incredible given the passing offenses of the 1940s not being quite the fireworks shows we see in today’s games. McKinney has seven picks on the year. It won’t be easy, but with games against Geno, Darnold and Williams left on the docket, there’s a chance McKinney could make history.
The Special Teams
Brandon McManus has made 90% of his kicks with Green Bay since joining the team mid season. Two of those kicks have been walk off game winners. I have no notes.
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