Thoughts From the Green Bay Packers Versus the New Orleans Saints (9/24/2023)

Just some thoughts from the Green Bay Packers 18-17 win against the New Orleans Saints today:

Jordan Love is the real deal. Was he perfect today? No. But the way he took the team on his shoulders and practically willed them to a 18-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter shows why the Packers were ready to move on from Aaron Rodgers. It's worth noting Rodgers himself was often criticized, especially early in his career, for his inability to come from behind in games.

You can't say we weren't warned. It was clear from the start there would be plenty of ups and downs this season. Love is exceeding expectations in his first three games as the Packers' full-time starter but there were plenty of times when the rest of the team didn't seem to be on the same page as him.

On that note, penalties nearly killed the Packers today. There are youthful mistakes, and then there is sloppiness. Nobody is perfect but it is very hard for a team to get into a rhythm when it is going backwards because of false starts and holds. It doesn't matter if it is a young team or a veteran team, you only make it a lot more difficult to win.

Green Bay's stars need to get back on the field. I said it before, Aaron Jones makes a huge difference on offense when he's healthy. I would love to think Christian Watson would do the same, assuming we ever see him get on the field this year. The Packers love going deep but don't seem to have anyone with enough speed to do it with any real success when those two are hurt, though those pass interference penalties certainly helped.

It's good to see Rashan Gary getting healthy. That man is a force on defense. It'll be great to see him playing at 100 percent. 

I'm also loving what I'm seeing from Luke Musgrave. One thing that has been missing from this team for years is a big and dynamic tight end. Musgrave still has a lot to learn but has the physical skills to be a big weapon for Love for years to come.