With their running back landscape up in the air, the Packers could look to make a splash. Matt Holder of Bleacher Report has suggested that Green Bay pursue star running back Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts as a free agent in 2024.

“A few people have made this connection already seeing as A.J. Dillion is an impending free agent and Aaron Jones’ contract expires in 2024. Also, Taylor clearly wants out of Indianapolis after asking for a trade toward the end of training camp, and the Packers are willing to pay a running back since Jones currently ranks sixth in average annual value at the position.

At his best, Taylor is one of the top backs in the NFL and is only two years removed from being the league’s rushing champ with over 1,800 yards. He would add to Green Bay’s stable of young offensive weapons and provide support for Love by giving the team a boost in the running game and forcing defenses into one-high coverages.”

Taylor is four years younger than Jones, fitting the Packers’ timeline and youth movement better. If they are going to pay top dollar to a running back, it might as well be one that will be around for numerous seasons.

When healthy, Taylor has proven to be one of the most productive running backs in the NFL. He would provide the team with someone they can lean on to take pressure off of Love and the passing game.

Waiting until free agency also won’t cost the Packers premium draft capital, which the Colts are asking for in a return package in a trade.

Things got a little hairy at the end as the defense allowed the Saints to get inside the Packers 40-yard line. But they ultimately stoped New Orleans from converting a third down, which led to missed 47-yard attempt by Saints kicker Blake Grupe, giving the Packers the come from behind win.

A massive turnaround from where this team was a week ago in Atlanta, after giving away a 12 point fourth quarter lead.

“The resiliency of that locker room is incredible,” said LaFleur. “I have never seen anything like it. It’s hard not to get too emotional about it. But I just can’t say enough great things about this group in terms of just their mentality. Their belief in one another. The way they work.”

Overall, Love was 22-for-44 for 259 yards with a touchdown and an interception, which included tough sledding for three quarters, although that’s, of course, not all on Love. The receivers struggled to make contested catches for much of the game. In the fourth quarter specifically, Love still didn’t fill the stat sheet, completing 7-of-18 passes for 104 yards with a touchdown and 25 rushing yards. But when a play had to made, Love came through.

“That wasn’t always how we drew it up,” said LaFleur, “certainly, but when he had to make plays, he was making plays. And I thought there were more plays out there.

“But, the poise that he shows is really remarkable. I think the leadership that he shows is unbelievable. I would go down there before we take a drive and he’s talking to all the guys and encouraging everybody. Those guys are going to fight for him. I think everybody in that locker room is going to fight for Jordan Love.”

There were too many errors and missed opportunities, especially early on by Green Bay, that almost put this game out of reach for the Packers. In total, they had 11 penalties and despite being able to move the ball into New Orleans territory on several occasions, Green Bay was scoreless through three quarters. The defense would keep the Packers in this game, surrendering just 10 points, while the offensive line gave Love the time he needed to either escape the pocket or find the open pass catcher.

“I thought it was great,” said LaFleur of the defense’s performance. “I’ve got to go back and look at the tape. I was wracking my brain and trying to figure out how to get a first down most of the game. Our coaches work their butts off trying to come up with a plan to, in all phases, to attack whomever we are playing and our players were battling and competing their butts off. They did a great job defensively. Joe Barry and that crew did a great job and we really held them to 10 points. A lot of the credit goes to our defense today.”

Although, to a degree, the deficit that the Packers found themselves in was very much self inflicted, they didn’t blink, and just kept chipping away until the clock hit zero. For a young team, it’s this type of performance under difficult circumstances that can provide a huge confidence boost. It took all three phases stepping up at the end and making the necessary plays when required to pull off the come from behind win.

Love’s performance in crunch time on Sunday was the first that many outside of the Green Bay locker room were able to see that level of play from him. But for those inside the locker room, it wasn’t a surprise at all. His teammates knew what he was capable of.

”Just him and the resiliency just to come out there down 17 into the fourth,” said Elgton Jenkins, “the ultimate downs, he don’t blink. He just goes out there and do what he do. Offense rallies around him, defense does what they do. It was a special, special performance, now. We always knew that he had it, things like that. But just him being able to go out there and just put it together live for everybody in his first game at Lambeau, it’s just special. Just special.”

DT Kenny Clark

Clark was the driving force behind the defense surrendering only nine points in the first half. He consistently generated pressure against Desmond Ridder and was in the quarterback’s face when he threw an interception on Atlanta’s opening drive. Though it wasn’t enough to secure the win, he finished with six tackles, two QB hits, and 0.5 sacks. Per usual, Clark has been great at creating havoc up front but needs help from his supporting cast.

LB Quay Walker

The Packers’ first overall pick in 2022 is off to a great start in his second season. Walker had a pick-six in the opener and should have had another interception this week but dropped it. Still, it was a solid outing for Walker, who flew around the field to record a career-high 17 tackles. The Falcons gashed Green Bay’s defense for most of the day, but it wasn’t without a valiant effort from Walker. His speed and athleticism were on full display and he is now showing why the Packers were so high on him. Hopefully, Walker will continue to develop in the heart of the defense.

The lone scoring drive that didn’t feature a big third-down conversion included an explosive play when Love hit Jones on a throwback screen for 51 yards.

The Packers finished the contest 9-for-16 on third downs. Love had four completions of 30 or more yards despite not having Christian Watson (hamstring) in the lineup. Pass protection was excellent, giving Love time to sit in the pocket and let plays develop downfield.

The offense was also 3-for-3 scoring touchdowns in the red zone. Love hit Doubs for an 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter to take the lead and then found Doubs again for a 4-yard score to give the Packers a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. On the first, he bought an extra second for Doubs to get open. On the second, Love threw a well-placed back-shoulder ball for Doubs to go get.

Games are so often won in the big spots and big situations. Love was excellent on third down, fourth down and in the red zone, took just one sack and didn’t have a turnover.

The passing game will be helped a lot by the offense line, who looked great in the preseason, racking up the top pass blocking grade in the league from PFF, despite playing without David Bakhtiari.

The team also looked good in run blocking, and the run game figures to be a bigger part of the offense than it has in recent years.

Sure, they’ve had a great running back tandem for years, and underused it pretty much every single game, but the year looks different. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon are a top pairing, just like last year, but they aren’t playing with a quarterback who is as pass happy as Jordan Love’s predecessor. Love has said repeatedly that he wants to simply run the offense. That should mean running more.

With talent up and down the lineup, and a largely unknown cast of key players, the Packers may be able to catch teams by surprise, especially early in the year. But misdirection will be a part of the offense all year long. The Packers look primed to use a lot of tight end and full back sets, giving them the flexibility to run or pass from many different looks. And if the preseason is any indication, they plan on passing to their backs a lot and working intermediate routes in the middle of the field more than they have in previous years.

This type of offense isn’t without risk, and we can safely assume that the offense will turn the ball over more than they have in recent years, but this looks like a young, athletic group, brimming with potential, that should be a lot of fun to watch grow.

Look for the Packers to spread the ball around with creative concepts they haven’t used before. I expect we’ll see a faster pace that will lead to communications miscues, mental errors, and turnovers, but also a lot of really exciting plays.

Darnell Savage has looked like the second coming of Nick Collins at some times, and the second coming of Kentrell Brice at others. And he’s the bright spot. The rest of the group (Rudy Ford, Jonathan Owens, Anthony Johnson, Zayne Anderson, and Dallin Leavitt) are a jumble of core special teamers and unknown first year players. It’s hard to tell which of these guys should be starting, or even if any of them are starter quality.

For all the strength the Packers have at cornerback, the question marks at safety could undo the defensive backfield.

The bright spot to that is the safeties may not have to cover they’ll get a lot of chances to make plays because the Packers edge group looks loaded. With Rashan Gary primed to return early in the year to join incumbent Preston Smith, along with rookies Lukas Van Ness and Brenton Cox (who took such different paths to the team that it’s funny) and second year man Kingsley Enagbare, who, even if he doesn’t improve on his rookie campaign, will still be a great rotational rusher. This unit can really be the foundation of a top defense.

If Gary and Stokes can return to form, the Packers will have unrivaled depth and the two most important positions on defense. Even with the weakness at safety, if the Packers pass rush can get home, their corners can hold down coverage, and the the line and inside linebackers are good enough to slow any run game down.

There is a ton of talent on this side of the ball… but coaching may determine how they perform.

Yes, I know we all hate Joe Barry, but he tested out some promising wrinkles in the preseason with the defensive line. There were more stunts and switches than we’ve seen in the past, where he usually just charges linemen straightforward. It might not be enough to turn this unit into the best in the league, but it’s enough to make me optimistic in Week 0, so let me have this.

We’ll know soon enough if Barry is putting things together in Green Bay.

He certainly has the players. 

OTHER NOTES

Injuries always play a big role in how a team’s season goes. This year, the Packers have a head start. Rashan Gary, Eric Stokes, David Bakhtiari, Romeo Doubs, and De’Vondre Campbell are all banged up and missed time this offseason. How quickly they can come back, and how healthy they can stay, will go a long way in determining the outcome of the season.

Special teams are a big question mark, and not just because they have new guys at kicker and punter. In releasing guys like Shemar Jean-Charles and Corey Ballentine, the Packers may not have disrupted the starting defense, but they did take away some guys with core special teams experience. This could also be a sign that the Packers are willing to play more starters on special teams.

Keisean Nixon is certainly the headliner of the special teams unit, though, regardless of who else plays on it. He could take over Desmond Howard’s place as the Packers all time best returner. It’s worth noting, however, that if he plays a bigger role on defense, it could impact his effectiveness in the return game. Last year, without playing much defense, he was usually completely fresh for his return opportunities. A larger role on defense could diminish his effectiveness as a return. Even if it slows him down a step, he’s still one of the best returners in the game.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m so excited for this team.

With Jordan Love showing poise, decisiveness, and command of the offense in the preseason, the sky is the limit. His development, along with a ton of other young starters, will determine the fate of the team this year. If it all falls into place, they could do anything…

But things don’t usually all fall into place.

We’re gonna see a LOT of rookie mistakes. Almost half the roster hasn’t been in the league more than a year. The quarterback, receivers, and tight ends are all still wet behind the ears. I expect a lot of excitement and a lot of bumps.

Same thing on defense, where injuries carried over from last year and gonna hurt early on.

Still, this team has a ton of talent, a great attitude, and a relatively easy schedule.

I’m looking for entertainment and signs of growth this year. If the last two draft classes can show growth for the future, the Packers could open up a new Super Bowl window.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Let’s enjoy a young, loose team finding out what it can really do.

I expect the team to challenge for the division title and maybe sneak into a wild card spot if they can get a hot start with the weak part of their schedule. If they can galvanize around midseason and stand up to some tough, things could get really interesting.

Even if they don’t, this should be a fun year without the pressure of unrealistic expectations for the first time in a long time.

10 wins is probably the ceiling for this group, but that’s a lot better than last year.

The basement really could be #1 pick territory if Jordan Love somehow flames out. But that doesn’t seem likely given how he looked in the preseason.

Final prediction:

Packers go 9-8 and miss the wild card on a tie breaker, but give us a lot to look forward to.

Buckle up, and check back here first thing in the morning every gameday throught the season!