A short Packer history lesson from a longtime fan

You don’t have to dig too far back into the Packers’ rich and storied history to get some perspective on Saturday’s disappointing playoff loss.

In fact, you only have to look at last year.

How did you feel about the Packers after they lost to Detroit at Lambeau last year and didn’t even make the playoffs?

How do you feel about them now?

I’ll bet you feel a lot more confident today than you did back on Jan. 8, 2023.

Last year, even the most loyal Packer fan had to admit to a little unease at the idea of a new quarterback after 18 seasons with Aaron Rodgers, who followed 16 seasons with Brett Favre.

You were probably still lamenting the loss of Davante Adams too, following his surprising exit in 2021. Why wouldn’t you?

And, maybe you worried about how the offensive line would hold up, given the injury-plagued history of its All-Pro left tackle, David Bakhtiari.

If you’ve followed the Packers at all this season, you’ve got to feel better about all three of those very valid concerns.

Jordan Love found his stride and showed us all what his teammates had been seeing all along. He has superhuman poise and the kind of charisma you don’t see (or need to see) behind a podium. He locks eyes with his receivers and they believe in him and in themselves. He developed a deep relationship with his coach, too. All of that combined with his physical abilities make him a quarterback we can enjoy supporting.

As Love has developed, so, too, have his receivers. We Packer fans will never not regret the loss of Adams in his prime (and we have to believe he regrets the move too). But, that Packer receiver corps rose to the challenge of replacing him in ways few could expect. Love found 10 receivers against the 49ers Saturday night, which is a remarkable stat in any game but particularly in such a tight playoff game. We won’t be able to keep them all (and you’re welcome to the team that gets any one of those talented, remarkably unselfish guys). We can feel good about our receivers moving forward.

And that line? They gelled in the face of adversity too. Bakhtiari only ended up playing one game this season, but his teammates stepped up. Players like Zach Tom and Elgton Jenkins led their guys into the kind of obscurity that good, solid lines should enjoy. Pundits weren’t saying too much about the Packers’ offensive line as the season progressed because the players dug in and did their job. The future looks good for that line as well.

Beyond all that, we have Aaron Jones, a defense that found their focus, and a passionate head coach.

And that youth everyone lamented heading into the season is a genuine asset moving forward.

The loss to San Francisco stung because we played better than they did for most of the game. We can take that fact into the offseason too.

All in all, I’m looking forward to next season with a whole lot of confidence and a freshly inspired Love.

Go Pack Go!