The 49ers may have sent the Packers packing, but there are still plenty of reasons to celebrate. All in all, 2023 was a strong year for the Packers, marked by standout moments that should have fans excited for the next season.
At the same time, sportsbooks have already given them a boost in early odds for 2025’s Super Bowl ahead of this year’s clash between San Francisco and Kansas City. Before that action, take some time to refresh yourself with the Packers’ 2023 highlights.
Jordon Love’s First Comeback
After trading away Aaron Rodgers, many expected this season to be all about recovery. Instead, they got a strong foundation to build from, led by new starting QB Jordan Love. While the squad didn’t make it through the playoffs, they showed that the Packers are still a force to be feared in the NFC.
Assuming no shake-ups, the Packers are looking competitive for the next year. This year’s NFL odds belong to either the 49ers or the Chiefs, however.
The 49ers are favorites to win at -125 while the Chiefs are slightly behind at +120, though media sentiment shows that it could go either way. If the 49ers win, it might relieve Packers fans to know they lost to the best team in the league this year.
Signs came early that the Packers had something special, specifically their first home game against the New Orleans Saints. Going into the last quarter, the Saints led the game with a brutal 17-0 scoreboard. The Packers surged ahead with an explosive comeback win, if only just, at 18-17.
It was an early sign that without Rodgers, the Packers could do just fine with the talent they have built over the past few years. Love finished this season with over 4,000 passing yards and 32 touchdown passes, great for his first starting season.
Packers Made Underdog History
Resting on the legacy of greats like Brett Favre and Rodgers, the Packers aren’t used to being the underdogs. That changed this year when 2023’s underrated roster found themselves as the No. 7 seed for the first time in NFC history. Fortunately for them and us, they’d double down and make history yet again when they faced the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys entered the NFC as the No. 2 seed. This fact alone had a lot of pundits backing Dallas over Green Bay going into the Jan. 14th wild card game. Then there was the yawning 10+ point gap between the No. 2 and No. 7 seeds, based on previous games since the No. 7 seeds were added in 2020.
However, the clash at the AT&T Stadium quickly showed that the game was more competitive than first thought. The NFC East champs lost to the Packers 48-32, a massive upset for Cowboys and pundits everywhere.
It was the first time that a seventh seed won an NFL playoff game. The wild card victory also put the Packers on their collision course with the 49ers. We know how that went, though that bout was also a lot more competitive than first predicted – the 49ers only just won.
Both the Saints and Cowboys games show the best of the Packers this season. More highlights may be yet to come, as running back Aaron Jones is also a finalist for the NFL Salute to Service Award. Getting some awards for this year’s squad could make up for Matt LaFleur not making the finalist list for Coach of the Year.
None of the above is possible without the courage and vision of Brian Gutekunst to draft Jordan Love. Gutekunst’s contributions to the Packers optimistic future cannot be overstated. It starts at the top with Mark Murphy who hired Gutekunst, let him pick his HC, then got out of the way.
Weak leadership catering to Aaron Rodgers and his fanboys and the Packers look like the New York Jets right now. The most dysfunctional organization in the NFL. It’s never wise to let the inmates run the asylum. But Aaron Rodgers fanboys would have followed Rodgers into oblivion. Blaming everyone but Rodgers along the way. We can all be thankful the so called football savants who post here don’t run the organization. They’ve been wrong about everything…..
“It starts at the top……..”
Where, or where have i heard that before?
LOL, what did i miss Flip Flop, did the Packers win the Super Bowl when i wasn’t paying attention?
LOL….Where to start?
If you want to praise the Gute hire (it’s a free Country right?)
Then thank McCarthy for that move, otherwise it would have been Russ Ball, with no talent evaluating experience.
Much like Murphy had no football operation experience.
It’s also cute that you think Gute hired the head coach….lol
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“We can all be thankful the so called football savants who post here don’t run the organization.” – Princess
Again, a brilliant mind speaks 🙄👶🏻
(see Cheese post below)
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From the article……
The Packers won the Saints game because their kicker choked.
Let’s try to keep it 💯
It wasn’t like Jordan Love won it with his 50% completions or his 66 passer rating.
Maybe give the defense some credit for shutting out the Saints in the 4th quarter.
Yes the Packers got in the playoffs as the 7th seed.
Again, thank the Saints kicker or they don’t get in.
You could also thank Cousins for getting hurt.
The best for last……because i just don’t understand the flippancy.
“The wild card victory also put the Packers on their collision course with the 49ers. We know how that went, though that bout was also a lot more competitive than first predicted – the 49ers only just won.” – Rockman
“the 49ers only just won”….lol
WTH does that mean, seriously.
I have no flippin clue what that means.
They ‘barely’ won? Is that it?
They had a game winning drive in the 4th f’ing quarter (when it mattered!!), gee…i don’t know, i call that ‘taking’ a freaking victory to go to the NFCCG
They ONLY just won and went to the NFCCG?
Here’s what happened….the game was on the line in the 4th quarter, winner advances to the NFCCG.
So what happened?
Packers 21- 17, 4th quarter …..A 7th round 49er QB, drove the 49ers down the field on a 12 play, 69 yard TD drive to make the game 21-24, 49ers
Packers get the ball back, just needing a field goal.
1st round QB Jordan Love goes back to pass on 1st down and two time outs remaining, throwing across the field, out of his hand comes out a wobbly looking brick headed straight for triple coverage……..and, you guys know the rest.
The 49ers, ONLY just won.
GTFO with that….lol
“We can all be thankful the so called football savants who post here don’t run the organization. They’ve been wrong about everything”
.
Like how you wanted to tank the season to replace Love half way through the year?
Talk about a savant.
This below is for my written comments, now under “moderation”….lol
Pssttt….i may not be around much anymore, oh well. 😁😏
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Really, moderation?
Lol
F U again, i give no fu ck.
Have a nice day!! 😎
Heard that before.
🍪
Cheese, Kevin, MMSUCKS, Ferris, just to name a few, had but one plan for our beloved Green Bay Packers. Follow Aaron Rodgers and his “superior intellect” into the gates of football hell. You all surmised that the organization was run by half wits and simpletons. Unworthy of the greatest QB ever to play the game. Except of course when it really mattered, in the playoffs. See Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady who just win championships. You’d all gather around and spew your excuses after every playoff loss. Never making Rodgers responsible.
The difference between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets is night and day. The difference is Aaron Rodgers. Management had the good sense to get rid of Rodgers and look to the future. While most of you continued to live in the past. Aaron Rodgers was never who you all thought he was. It was time to move on. You can thank management for that.
The top three picks in this year’s NFL draft will be QB’s Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels. In mid October the Packers stood at 2-5 with the 5th pick. On the outside looking in at getting a blue chip QB prospect. Knowing full well the Chicago Bears would have the first pick in the draft and the emergence of the Detroit Lions as a force to be reckoned with. The Green Bay Packers stood at the precipice. Find a franchise QB or get left behind. There’s no question Jordan Love struggled in the month of October. But that’s why you give him the whole season to let him work his way thru the growing pains that every first year NFL starter goes thru. If Jordan Love wasn’t the answer then Gutekunst had to be able to pivot to plan B. And plan B would have been to find a way to land either Williams, Maye, or Daniels. Fortunately Jordan Love dominated the last ten games of the season, won a playoff game, and established himself as one of the best young QB’s in the NFL. None of which was assured in the dog days of October. A good GM must prepare for any outcome. We needed Jordan Love to be great or get another young QB that could be great. Fortunately for us it turned out to be Love.
“While most of you continued to live in the past.”
Says the guy who is still whining about Aaron Rodgers a year after he’s been gone.
.
“But that’s why you give him the whole season to let him work his way thru the growing pains that every first year NFL starter goes thru.”
.
Clamoring for the whole team to tank the rest of the season half way through the year is not what you call “letting him work his way through his growing pains.” Nice try Flip Flop. That’s called giving up on the season. That’s called an over reaction. That’s exactly what you did. Stop trying to make it into something it was not in an attempt to cover your own tracks.
LOL….Without a doubt, Killer/Tom M has to be the biggest tool in football forum history.
We once had E Wolf, but he wasn’t even a close runner up.
I think his ARDS has taken over his life.
In a recent ESPN article, “redrafting the first two rounds of the 2023 NFL draft.” No less than 6 of Brian Gutekunst draft picks made top 64 picks. They are Jayden Reed, Lukas Van Ness, Luke Musgrave, Dontayvion Wicks, Karl Brooks, and Tucker Kraft. With starting corner Carrington Valentine just missing the cut.
Then in 2022 with the obvious draft hits in Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, and Christian Watson. The late round starters in Romeo Doubs (4th), Zach Tom (4th), and Rasheed Walker (7th) make for a likewise impressive draft.
You factor in 2020 first round draft pick Jordan Love, perhaps Gutekunst’s best pick, and you have an impressive young roster. Brian Gutekunst continues to show us he’s one of the best GM’s in the NFL. We’ve got the GM and HC right. And the QB looks to be the real deal. This team is set up for success.
Ok then, the only thing missing is the…success part.
Lets stay tuned!!
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Well Gomer….the ‘experts’ also grade teams drafts, 2 days after the draft. Because, they’re are ‘experts’.
But then again, your an expert also, we all know, only took you 7 weeks to determine that Jordan Love needed to be replaced.
I don’t know Sparky, maybe there is a position for you at ESPN.
That’s if you don’t get Mark Murphy’s job, of course.
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In other area’s of Tommi’s expertise…..
I can remember some loud mouth soup talk about how great Mike McCarthy is doing without Rodgers, not all that long ago.
That was before this years playoffs when Dallas previously won 1 of 3 playoff games under McCarthys watch, which was a wild card game. WOW!!
Fast forward a few months, and now McCarthy is 1 of 4 in playoff games without Rodgers.
After of course, getting there a sses kicked at home by a 7th seed. WOW!!
Mike McCarthy…stacking successes.
Serve up another bowl of loudmouth soup Princess…lol
We’ll take notes 😏😲🥱🙄
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In relation to my post that needed ‘moderating’.
It looks like it was decided it wasn’t worthy of posting.
Apparently it might have hurt somebody’s feelings.
I understand it could be challenging finding writers for this site.
But the next time i take my time to write something, post it…
and if it hurts someone’s feelings, give them a cookie, or take them out for ice cream, on me.
In other words, if i take my time to post, giving this place a reasonable resemblant, of actually having a pulse.
A simple ‘thank you’, would be a better alternative.
Maybe you missed it Kevin, but the success part was going 9-8, making the playoffs, and winning a playoff game. Something your beloved Aaron Rodgers never did as a first year starter.
Let’s review, in the last two drafts, that’s nine starters and four rotational players with two of those, Van Ness and Brooks, starting next season. While Wicks and Kraft will rotate as starters. Throw in a franchise QB, and that’s a pretty good day at the office for any GM.
Of course that won’t stop any of the village idiots here at “Total Packers” from telling each other how incompetent Gutekunst and Murphy are. Who certainly won’t let facts get in the way of their preconceived prejudices.
Lol yea….Maybe i missed it Goober 😉
Lets review……
“Throw in a franchise QB” – Princess
Are you talking about Justin Fields, or are you talking about the Packers QB who in week 7, you wanted to send to the scrap heap?
Is that the one Princess?
Lets review…..Lukas Van Ness, since he’s ‘proven’ (to you), should we go ahead and put him in the Ring of Honor now, or should we wait a bit and see how it goes?
Yes, we got a lot of starters from two drafts, all proven star players?
All starters on other teams?
One or two maybe…most, aside from Tom and Reed are still questionable, and we need to see more, even from them. One season does not make an NFL career.
When you’ve screwed up as many drafts as Gute has, sometimes players will become starters by default. (i hope that isn’t too confusing for you)
Do i have to name them all, or can the kids in your Trailer Park tell you who they are, and save me the trouble?
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“Maybe you missed it Kevin, but the success part was going 9-8” – Flip Flip
^LOL^
So sad, it’s funny.
So 9-8 is our new measuring stick for success?
I can remember, when one game above .500 was also deemed successful, that was back in the 70’s and 80’s.
Around the same time a bunch of social workers were trying to figure out who your father was.
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For the galactically stupid, we have this…..
“Something your beloved Aaron Rodgers never did as a first year starter.” – Tommi
Because the success of a football team is determined……by one player.
TOMMI LOGIC
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Would it be safe to assume Tommi will still be talking about Rodgers, and Rodgers will still be living in Tommi’s head, two (plus) years from now.
Justin Fields has trade value Kevin. Perhaps as much as a second round pick. Teams don’t throw around draft picks for busts. I gave Justin Fields the benefit of the doubt for two reasons. Number one, he’s talented. Number two, he was drafted by Chicago who gave him virtually nothing to work with until this past season. Justin Fields made incremental progress over the course of the season. However after three seasons this maybe as good as it gets for Fields who was easily outplayed by first year starter Jordan Love. The Packers, whose organization you despise, know how to draft and develop QB’s. A necessity to be successful in today’s NFL.
I would caution you against making wild outlandish statements about Lukas Nan Ness. You made such assumptions about Rashan Gary that haven’t held up well over time. Van Ness was drafted and developed to replace 32 year old Preston Smith. Just as Rashan Gary was drafted and developed to replace ZaDarius Smith. Notice a theme here Kevin? Draft and develop, it’s what good teams do. But I’m sure this is all way over your head….
Yep, i noticed a theme Goober, Za’Darius Smith was a playmaker in his 2 seasons for the Packers..
Where Gary mostly just occupies the 5th highest paid edge rusher at 24 million a year.
But i was wrong, you say?
Lets see how wrong i am, shall we?
Gary was ranked 150+ in solo tackles.
Gary was ranked 28th in sacks.
Gary was ranked 31st in forced fumbles
Are you still wondering why Gary hasn’t made the Pro Bowl Tommi?
Rashan Gary 2023 season highlights
1) 3 sacks and 2 FF’s against the Lions in one game…congrats!!
2) 3 sacks against the Saints in one game….congrats!!
And what did Gary do in the (other 14 games) Tommi?
Well, gee, lets see….
3 sacks
0 forced fumbles
0 interceptions
WOW!!
Now lets look at the playoffs against Dallas and the 49ers, i’m sure he did something special there….right Tommi?
Total..2 games
1 solo tackle
0 sacks
0……everything else.
24 million/year?
Remind us again Tommi…how i was wrong on Rashan Gary?
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Draft and develop?
Or…..draft and have to put at starting positions their rookie year out of necessity?
You let me know when you want to be explained how draft and develop works someday, ok Princess?
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“I would caution you against making wild outlandish statements……” – Flip Flop
OH!!, you would huh?🙄😏…lol. Why, because, you don’t want me to become a kitti like you?
I don’t think i’d worry about that Princess…lol
Sidenote: Do you realize how stupid you sound ‘cautioning’ (lol) someone else, not to say outlandish things?
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For the upteenth time Flip Flop…..
Are you talking about the Justin Fields you labeled as the Bears franchise qb?
And this Jordan Love guy, who you told us needed to be replaced in this upcoming draft for Williams or Maye’s?
Flip Flop….you seem to have amnesia over every single stupid thing you’ve said in the years you’ve been here (under your current name).
Citing the fact you ignore everyone of them when called out, (as if) you’ve never even said them.
This is why Tommi….people refer to you as the football forum kitti.
Hopefully, this wasn’t way over your head Goober.
If it was, let me know and i’ll try to dumb it down for you.
Don’t you fret about Rashan Gary, Kevin. He’s going to be just fine. So that’s 9 sacks from Gary coming off an ACL. I’ll take it.
You and the ladies are going to have to admit that Brian Gutekunst is a great GM. That he’s built a young and exciting team that will compete for championships in the coming decade. You’re going to have to come to terms that drafting Jordan Love was absolutely the right call. That Aaron Rodgers is now a pathetic has been not to mention the most hated man in New York. More remembered for his wild conspiracy theories than anything he ever did on the football field. An antivaxer better known for his childish feud with late night TV hosts and his endless rants on Pat McAfee.
The girls don’t like me bringing up Rodgers because they’re now embarrassed by their fanboy devotion to him. When I constantly told you he was a fake and a phony. Challenging your belief system. Most just keep quiet. Not Kevin. Doubling down and running his mouth. Without the good sense to shut up….
“That Aaron Rodgers is now a pathetic has been not to mention the most hated man in New York.”
Did you poll everyone in New York? The guy went down with an achilles tear 4 plays into the season. Sure is easy to talk shit when someone is laid up with a season long injury.
.
“The girls don’t like me bringing up Rodgers because they’re now embarrassed by their fanboy devotion to him.” “Most just keep quiet.”
What in the F*** are you talking about? No one here is embarrassed over Rodgers. He’s a Jet, who hasn’t played all year. There’s no reason to talk about him. People don’t “keep quiet” here because you’re right about anything. They don’t comment because you’re not worth responding to. Flip Flop, he’s a legend in his own mind.
Lol….
Oh, i don’t fret over Gary, i’m not the one stupid enough to pay him elite money when he isn’t close…to elite.
Grab 8 bucks and go buy a Rashan Gary jersey down the street at your local thrift shop.
But reality, regarding his performance, is reality.
Sorry pumpkin.
Of course Gute is a great GM, he is now 9-8 with his own roster.
Pffttt….We don’t need further proof.
I’m with you…how did he not win Executive of the Year?
It’s a crazy world isn’t it.
So the Packers will compete for Championships for 10 years?
As a Packer fan, that is fantastic.
If you say it, it must be true Princess🙄…because you have such a good track record with making proclamations😲
Or did your psychic confirm this? 🤪
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Now…with all that said, here is what’s concerning to all of us who care about you.
I wrote about football facts in my comment.
But, 65% of your response is you blowing a gasket again, going off ranting about Rodgers.
This is why we worry about you cuddle cakes.
Seriously…are you going to be ok?
Feel better…Never give up!!
Last year if the Packers played the Bears in the NFC Championship game and the Steelers in the Superbowl, they might have won it again. The Bears and Steelers were two teams that Dom Capers could beat as defensive coordinator.
For those of you ladies who watched the SB Sunday night, you witnessed greatness. Yes, greatness has a name. That name is Patrick Mahomes. Winner of three out of the last four SB’s. His only loss, to the other GOAT, Tom Brady.
Craziness also has a name. That name is Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers will never be mistaken for either Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady. You substitute Aaron Rodgers for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs lose the SB. We know this because the Chiefs were far from a perfect team. Rodgers requires perfection from everyone around him. While the truly great QB’s find a way and elevate those around them. That’s not Rodgers.
Rodgers has fallen so far from grace that not even Kevin can defend his former man love. He’s left to bitch about Rashan Gary and his nine sacks. It’s all so sad….
But, 65% of your response is you blowing a gasket again, going off ranting about Rodgers.
This is why we worry about you cuddle cakes.
Seriously…are you going to be ok?
Feel better…Never give up!!