National Football League

How the Packers can rebound, rebuild and win the NFC North: It starts with Love

Published May. 31, 2023 9:19 a.m. ET

The Green Bay Packers are used to winning.

In the last 20 years, the Packers have won the NFC North 12 times. In fact, they wore the crown in three of the last four seasons, with last year being the outlier. It was the first time in head coach Matt LaFleur's tenure the Packers didn't win the division. It was also the first time they not only didn't reach 13 wins but finished with a sub-.500 record.

That last happened in 2018, and then-head coach Mike McCarthy was fired.

Losing isn't tolerated in Title Town.

That's why even with a new face under center in Jordan Love, Green Bay will likely be just fine. There's a case to be made that in as wide-open a division as the NFC North is, they could once again reclaim the top spot.

Love isn't any ordinary first-time starter. He's been in the league since 2020 when Green Bay traded up to draft him. It's a strategy they've deployed before: draft your current quarterback's replacement well before he's done.

True to form, Love sat… and sat… and sat again, learning from one of the league's best quarterbacks as he developed behind the scenes. Love may have just one start under his belt, but he's far from a rookie. He'll enter his first season as the starter more prepared than most when they get their show.

"I think you have to be mindful and aware of where you are but at the same time, you can put them in those situations — it's not like he's a true rookie," said LaFleur at the start of OTAs. "He's seen a decent amount, especially being able to get the majority of the snaps this time of year the last couple of years.

"We're not necessarily coddling him in any sense of the word. We're installing our plays and whatever the defense presents, I mean, he's got to react. If it gets out of had one way or another then you can adjust, but I think he's done a pretty good job up to this point."

The Packers took Love for a reason all those years ago. This strategy has worked for them before. They wanted to move on from Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay's front office wouldn't have pushed to do so if they didn't wholeheartedly believe in the Love era.

"There are obviously certain physical traits and intelligence and all kinds of different things these guys have to have to compete in this league at a high level, but their willingness to sacrifice and work day in and day out, not just quarterbacks but for all players, is usually the determining factor if they have all those other things," said general manager Brian Gutekunst at the NFL Combine this year.

According to Gutekunst, Love "absolutely" has all of that.

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We can find more evidence that the Packers are buying into Love based on who they drafted this year. Though Green Bay still went after defense in the first round, selecting Lukas Van Ness out of Iowa with the 13th overall pick, the second round was all about helping Love.

The Packers snagged two tight ends and another wide receiver to round out Love's surrounding skill players. Tight end was a major need after the departure of Robert Tonyan to Chicago, but using second-round capital on two players at that position makes me think this offense will utilize heavier personnel. Tight ends add another dimension to an already well-rounded offense, serving as both additional blockers and pass-catchers. Both Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft have good hands, with Kraft being the better blocker and Musgrave the more dynamic field-stretcher. But helping Love out by switching up the scheme to trot out more 12 personnel sets along with an already established run game can allow Love time to adjust.

"It's never easy to follow a guy like that, but he's got all of the tools," said LaFleur, speaking of Love following Rodgers. "It's up to us to help support him through the ebbs and flows that are sure to come — it just happens with the nature of that position — and try to get the other guys around him to play to the best of their ability so he doesn't have to be perfect all the time."

[Why the Detroit Lions can win the NFC North]

Some of those players will make up that aforementioned established run game. They have no excuse not to lean on their ability to run the ball. Led by Aaron Jones (fresh off a new contract) and AJ Dillon, the Packers have the ability to control the tempo of games and keep opposing defenses off-balance regardless of how quickly Love picks up the offense. The combination of Jones' versatility and Dillon's power can not only take pressure off Love, but it also opens up opportunities for the passing game, helping the Packers continue their multidimensional offensive success with the exciting young players they already have.

The final piece of the puzzle is on the opposite side of the ball. The Packers' defense has eight first-round picks within its starting rotation. The unit severely underperformed last season, letting up 5.77 yards per play on average, which ranked 28th in the league. They were allowing teams 4.95 yards per carry and 7.01 yards on passing plays, both also good for 28th in the NFL. There were glimmers of hope in the interception rate, which was 3.56% and good for second-best in the league, as well as a top-five ranking in goal-to-go situations. Green Bay needs to continue to keep points off the board and take the ball away. That will give Love more chances with the ball and not as much ground to make up.

If that all comes to fruition, there's nothing to suggest this won't follow the same pattern as the last 30 years and Love becomes just the next Hall of Famer to play under center in the green and gold.

And if you hadn't deduced that yourself, if Love is good, the Packers will be, too — and can very much once again wear the crown of NFC North champions in 2023.

Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.