The Green Bay Packers continued their recent rise with another statement win on Sunday, dominating the Patriots on the road.
Their forty five points were the most New England has ever allowed at Gillette Stadium, and the defense only continued to play-make.
As the Packers move into one of the most difficult stretches of their schedule, should the NFL be on notice?
Who Needs A Running Back?
The Green Bay Packers’ aerial attack was at it again on Sunday, putting together their best performance in what has already been an impressive line of games.
Quarterback Jordan Love threw for three hundred and seventy-two yards and three touchdowns in addition to another rushing touchdown, with his best work coming against the blitz.
In a season in which the Packers’ offensive line has been less than stellar, Love’s performance under pressure has been absolutely crucial, and against the Patriots, he was nearly perfect, going ten for eleven for one hundred and forty-six yards and a touchdown.
One thousand and fifty-eight of his league-leading two thousand six hundred and eighteen passing yards have come against the blitz, as well as ten of his nineteen touchdowns, and that firmly places Love as one of the NFL’s best under duress.
If that poise isn’t impressive enough, he also seems to have mastered his deep ball.
In Gillette, Love completed more deep passes than any other quarterback in the NFL this season, and he did it for the second time.
Wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden have been a huge part of that success.
On Sunday, Watson contributed seven catches for one hundred and seventy-one yards and a touchdown while Golden also supplied ten catches for one hundred and sixty-four yards and another touchdown.
Golden’s first quarter performance was the best by any player in any quarter in the NFL this season, racking up one hundred and twenty-six receiving yards on six catches, and it was also the most by any Packer in any quarter since Jordy Nelson had one hundred and thirty-three yards in the second quarter against Chicago in 2014.
The duo became the first Packers teammates with one hundred and fifty yards and a touchdown each since Don Hutson and Andy Uram in 1942, and the kicker?
It came against one of the league’s best.
Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez allowed a whopping ten catches for one hundred and eighty-seven yards to Watson and Golden combined, with his yardage allowed to Golden being a career-worst against any receiver.
Considering the fact that opposing defenses should be well aware of the Packers’ gameplan at this point, it’s impressive to see them continue to beat teams deep, almost at will.
Sunday’s performance also marked the Packers’ first drop-free game since week fourteen of last season, and its impact was evident.
If the corps can continuing trending in the right direction in that regard, there may be no unit in the NFL who can stop them.
Jordan Love has vaulted into MVP contention, and Watson and Golden are among just five players in the NFL to have over seven-hundred and fifty yards.
They’re the only two that play for the same team.
We’re witnessing one of the most impressive offensive performances in Green Bay Packers history, and Toyotathon isn’t even on!
X Marks the Spot
On the defensive side of things, safety Xavier McKinney has been somewhat of a hidden element following his breakout Green Bay Packers debut.
After becoming the first player since 1970 to record five interceptions in his first five games with a new team and recording a career-high eight in total in 2024, teams simply stopped throwing McKinney’s way.
That’s led to other players in the secondary getting the spotlight, most notably, future All-Pro Evan Williams, but despite the lack of flashy plays, McKinney continues to show why he’s the heart and soul of this defense’s turn around in the past few seasons.
Against Drake Maye, McKinney added another two interceptions to what has been one of the best stretches of play by a safety this decade.
Over the last three seasons, his only three in the Green and Gold, McKinney has led the league in interceptions with fifteen.
The next closest player is Kerby Joseph of the Lions with twelve.
With how little McKinney is seeing the ball, I think it’s easy to overlook his greatness.
Earlier this season, I even saw fans questioning what he does for this defense.
In short, it’s everything.
McKinney’s reliable play leads to more opportunities for Evan Williams and Javon Bullard, who would be a stout duo on their own, and he’s also played a large role in their development.
This secondary is arguably the league’s best, at least at safety, and X is one of those players that I’d like to see be a Packer forever.
He’s not even thirty yet, and he’ll be remembered as one of the team’s greatest free agent signings of all-time.
Between him and the young(er) guns, it seems unlikely that we’ll be able to keep all three.
I’d suggest appreciating the Green Bay Packers’ defensive leader while he’s here.
