Here are our weekly overreactions.
1. Yes, Jordan Love Is For Real
From Game 8 through Game 11, 25 quarterbacks have thrown at least 40 passes. Jordan Love is still a bit too inaccurate, ranking 16th with a completion rate of 65.4 percent, but he’s made a lot of big plays. He’s seventh with a 103.1 passer rating and, most notably, sixth with 8.0 yards per attempt.
One more statistical note: The last four games, the Packers are No. 1 in third-down conversions. During those games, Love’s passer rating is 117.4 with four touchdowns vs. zero interceptions. The previous four games, Love’s rating was 44.1 with one touchdown vs. four interceptions.
The Packers aren’t winning in spite of their quarterback. They are winning because of their quarterback.
2. Third-Round Jinx Is Over
Rhyan and Kraft look like rising players.
With veteran starter Jon Runyan headed to free agency his offseason, the Packers have been sprinkling Rhyan into the lineup with a combined 34 snaps vs. the Rams, Chargers and Lions. He’s shown some promise. It a ridiculously small sample size, but the Packers average 7.50 yards per rushing play with Rhyan compared to 4.05 for Runyan, according to league data.
With rookie starter Luke Musgrave out with a kidney injury, Kraft is getting an incredible opportunity. He played 54 of 56 offensive snaps against the Lions. Not surprisingly considering his small-school roots, it took Kraft a while to find his footing. His all-around skill-set should be an asset for at least the next few years.
3. This Season Is a Success
The Packers’ offense is incredibly young. The only way to grow is to play, obviously. But the better way to grow is to play in big games. There are a lot of big games coming, starting with Sunday night against the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs. After that, they’ll probably be favored in four of the final five games.
Green Bay is called Titletown for a reason. Championships are the expectation. They should be the expectation. Playing a string of big games will accelerate this team into this new era.