The Lass Word: Why Pack Will Surpass Lions This Year
It's all about upside.
By KenLass
The Detroit Lions have been anointed by most neutral observers as the team to beat this coming season in the NFC North. That’s understandable, considering their relatively easy conquering of the division last season, and advancement to the NFC championship game. The Green Bay Packers, by contrast, were late bloomers who sprang up and beat them on Thanksgiving Day and went on to finish second and win a playoff game.
Packer fans are enjoying the team’s renaissance this offseason and speculating as to whether they can make a Super Bowl run in 2024. To do that, they must get past the Lions. Will they be good enough? Comparing the two teams at this stage of the year is, of course, highly speculative. Much of it has to be based on last year’s performance, which may or may not improve in the coming campaign. But it makes for interesting offseason fodder to put the two teams side by side.
Looking at 2023, one can make the general assumption, based on stats, that the Lions were better on offense, while the two teams were roughly equal on defense. Detroit finished fifth in the league in points scored, while the Packers were twelfth. The Lions also finished higher than the Packers in total offensive yards (3rd vs 11th), passing yards (2nd vs 12th), and rushing yards (5th vs 15th). Quarterback Jared Goff finished the regular season with more passing yards than Jordan Love and a higher passer rating, although Love had two more touchdown throws.
Both of the Lions’ running backs, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, finished with more rushing yards than Green Bay’s top ball carrier, Aaron Jones. It should be noted that this was largely due to Jones missing five games. Detroit had a bona fide star receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown, who finished third in the league with over 1,500 receiving yards. The highest ranked Green Bay pass catcher was rookie Jayden Reed, who finished 42nd.
A mixed bag on defense. The Packers finished ahead of their Detroit rivals in points allowed (10th vs 23rd), and passing yards allowed (9th vs 27th). But the Lions had more takeaways (23 vs 18), and, to the surprise of no one, finished better in rush yards allowed (2nd vs 28th).
But all of that is past history. Have the Packers done enough in this off season to surpass the Lions and retake the division? There are some reasons why the answer should be “yes”.
First, and perhaps most importantly, the Packers have already shown they can beat Detroit head-to-head, even on the road, and in a national television game. They did it on Thanksgiving Day without their best running back. In that game, Love demonstrated that, even in his first year as a starter, he is a better overall talent than Goff. Love outplayed his counterpart, throwing three touchdown passes and finishing with a higher passer rating. Love also showed his mobility with a critical 37 yard run late in the fourth quarter that basically ended the game. That is a weapon Goff does not have.
Love’s performance in that game could be a legitimate reason his agent may be asking for more than the $53 million per year deal that Goff signed this spring.
The Lions would figure to be at, or near, their ceiling. It’s hard to picture guys like Goff, Montgomery, Gibbs, St. Brown and Sam LaPorta playing much better than they did in 2023. Yet they still lost to the Packers. Meanwhile Green Bay, as the youngest team in the league, is loaded with upside. The deep young corps of receivers has likely not even come close to reaching its potential. The same could be said of a developing offensive line. The defense has added the top free agent safety, plus the top safety available in the draft and the top linebacker in the draft.
Much has been made of the difficulty of Green Bay’s schedule, but I would make the case that Detroit, playing a first place agenda, has an even tougher slate. The Lions must play on the road against Dallas, Houston, San Francisco and, of course, Green Bay. They also face Buffalo and the LA Rams at home. The Packers get the Texans, Dolphins and 49ers at Lambeau, and they get to play the Eagles on a neutral field in Brazil, which shows every sign of being a pro-Green Bay crowd. The Packers do have a road game at the LA Rams, but Packer fans are expected to turn out in large numbers for that contest as well.
The wild card is always injuries. Particularly, injuries to key players. You can’t anticipate how injuries will affect the season. You can only speculate based on the premise of all things being equal. And on that assumption, I feel good about the Packers recapturing their rightful place atop the division in 2024.
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Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.
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Comments (70)
Guam
May 27, 2024 at 07:07 am
I would love to see the Packers return to dominance in the NFC North, but the Lions are going to have something to say about that. The Lions under Holmes/Campbell have shown improvement every year and had another decent draft this Spring. I know it's hard to think of the Lions as anything other than long term patsies, but I don't see them regressing under Campbell. They are not going to roll over for the Packers and I expect a dogfight for the top spot in the NFC North this year.
The Bears and the Vikings have talent, but a big question mark at the most important position - QB. Rookie QBs have their ups and downs and likely will not compete for the NFC North title. I just hope the Packers don't take either team lightly and then have that rookie QB go off on them. The Bears and the Vikings should be four wins for the Packers if they take the games seriously.
I can't wait to see how the young Packer talent develops this year!
mrtundra
May 27, 2024 at 07:13 am
I see the vikings in the cellar, along with the Bears, once again. I see the Packers beating the Loins twice and retaking the North. GO PACK, GO!!!
Guam
May 27, 2024 at 07:24 am
I would love to see the Packers rack up two wins versus the Lions and that would cement their NCF North championship, but I think a split with the Lions is more likely.
Johnblood27
May 27, 2024 at 07:29 am
Oh ye of little faith.
17-0 in regular season.
Undefeated in the playoffs.
No 3-peat for the chefs, GB back where it belongs.
Guam
May 27, 2024 at 08:35 am
I would much rather you be right than me (certainly a lot more fun), but I'm too much of a realist........
Razer
May 27, 2024 at 07:48 am
I am not sure that I can wear Ken's hometown glasses on this one. The Lions have a very talented squad and are ascending. More important, they have a solid front office with sure leadership in Brad Holmes. They keep making shrewd personnel moves, plugging roster holes and drafting good football players. We are nipping at their heals but that team is not giving up ground.
HawkPacker
May 27, 2024 at 08:16 am
Your comments are very realistic to me Razer. We had a good draft along with signing a couple of very good FA's.
However, Detroit's achiles heel has been their cb's and they went out and signed a couple of free agents as well as drafted a couple as well. One draftee, for sure, is very good.
I am happy to think that we can compete with them very well and would hope we can split with them. Any more would be gravy!
CJBauckham
May 27, 2024 at 10:16 am
Here in NC, the tar heel state, we spell heel with two e's ;)
MilkCan44
May 27, 2024 at 01:01 pm
The only possible weak spot on the Lions is perhaps some good-to-average DL's aside from Hutchinson who is better than Gary or Van Ness. They have weapons and Goff is plenty good enough to get them the ball when they got open.
fthisJack
May 28, 2024 at 09:33 am
I'm hoping that with the new Packers defense they will pressure Goff into some hurried throws. I'm really pumped for this aggressive attacking defense we are hearing about. Hopefully, QB's won't be able to sit in the pocket until someone comes open.
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
May 27, 2024 at 08:47 am
Except the Lions will always be capped with Goff under center. He is not capable of putting a team on his back the way a Mahomes, Herbert, or even Love can. The Packers' upside is a tier above the Lions based on that fact alone.
Razer
May 27, 2024 at 10:03 am
Goff is better than I would like to admit. Give him a solid O-line and some weapons and he gets you to the NFC championship game. Early in the season when our O-line was making a ton of mistakes, Jordan Love was not very impressive. I think that Love may have more upside than Goff but the teams around these QBs will be the difference.
dobber
May 27, 2024 at 12:11 pm
I tend to agree: Goff is a good on-schedule QB and makes some really nice throws. He's like Kirk Cousins in that he has some games where he's just bad--he "Goff's it up"--and can't get out of his own way. But--as you point out--that OL and run game gives the Lions an option the Vikings just didn't quite have as consistently the last several years.
Coldworld
May 28, 2024 at 12:21 pm
Their offense and our later season offense is close enough that, tactical defeat aside, it really comes down to whether the hiring of Hafley makes our D not only noticeably better in terms of recovering possession and positively influencing game outcomes, but also exceeds the anticipated improvement to their worse passing D last year.
Bearmeat
May 28, 2024 at 01:05 pm
Disagree... their offense does not work off schedule. Ours does. The difference? The QBs.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 27, 2024 at 10:34 am
Detroit peaked. They're all downhill from here. Still a good, tough team with a great O line. Another reason why GB has to figure out their best O line EARLY!
Oppy
May 27, 2024 at 07:51 am
It's been a long, long time since we have felt a competitive NFC North.
It's been so long, in fact, that most people have this idea in the back of their head that the way it works is one team is dominant at any given time, and all the rest of the divisional opponents wrestle over the scraps. It's so ingrained that this is just the way it works that we don't even realize it's a bias at all- that's just how it works.
I'm here to tell you that the NFC North may no longer be a "one team dominates" division. The Lions are for real. The Bears have a talented roster and might actually have an opportunity to get right over the next few seasons (okay, the jury's still out on this one- they find a way to mess up everything.) But seriously, the Bears might be good in the near future. And then, well, the Vikings will still Viking, but you get the point.
The NFC North has a very real possibility to be a division where it's a dog fight to take the divisional title each and every year for the near future, and that's okay. It's actually better than okay, it's healthy. It's exciting. It makes the season more valuable to the players and the fans. Rivalry and challenge bring out the best. True competition.
Another added benefit is that a challenging division helps temper your team for the challenges that await in the post season. A competitive NFC North will mean we're not coasting through the regular season and having to flip a switch for the playoffs, or readjust to true competition in the post season. It's a regular season that actually prepares you for the post season.
We don't need the Lions to fall off, we need the Packers to overcome them. I'm confident that will happen, but I'm looking forward to revamped NFC North that is more difficult to take. It's a good thing all around.
GPG
LLCHESTY
May 27, 2024 at 09:00 am
Being in a crappy division certainly didn't hurt the Patriots for most of Brady's career. Brady had the same playoff road record as Joe Flacco until he got to Tampa. Dominating your division is the easiest path to the SB.
Starrbrite
May 28, 2024 at 10:24 am
Yes—absolutely right about the Pats. In their pathetic division, the playoff tickets were punched before the season began.
Vachio
May 27, 2024 at 09:07 am
Yep. A lot of fans are probably too young to remember the days of the "Black and Blue" division, when all the north teams were good teams with stout defenses and hard-nosed running games that beat the snot out of each other every time they met on the field.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 27, 2024 at 10:37 am
This is exactly why I focus on depth at O line. Mt Caleb Telfort and Tenuta are depth? Ok, that's not bad. I'd rather have third year players who are good enough to start, but even if not ...
dobber
May 27, 2024 at 10:43 am
This could be a division that regularly fields multiple playoff teams for quite some time.
HawkPacker
May 27, 2024 at 08:31 am
The NFC North will be a dogfight this year.
Detroit is not going away, Chicago will be much better but Minnie will be bottom dwellers.
I think Chicago has finally arrived after screwing up their drafting for so many years. They have had so many high draft picks that they finally got it right. They will be strong this year but also pretty young in important positions. That will bode well for us this year.
Detroit fixed their cb issues this off season and I would expect them to be the team to beat.
Minnie? Well to me the best thing they have done is let their qb go to Atlanta. He was decent but to pay him that much money is a lesson in futility. Unless their newly drafted qb turns out to be something special, I look for them to be in the basement of the NFC North.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 27, 2024 at 10:39 am
The Queens can have their new QB actually be something special and STILL wind up in last place.
We are in a tough division, and poised to start a DYNASTY!
Starrbrite
May 28, 2024 at 10:25 am
Hawk—Exactly the way I see it.
Dragon5
May 27, 2024 at 08:39 am
Jared Goff
11 life path born 10-14-1994
1994 = DOG year
2024 = DRAGON year
🐕 & 🐉= enemy signs
High odds Goff injured and/or underperforms this season, which theoretically suggests GB>DET
Bucks fans: know that Giannis, also a DOG, is enduring his enemy year
12-06-1994 #injuries #fail
Bitternotsour
May 27, 2024 at 12:00 pm
There are probably betting lines already established for this eventuality. Dragon5's assessment is likely as relevant as any TV talking heads, with the benefit of centuries of observation (as opposed to some bullshit analytics).
NFLfan
May 27, 2024 at 01:31 pm
Well, Dragon5- Can't let you have all the fun:-lol
Jordan Love is a steely Scorpio (like Matt) who will dig deep
Jordan's Moon sign is aggressive Aries.
Goff is a 'meh' genteel Libra
Moon sign detached Aquarius
Jordan is blessed with more grit and determination than Goff -so say the stars-lol.
Plus, Goff is from Marin Co CA.-very white glove, liberal, soft & PC
Can't compare with gritty Bakersfield.
Johnblood27
May 27, 2024 at 05:31 pm
I wondered where you had gone...
Thanks for the look into the future!
Since'61
May 27, 2024 at 08:52 am
it's too early to assess whether the Packers can take back the NFC North. There are at least a few questions that the Packers will enter the 2024 season with.
1. Will Love continue to evolve towards an elite NFL QB?
2. How will the OL shake out in terms of the best 5 and how effective will they be?
3. How long will it take for the Packers defense to effectively implement Hafley's defense?
4. Will the Packers figure out their kicker situation correctly?
Underpiinnig each of these questions will be the team's injury situation plus the development of the Packers young players.
Things change quickly in today's NFL. It's a week to week league and last season's turnaround by the Packers proves the point.
Of course the Lions have their own question marks to deal with.
Until the regular season begins and we see how the Packers respond we won't get much clarity on if they are ready to overtake the Lions. In the end I think that the season will come down to the final week once again. Time will tell. Thanks, Since '61
SicSemperTyrannis
May 27, 2024 at 10:50 am
I've got answers:
1) expletive yes, he will! I see many areas where #10 can improve, and none of them require any huge leap. Just a little progress and he'll blossom, even better than his best last season. His ceiling is nowhere in sight, except for his ability to slide at the end of running the ball. I don't see how he could improve that.
2) GB now has the talent! I've been disappointed with player evaluation at this position group for at least 2 years. This will make or break the whole season, moreso than any other one thing. No excuses! They've got to get this RIGHT, early, and with contingency plans all with reasonable practice time together BEFORE the first pre-season game.
3) It's the Homer hour; they're implementing all this NOW, everybody's working their tail off and hungry to bring the title back to Titletown!
4) Don't get me wrong, of course I want to see them develop and evaluate well. It's just that when you're up by 30+ points, a missed extra point is inconsequential, and FGs are almost immaterial.
GB is set up to start a DYNASTY and I'm here for it 🍻
dobber
May 27, 2024 at 11:38 am
Very level-headed response.
A hot finish for the Packers gives us hope that this team is ahead of the curve, but they have to prove they can sustain it over a whole season. Just about every year, a team finishes hot and gets to be off-season media darlings. Sometimes those teams continue to play well into the next season...sometimes they fall back to earth.
I think this team still has a lot to prove, but they're finding young guys who can play and the roster is mostly young and cheap and the cap is getting healthy. I'm still looking at 2025 as the year, but I'll definitely take it if they can contend in 2024.
cdoemel
May 28, 2024 at 03:02 pm
I too was looking at ‘25 as the year, looking at the team in the ‘23 preseason with so much unknown. But the way the 2nd half went, I’m way more hopeful about this year than I was a year ago. If BG can keeping drafting the way he has been … man!
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
May 27, 2024 at 08:53 am
The Lions' upside is capped due to Goff. He's a really good player, but when the play goes wrong, he's dead in the water. Love has the playmaking ability to make stuff happen even when everything goes wrong. That alone gives Packers the edge for years to come. But if you look at the overall depth on this team, Packers have the advantage there too. Basically the only positions on either side of the ball where the Lions have a notable advantage are tight end and oline. And yet the Packers have 2 young stud tight ends as well as a top 5 oline that they just added a 1st round pick to. So even their few advantages arent big ones. Packers have the advantage at qb, overall receiving corp, overall running back group, and nearly every position on defense is a Packers advantage or wash at worst. Were about to enter a golden era and I couldnt be more excited.
Vachio
May 27, 2024 at 09:08 am
I agree. The NFL often comes down to the best QB and Love is the superior QB. Hard to rationally argue otherwise.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 27, 2024 at 10:53 am
Yup! And in that golden era, the talent added to the O line is more than just a first round pick! Plus, the depth already on the bench might prove to be more important? I'm really looking for our O line to be GREAT this year, and that includes not playing guys who are injured because there's depth ready to go.
LLCHESTY
May 27, 2024 at 09:13 am
Not to be a Negative Nelson but the Lions won't go down easily. They'll be tough to run on as long as DJ Reader is healthy and now have some decent CBs in Davis and Arnold. Teams that have physical lines on both sides of the ball are almost always tough outs.
Then I saw a picture of Dan Campbell with his dog and now I'm really worried about Packers chances.
https://x.com/BrandNewDET/status/1794404493490090025?t=LzlqFwyOAPIrckU4e...
LambeauPlain
May 27, 2024 at 09:45 am
Yeah, that's a terrifying pocket pup, all right. Funny, you'd think Dan, as coach of the lions, would be a cat lover.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 27, 2024 at 10:57 am
Lol happy Memorial Day!
GPG 🍻
Johnblood27
May 27, 2024 at 05:35 pm
a friggin yorkie...
I chose a rescue dog solely because she was put up for rescue because she killed a yorkie that was her housemate...
just sayin...
LambeauPlain
May 27, 2024 at 09:40 am
Winning the North is important for seeding in the Playoffs, for certain.
However, in the history of the North, the Division winner has never won the Super Bowl.
During the North's 22 year history, the Packers have dominated, winning it 12 times, the Ugly Purple 5, Bares 4, and lion kitties once.
North Division Champs made it to the NFCCG 9 times: Packers lost 5, Ugly Purple twice, Bares and lions once.
The North has been one of the weaker Divisions over its history. Perhaps that is changing. But after a short absence of North dominance, the Pack is back, clearly on the rise.
Detroit had a solid squad last season, but the rest of the North contenders were not very good until the Packers took off at midseason. Detroit is going to have battle this season...especially with the Packer's new pressure D. And Goff wilts under pressure. He has a solid OL, but he has never seen a consistent 4 and 5 man rush from the Packers and the talent behind them, before. Apologies, Mr Goff, but Barry Ball is dead and buried in Green Bay.
And Lions D is not going to be able to stop Love's O.
Can't wait.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 27, 2024 at 10:59 am
I can hear the play by play announcer calling this out as it proves true 🍻
Starrbrite
May 28, 2024 at 10:31 am
Can’t wait—exactly!!!
BuckyBadger
May 27, 2024 at 10:03 am
This wouldn't be my expectations for this young squad this year. I almost expect a little step back, at least to start the year. The schedule plays out pretty well for them as far as travel and rest go. I wouldn't expect Love and the offense to just pick up where they left off and I would expect the defense to take time to adjust to the 4-3 formation.
This offense didn't have much for tape last season for opposing teams to scout. Now they have all of Love's habits on tape and he has some bad ones to exploit. This is why it is best if the Packers wait to pay Love because after this Goff deal he isn't taking anything less than $50M a year. Packers need to see how he responds to coordinators having a more expansive game plan to attack him with. We have seen QBs have a good run of games but how they respond the leagues adjustments on them tells us if they can be a franchise QB worth investing a large portion of the cap into. Too many teams pay their QB too soon trying to claim victory at the position.
On defense our ends will have to adjust to the new formations and how tackles will play them. I do think Hafley will be a lot better but how can you not be. They addressed the safety position and with some luck with injuries at CB their secondary should be above average. Clark was showing his age a little last year but I think Hafley will simplify what he needs to do and play to his strengths of being able to disrupt the opposing OL. With 2 firsts at the edge hopefully Hafley can unlock the potential there as well.
They could very well be a lot better then they where at the end of last year but they might 8-7 at that point because of the growing pains they endure all season. They won't be surprising people next year. A lot of how the season will go will be due to how MFL adjusts back to what flaws the opponents find to exploit. There I have full confidence. MLF should have been coach of the year last with how he had the team ready even when things look bleak. Will be an interesting season if they fall short of playoff contention. I don't see them contending for a SB this year but 2025 could have them on the short list if they continue to develop. Don't be impatient.
GregC
May 27, 2024 at 10:47 am
I'm not buying that the rest of the league is going to figure out Jordan Love. I heard the same thing last year, but instead of Love getting worse as teams had more and more tape on him, he got better. That's what usually happens with young QBs as they gain experience. It's not like Love is a gimmicky quarterback, and he has no major weaknesses. He will be fine, and he will benefit from his pass catchers all having one more year of experience.
Why do you think Kenny Clark was showing his age? I thought he had a really good year and maybe even played better as the year went on.
For the Packers to be 8-7 after 15 games would be a big disappointment. I think they will do better than that. The growing pains were last year for the offense, although I will admit that there are some big question marks about the defense, with the new DC and at least two rookies playing prominent roles.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 27, 2024 at 11:08 am
14-3
GPG 🍻
BuckyBadger
May 27, 2024 at 12:18 pm
Love isn't a high end talent QB like Mahomes who can dictate what he wants to defenses. He has a live arm but still has a lot of flaws. You under estimate your opponents and the long hours they put in. His tape early in the year wasn't much to go on as he was still learning how he was. Now they coordinators will know what he likes to do and will scheme appropriately. We see this all the time in the NFL. CJ Stroud will likely have growing pains for the same reasons. It is very common in this league, the great ones adjust back, the average ones have up and down careers.
Clark had games where his presence wasn't felt and the run defense never got solidified. He isn't getting any younger and doesn't get penetration like he did a couple of years ago. The defense can't be built around him anymore and it shouldn't have to be.
Starrbrite
May 28, 2024 at 10:34 am
Right GregC—Cowerd said Love would start hot and then at mid season, defense would figure him out and he would slide downhill.
The exact opposite happened!
SicSemperTyrannis
May 27, 2024 at 11:03 am
Bucky,
"I wouldn't expect Love and the offense to just pick up where they left off"
I certainly do. QB and his targets have more time to gel. HC has more time to draw up plays and scheme. O line will be improved - should be MUCH improved, whoever they wind up starting.
Getting off to a GREAT start is paramount, and nobody in the organization can possibly be unaware of this. Plus, the energy's through the roof!
GPG! This may prove to be GB's best era ever
BuckyBadger
May 27, 2024 at 12:21 pm
This would be setting yourself up for disappointment. The team was hot last year. Everything broke right and that doesn't last for every in the NFL. What happens when those throws of the back foot don't fall in the right spot? What happens when the tendencies of these young players are in game plans and they have to alter their game?
Development of a footballs squad always has its sets backs. The NFL is a difficult and deep league. Everyone has fortunes on the line to win. This energy talk is just rah rah stuff, the reality is everyone is looking to move forward and the Pack won't be surprising people with unknowns next year.
Johnblood27
May 27, 2024 at 05:46 pm
"GPG! This may prove to be GB's best era ever"
Oh my, Sic!
Better than the NFL's Camelot?
Better than 5 Championships in 7 years?
MLF better than Lombardi?
Hafley better than Bengston?
Love better than Starr?
Jacobs and Dillon better than Taylor and Hornung?
Gary better than Willie Davis?
Alexander and McKinney better than Adderly and Wood?
Nixon better than The Roadrunner?
Wow, talk about your pre-season hyperbole!
Duneslick
May 27, 2024 at 01:25 pm
Love is inaccurate especially on long throws and has a slow release. These need to be corrected before you give him 200 million dollars for 4 years.
Bitternotsour
May 27, 2024 at 02:46 pm
Tell it to the Cowboys
Leatherhead
May 27, 2024 at 03:03 pm
I have re-watched every snap from last season, and I'll say this: If Love is protected and given time, he'll absolutely get the ball to an open receiver.
golfpacker1
May 27, 2024 at 10:50 am
I am sorry Bucky but I don't think stalling on Loves new contract is even an option. Especially with veiled statements saying he could sit out if the contract doesn't come sooner rather than later. It would be foolish and very risky for GB to take that approach because Love could just say "let's wait until after the season to sign a contract." At that point we would have 15-20 teams as bidding competitors and that opens the door to the Packers searching for a QB in 2025.
What are the odds GB wins the lottery and gets a great QB 4 times in a row? The luck is way overdue to run out. Love showed more than enough last year to merit a new contract, and the dollars are what they are. 2 of the 3 outcomes for not getting this done are really bad. We lose Love altogether, the price jumps $10 million per year, or we get the contract done and lock up our QB and start a championship run.
As someone said when wanting to spend big dollars on top free agents, "It's not the fans money." Get it done.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 27, 2024 at 11:13 am
Absolutely!
JL10's ceiling is nowhere in sight, and very minor improvements in a few key areas will translate into MUCH improvement overall for the team. Seeing that translate into the record for the season is in large part up to coaching, and MLF is improving (as is Gutey) and the staff changes ALL seem positive.
GPG!!
dobber
May 27, 2024 at 12:00 pm
"I am sorry Bucky but I don't think stalling on Loves new contract is even an option....Love showed more than enough last year to merit a new contract, and the dollars are what they are."
At this stage, while many pundits are clamoring for a huge deal, I just don't see Love being able to demand top 4-5 money...at least, if they give him that kind of AAV, they'll couple it to a guarantee and bonus structure that gets Love appropriate compensation if he continues to play well but isn't crippling if it turns out the Packers need to get out. When it comes to the QB position you don't want to mess it up. The fact that Love has been in OTAs and committed to attending the off-season programs is a good sign.
BuckyBadger
May 27, 2024 at 12:56 pm
I don't think Love's agent takes a dime less then what Goff just got paid and it is too soon to offer that kind of money to Love. People want to paint us who want to hold off on a deal as anti Packer but those who want to pay Love now need to look at the full picture.
Teams that have won a title paying a QB over 12% of the salary cap are few and the QBs that have won taking up that much of the cap are the elite of the elite. Talking P. Manning, Mahomes and Brady elite. Manning had a all time defense with Von Miller on his rookie deal and the other two had generational talent at TE which changes a game more than any WR.
You are right that when it comes to the QB position you can't mess up the contract. Before the rookie wage scale it used to be drafting one could sink your franchise for 2 or 3 years because of the money it cost you. Now it is GM's trying to claim victory paying guys who aren't elite, elite money. Packers hold all the cards at the moment. Love will show up and do everything he can to earn that contract, let him do it. Don't see why that is a harsh position, having to earn franchise type money.
dobber
May 27, 2024 at 04:32 pm
"I don't think Love's agent takes a dime less then what Goff just got paid and it is too soon to offer that kind of money to Love."
People get too hung up on AAV. It's cap hits that matter, and how the money is distributed between cash value, bonuses, and guarantees. What are you committed to, and when?
BuckyBadger
May 27, 2024 at 12:27 pm
He can't sit out. That buys him no leverage. Packers have him under contract and they have the franchise tag in their back pockets.
We don't even know for certain the Packers won the QB Lottery with Love yet but you are already claiming victory. Why don't fans want players to earn it on the field anymore. He has no choice to show up and show he can ball. If he sits out his contract doesn't move forward and he is back where he is. His agent won't give us a deal right now. Don't be like the Giants paying top dollar after a QB plays just handful of good games. Love has some concerning flaws in his game. Accuracy is still an issue and to pay him without seeing what a second season will bring could ruin everything else the franchise has done. What about the rest of the roster? They are good enough that is the Love does falter the franchise can make a move and be a contender.
Over paying Love now puts all the risk on the Packers and why should they do that? That makes no sense from their point of view. If Love goes out and balls again you can pay him before the season is over even. When a franchise has the leverage to be patience they should be, that is fair for the entire roster.
stockholder
May 27, 2024 at 02:59 pm
It's " Just 1 Super -Bowl before I Die."
Lion Fans are so jacked .
So - Forget the speculation.
Bearmeat
May 27, 2024 at 03:02 pm
The Packers are better at QB, WR2-7, TE2, LT, LG, DI1, Edge 2-4, WLB, FS, CB1, RB1.
The Lions are better at C, RG, RT, TE1, DI2. Edge 1, MLB, SLB, Nickel, CB2-4 (right now), SS, RB2.
The Packers have more depth, and are younger, and therefore have more upside. And they have a better head coach (Campbell is a maniac). But the BIG difference is QB. As long as 10 stays upright, GB is just....better than Detroit. They can't/won't admit that their window was so short but it was. They're already declining. They have three top 5 contracts on offense, limited draft capital, and limited salary cap space. They will age quickly and a few injuries will kill them.
Not with GB.
We will beat them this year and in 2025 it will only be more obvious.
Starrbrite
May 28, 2024 at 10:37 am
I agree concerning Campbell. IMO, he’s just a big dufus. His O-coord is the genius for that coaching staff.
Leatherhead
May 27, 2024 at 03:10 pm
The Lions have peaked. Last year was the second time in 60 years that they've been to the Championship game. They had a franchise-record, massive collapse in the second half. Teams don't come back from that. Did the Oilers come back after choking it up to Buffalo? Did we come back after collapsing against Seattle? No and no. When a team seizes like an engine without oil, it doesn't just go away. It's part of their psyche now. And the guy who was steering the ship during that epic crash is still the guy steering the ship.
They have peaked. They're playing a first place schedule, and at least two teams in their division have gotten better. They stumbled badly down the stretch, we handled them pretty easily in our last meeting, and we're a better team than them.
Oddly, and appparently inexplicably, The Lions Stuff The Run and have a high DVOA but give up more points than a team like Green Bay, which does not stuff the run or have a high DVOA.
What's important? Stuffing the run? A high DVOA? Or keeping points off the board.?
barutanseijin
May 27, 2024 at 05:12 pm
Campbell says The Right Things, the kind of things middle aged guys in the Fox Valley & Milwaukee suburbs love to hear, the kind of talk not heard since the days of the immortal Les Steckel. How can the Loins not win the Super Bowl?
cdoemel
May 27, 2024 at 09:18 pm
Isn’t that why we brought in Campanile?
Bitternotsour
May 27, 2024 at 05:37 pm
We can also refer to history. The history of the Lions is that of a fanbase with bags over their heads. I actually feel bad for them now that they were teased with a minutes worth of success.
The reality is that the Lions last season was an outlier. Graph them out over time and you'll find their mean and that line is near the Mendoza line. Barutanseijen is correct, their head coach appeals to a certain type of fox valley/waukesha county knuckle dragger and they think that what he's peddling is the real deal. the fall will be brutal.
Leatherhead
May 27, 2024 at 05:52 pm
""""The reality is........outlier'''''. You bet. They won't be as successful as they were last year.
Neither will the 49ers. The Curse of the Super Bowl Loser is real.
Win our division. Win the home games and break through on the road.
'
Starrbrite
May 28, 2024 at 07:40 pm
I strongly agree with LH concerning Love; he finds the open guy.
I still become a little nervous about his delivery technique, but he seems to always locate the open receivers.
I criticized him early on, but I’m jazzed about the possibilities this season.
Go Packers!!!
CanPackFan
May 30, 2024 at 12:39 pm
It's way too soon to tell how the NFC North will shake out. Writers want to hype us wearing rose colored glasses. I've seen that movie before.
My X Factor is the defense. I think it will take 4-6 weeks for it to stabilize. And I am excited to see what Campanile can do for our LBs. Looking forward to seeing some aggressive LB play for a change here!