When most people think of young football teams, they think of star potential and promising hope for the future; however, not many inexperienced teams can succeed right away in the National Football League. Enter the Green Bay Packers: the youngest team to make the playoffs since the 1974 Buffalo Bills. As of January 7, 2024, which marked the end of the NFL regular season, the Packers roster was the youngest in the entirety of the NFL, with an average age of 25 years, eight months, and three days. With all the youth on the roster, the Packers struggled to begin the 2023 season, starting off with a 2-5 record. While former Utah State quarterback and 2020 first round pick Jordan Love had been doubted from the jump, he was not satisfied with the poor start.
After the rough opening stretch, the Packers entered Week 9 ready to get back on track. Over their next five games, the team went 4-1 by beating the Rams, Chargers, Lions, and Chiefs. Balancing their record at 6-6, they went on to lose the next two games to the Giants and the Buccaneers. At 6-8, with three weeks left in the regular season, many did not expect the youthful Packers to find a way into the postseason. Despite the doubters, Jordan Love, the young wide receiver core, and the underrated defense were on the prowl to make the playoffs. They finished the season with three consecutive wins, finishing 9-8 and guaranteeing themselves a chance to extend their season.
They had a tough matchup in front of them as they had to travel to Dallas to face off against the superstar-filled Cowboys for the Wild Card round of the playoffs. One positive for the Packers was that their stud running back, Aaron Jones, was back and healthy for the playoffs. Jones turned out to be an X-factor in that game, having himself a day with 131 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. The Packers ran away with the game, with three touchdowns in their first four offensive possessions and four stops on defense, with two interceptions and one pick-six. Leading the game 27-0, the entire nation erupted with shock. The Cowboys had not lost a game at home the whole season and were being dominated by the youngest team in the NFL, who were seven and a half point underdogs coming into the game. Although the Cowboys tried to fight back, the Packers went on to win 48-32. The Game MVPs were the aforementioned Aaron Jones, Jordan Love with 272 passing yards and three touchdowns, and Romeo Doubs with six catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. The squad from Green Bay had lots of momentum entering the Divisional Round of the playoffs; however, they were set to play in San Francisco against the 49ers who had beaten the Packers in their last two postseason matchups and were the number one overall seed in the NFC.
The Packers fought hard in the first half, going into the break down 7-6, putting lots of pressure on the San Francisco offense who had produced at an elite level all season. After an effective third quarter, the Packers led the 49ers 21-14. Unfortunately, with six minutes and 21 seconds left, the Green Bay kicker Anders Carlson missed a 41 yard field goal to potentially extend the lead to 24-17. So, the Packers were up 21-17, giving the 49ers a chance to score a touchdown and win the game. The 49ers did just that, marching down the field and finishing the drive with a 6 yard rushing touchdown by Christian McCaffrey. With only a minute and seven seconds left in the game, the Packers needed a miracle to get down the field and make a field goal to tie. The luck did not go their way as Jordan Love threw an interception, ending the incredible season.
Although the Packers fell to the San Francisco 49ers, the future is extremely bright, with Jordan Love under center and a plethora of young weapons surrounding him. Additionally, many Packer fans are pleased with the firing of their defensive coordinator, Joe Barry. The fans had been talking poorly of Barry the entire season, however, during the playoffs, the defense played well against two of the highest powered offenses in the NFL. With a whole offseason in front of them, it will be exciting to see how the Packers continue to build and develop their roster. Regardless of how next season goes, no one can take away this season that the young squad from Green Bay.
