The Packers didn’t just beat the Patriots on Sunday. They broke the game open in every direction and forced New England to spend the fourth quarter with backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor on the field after Green Bay had already pushed the score to 45-21.
By the end, the final read 45-26, with the Patriots adding a late touchdown against the Packers’ reserves. But the damage was done long before that.
Jordan Love was sharp from start to finish, completing 23 of 29 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, good for a 153.2 passer rating. A huge chunk of that production flowed through Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, who tore up the Patriots’ secondary for 171 and 164 yards, respectively.
Christian Gonzalez, who had allowed less than 200 yards through the air all season entering the matchup, had no answer for them.
Green Bay also made life miserable for Drake Maye. The Packers came away with four turnovers, including three Maye interceptions. Isaiah McDuffie and Evan Williams each grabbed one, while Xavier McKinney picked off Maye twice.
The kicking game stayed clean, too. Rookie Trey Smack went 3-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points, adding to a day in which Green Bay controlled all three phases.
The only real concern from the win came on the injury front. Josh Jacobs left with a hand injury and did not return, which left Kaleb Johnson as the leading rusher after he was activated only because MarShawn Lloyd was hurt. The Packers’ running backs finished with 26 carries for 95 yards, and when you add in runs by Love, Savion Williams and Tucker Kraft, Green Bay finished with 129 rushing yards.
Linebacker depth is also suddenly a problem. Zaire Franklin and Edgerrin Cooper were already out, with Cooper on injured reserve, and then both backups, Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper, got hurt as well. That forced special teamers Nick Niemann and Kristian Welch into the game, with Niemann handling most of the work after Hopper went down and McDuffie exiting late.
In Other News...
Jordan Love Is Giving Packers Fans A Very Familiar Feeling
Jordan Love spent Sunday looking every bit like the quarterback Green Bay has been waiting for, carving up the Patriots in a 45-27 win with a command that felt increasingly familiar to Packers fans. He completed 23 of 29 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, added a rushing score, and kept the offense humming from start to finish in one of the cleanest outings of his career.
The numbers now put Love at the top of the league in passing yards and third in touchdowns, a striking place for a quarterback still shaping his own identity in Green Bay. After the game, he said the performance ranked among the best he has had, and the bigger question for the Packers is how often this version shows up as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Offense Exposed A Patriots Weakness Fans Will Love
The Packers left New England with a 45-27 win, and one of the clearest takeaways from the game was how often Green Bay found success attacking Christian Gonzalez in coverage. The Patriots cornerback had a rough afternoon, and it became a central part of a loss that exposed some real issues in New Englands secondary.
Afterward, Mike Vrabel was direct about Gonzalez not meeting expectations and also accepted some responsibility for the defense not being ready for what Green Bay brought. Gonzalez owned his performance and said he would move on and get ready for the next game, but the bigger question now is how the Patriots plan to respond after a matchup that left them with plenty to clean up. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Just Sent A Dangerous Message With More Help Coming
The Packers 45-27 win over the Patriots was the kind of statement that travels well beyond one Sunday afternoon. Jordan Love was sharp, the defense kept creating short fields and the offense looked comfortable piling on points while the pass rush and takeaway game kept New England from ever settling in. Evan Williams and Trey Smack also turned in notable performances, adding to the sense that Green Bay is getting contributions from all over the roster at the right time.
What makes the message even louder is what could be on the way next. The Packers are already playing with the kind of balance and aggression that can make them dangerous, and the possibility of Micah Parsons returning only adds another layer to the picture. If this is the version of Green Bay that shows up now, the rest of the league has reason to pay attention to what comes when the lineup gets even stronger. [Read more 🡒]