The Packers left New England with a 45-27 win that looked like a full-on statement. Jordan Love was Jordan Love.
Christian Watson and Matthew Golden both went off. Jonathan Gannon’s defense, with Evan Williams drawing All-Pro buzz, made its presence felt too.
Even the ground game flashed some life, piling up a season-high 129 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Still, the run game remains the area that needs the most attention, and that makes the NFL trade deadline on November 10 the next big checkpoint for Green Bay. If the Packers are going to make a move, the focus should be on help up front and, maybe, a back who can carry more of the load. Here are three names they should be calling about.
Sam Cosmi is the swing-for-the-fences option. If Green Bay is going to spend real draft capital on an offensive lineman, it shouldn’t be for a marginal upgrade.
Brian Gutekunst may not want to part with a second-round pick after already moving his first-rounder, but Cosmi would be worth the price. He’d immediately become the Packers’ best offensive lineman and give them a major boost at right guard, where he has been one of the league’s better pass-blockers and has also been strong in the run game.
That kind of addition would change the look of the line fast. With Laken Tomlinson already steadying things at guard and Kevin Zeitler finally getting his Week 9 chance, Cosmi would give Green Bay a much more dangerous starting five: Jordan Morgan at left tackle, Tomlinson at left guard, Sean Rhyan at center when healthy, Cosmi at right guard, and Anthony Belton at right guard, with Zeitler backing up the interior spots.
The question is whether Washington would actually move him. The Commanders dropped to 2-5-1 on Sunday, and The Athletic’s playoff projections give them just a six percent shot at the postseason, so the Packers should be aggressive and see what it takes.
Tyler Steen is the more realistic line fix. He’s not a star, but he’s a quality starter, and his contract is set to expire after the season, which could make him easier to pry loose. Philadelphia’s season has gone sideways in the NFC East, and Howie Roseman has already shown he’s willing to move offensive linemen, shipping two-time Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens last month.
Steen has settled in as a plus starter at right guard over the past two seasons. In 2025, he ranked 11th in pass-blocking grade among 81 guards and 17th in run blocking, according to PFF.
That matters for Green Bay because the Packers need the line to play better before the run game can really take off. They finally got Zeitler on the field in Week 9, but only after Aaron Banks went into the blue medical tent.
Steen would give them a reliable starter for the stretch run, and with Tomlinson on the left side, the interior would look a lot sturdier. The one catch: if Green Bay trades for him, it would need to work out an extension to avoid losing him in 2027.
Tony Pollard is the running back name to watch. The Packers can also attack the problem directly, and Pollard looks like a far more reachable target than Jonathan Taylor. With at least two fourth-round picks next year, including one from the Rashan Gary trade and possibly more from compensatory picks, Green Bay has the kind of mid-round ammo that could get a deal done.
Pollard has done plenty behind shaky blocking in Tennessee, rushing for 595 yards and six touchdowns at 4.5 yards per carry. That’s a better production line than the Packers’ entire offense, which has just 616 rushing yards and six touchdowns this season. Pollard has nearly matched that total by himself, and he’s played one fewer game.
The current backfield picture is messy. Josh Jacobs and MarShawn Lloyd are both banged up, and both have struggled to get much going.
Jacobs is averaging 2.2 yards per carry, Lloyd 2.6, and Lloyd missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Jacobs suffered a broken finger in Week 9, which raises more questions about his availability.
Kaleb Johnson showed a spark with 14 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown at 4.9 yards per carry, but that line was boosted by a 34-yard burst, and he has not been dependable this season. He has fumbled twice, was a healthy scratch for two straight games, and only got back on the field because Lloyd was hurt.
At some point, the Packers need a cleaner answer. Pollard would give them one. He could handle a heavy workload and give Green Bay another option while the line continues to get sorted out.
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 🡒]