Reynolds: Love's fearless form can carry Packers to Super Bowl
Jordan Love's statement displays against Chicago and New England have strengthened the case for Green Bay as genuine NFC contenders, even before Micah Parsons returns to the lineup.
Green Bay's 45-27 rout of the defending AFC champion New England Patriots has sharpened talk of the Packers as genuine Super Bowl contenders, according to Yahoo Sports, with quarterback Jordan Love delivering what the outlet described as his most impressive performance of the season.
The win extended a run in which Green Bay has taken five of its last six games after losing two of its opening three, though the Packers still sit fourth in the NFC North.
Love completed 23 of 29 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns without an interception against the Patriots, adding a 13-yard rushing score of his own.
Wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden did much of the damage against New England cornerback Christian Gonzalez, a Pro Bowl performer. Watson caught seven of nine targets for 171 yards and a touchdown, averaging 24.4 yards per catch, while Golden caught all ten of his targets for 164 yards and a score.
It followed a similarly dominant display four weeks earlier against the Chicago Bears, won 31-7, in which Love completed 25 of 31 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Watson caught six of eight targets for 143 yards and two touchdowns that day, including a 53-yard strike, while Golden brought in six of seven passes for 123 yards, with a 50-yard completion among them.
Head coach Matt LaFleur praised Love's consistency, telling reporters, as relayed by Matt Schneidman of The Athletic and cited by Yahoo Sports: "I can't say enough great things about him." LaFleur added: "He is the same guy every day, whether it's a great performance like he's been doing consistently or (not). He's just the same guy. He's the same guy that we got when we drafted him, and I think it's a big-time credit and I don't want that to get overlooked."
Green Bay's defence has also held up, conceding 21.2 points per game, ranked 11th in the league. Safety Evan Williams has been a standout, recording 76 tackles, seven passes defensed, three interceptions, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
Sky Sports Rugby Union's Neil Reynolds said Love is fearless and can lead Matt LaFleur's team to the Super Bowl, while cautioning that the season has only reached its halfway point and much can still change in the NFL, particularly late in the year.
The Packers host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10 before their bye, looking to avenge a Week 1 defeat in which Minnesota overturned a Green Bay lead in the final quarter. Road trips to face the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints follow, before a Week 14 meeting with Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills that Yahoo Sports described as a potential shootout.
Yahoo Sports suggested Micah Parsons could be back in the Packers' lineup by that stage, a prospect it said could make Green Bay's attack still harder to stop.