Breaking News New York Times:Jordan Love to make grand entrance

What would you think if I told you that Jordan Love in 2023 was a 10-percent improvement over Aaron Rodgers in 2022? If you love the Packers, would you have signed up for that Labor Day weekend? Of course you would. Let’s examine Rodgers last year versus his successor this year

I remember going to training camp last summer. David Bakhtiari, a great friend of Rodgers, told me I was going to love Love. “Just watch,” he said. I did watch, and Love was largely mediocre through the first half of the season. Love, however, led Green Bay to the playoffs with a 6-2 finish to the season. And with these amazing numbers: 18 touchdown passes, one interception. He did it with a new crew of receivers and tight ends: Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Bo Melton, Dontayvion Wicks at receiver, and Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft at tight end. All seven have come to the Packers in the past 20 months.

There aren’t many franchises in football who would draft a quarterback when they have an MVP-caliber one on the roster with a good three or four years left. Green Bay GM Brian Gutekunst did. That’s because the Pack is a continuum. And when Love got comfortable in this job and with these players, he began to flourish. That’s why the 9-8 Packers will be going to Dallas with a puncher’s chance to beat the mighty Cowboys Sunday afternoon.

I’m so happy for these guys,” coach Matt LaFleur said from Green Bay Sunday night. “In this world of social media these days, it’s hard to block out all the negatives. And there were a lot of negatives early in the season. But the growth in these players from the start of the season has been incredible. Even when it was tough, these guys loved coming to work every day. It’s great when you’re young—all you want to do is attack the next game. Their ability to weather the storm has been great.