Coming into the 2023 season, there were a lot of people unsure of what to think about the Green Bay Packers. They have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL with only three players in their 30s and are lacking experience up and down the roster.
Alas, people are now taking notice of them. The Packers dominated their NFC North rivals, the Chicago Bears, in Week 1 to the tune of a 38-20 victory. Every facet of the game was won by Green Bay, as they blew the game open in the second half with four touchdowns.
As a result of their dominant victory, the Packers have seen some of their season-long betting totals and odds change. They are now lined at over/under 8.5 victories and have been listed as high as -160 to make the playoffs.
The perception of them is quickly changing as things may not be as bleak as once expected. Analysts are certainly taking the Packers more seriously now as well, as they shot up in some NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 2.
Over at The Athletic, Josh Kendall has the Packers making a big jump up in the power rankings. Coming into the season they were in the No. 16 spot; after defeating the Bears, he now has them inside the top 10 at No. 9.
“The Packers shouldn’t be allowed to do this again. The team that has had only two starting quarterbacks since 1992 (Brett Favre from 1992 to 2007 and Aaron Rodgers from 2008 to 2022) may be completing the trilogy with Jordan Love, who had the league’s best passer rating (123.2) and third-best yards per attempt (9.1) Sunday.”
That is quite literally the worst nightmare of teams around the NFL, especially in the NFC North. The Packers have had MVP and Hall of Fame level production for 30 years, going from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers before Jordan Love.
In Week 1, it certainly looked like Rodgers signed over the ownership papers of the Bears to Love, who threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. On the road at Soldier Field, nonetheless.
After picking up an impressive divisional road victory, the Packers are heading on the road again. This time they will be heading south to take on the Atlanta Falcons, who also won their season opener over the Carolina Panthers, 24-10.
