Ordinarily, losing a close 34-29 game to a team that was Super Bowl-bound two seasons prior is not the worst possible thing in the world. But, for the Green Bay Packers, losing the game as well as quarterback Jordan Love for a number of weeks could lead to a disastrous beginning to a once-promising 2024 season for the squad.
Green Bay Packers: So…what happened in Brazil?
The Eagles and the Packers played an entertaining contest Friday night in Brazil, as part of its goal of expanding the NFL brand globally. That game’s location and field became controversial, however, when it became apparent during the course of the game that the field itself was slippery and grass quality was rather poor.
The Arena Corinthians in Sao Paolo, Brazil is usually utilized for soccer matches. Hence, the predictability of football players having a hard time adjusting to it during a NFL game. In fact, the problems became so noticeable that even prominent celebrities like NBA superstar LeBron James chimed in to criticize the playing conditions. Clearly this was not welcome news for the NFL when it came to having positive coverage of its international contests.
Green Bay Packers: No momentum out of the gate
Normally, it would be very unwise to jump to conclusions when it comes to season openers. We’ve had teams start out strong, and end up collapsing due to injuries and/or poor play. No one knows about that than the Eagles themselves, who started out 10-1 last season (including winning their season opener), before finishing the season 1-5 and losing in the Wild Card round.
On the flip side, there have also been situations where teams start out poorly and eventually recover to have successful seasons. This cannot be discounted as a possibility for the 2024 Packers, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t bemoan the mistakes that were made on the field in Brazil. Momentum is a contagious thing in sports, and it can lead to your squad either sputtering in a negative direction or soaring to new heights and catching fire.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love injury…what’s the news?
So, the biggest piece of news that came out of the game for the Packers was not necessarily the loss against the Eagles. It was the injury to quarterback Jordan Love towards the end of the game. The injury initially caused understandable panic and concern among the Packers’ faithful. But thankfully, in the days following the game, some good news started to come in.
First, Love suffered a MCL injury rather than the more gruesome ACL injury. Based on the diagnoses made public by the team and its doctors, he’s expected to be out several weeks but is not being ruled out for the entire season. In fact, Love was seen walking down the stairs from the team plane, which was another sign that his injury was not as severe as initially feared. But nevertheless, despite Green Bay avoiding a catastrophic loss of its QB in their first game, it may still be in some deep trouble moving forward.
Green Bay Packers: The path forward
Some may be confused as to why I’m sounding the alarm after just one game. But, it’s important to have a complete understanding of reality in order to fully comprehend where your team is positioned going forward. There is already a bit of uncertainty as to the temporary QB situation, and whether to sign a dependable veteran or not. If that uncertainty and lack of confidence/direction permeates the rest of the team, that can spell doom for the Packers. Whatever lessons the players learned from Green Bay Packers training camp and practices must be applied efficiently. Otherwise, if they’re not careful, this 0-1 start could spiral into something more dire in a matter of weeks.
