After being narrowly beaten by the 49ers to miss out on making the NFC Championship game, fans were understandably disappointed. However, they’ll have a lot to look forward to next season, as his team looks to improve on results. In his season ending press conference, head coach Matt LaFluer stated that the pressures and expectations for next season would be very different.
“The expectations going into this season are not going to be the same expectations going into next season,” LaFleur remarked to reporters. “And they’ve earned that, but with that you better put in the work because nothing’s guaranteed.”
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Already, his predictions have come true. The Green Bay Packers are one of the favorites to win next season’s Super Bowl. Bettors can find the best NFL prop bets today, alongside the championship futures for next season, at major sportsbooks. Currently, the Packers are +1600, the sixth-highest rated odds. This is a big chance from the start of last season, where sportsbooks expected the Packers to finish dead last in the NFC North. Let’s look at the reasons behind this big shift in expectations.
A Strong Season
Of course, the main reason for the increased expectations on the Packers for next season is that 2023 was a very strong performance from the team. While most experts didn’t predict them to avoid the bottom of the NFC North, the Packers nearly went on the play for the NFC Championship. They finished second in their division before soundly beating the Dallas Cowboys 48-32.
In the divisional playoff game, the Packers held the lead against the San Francisco 49ers throughout before eventually suffering a loss after a late rally from the eventual NFC Champions. While the Packers aren’t used to being underdogs, it seemed to give the team the motivation they needed.
In the playoffs, the Packers became the first ever no 7 seed to win a playoff game since the playoffs were expanded in 2020. The last team to be the lowest seed in their conference and win the Super Bowl was the 2010 Packers and while they weren’t able to repeat this feat, fans will be looking forward to next season optimistically.
A Young Roster
One of the defining characteristics of this current Packers roster is that it’s very young compared to many of the other top franchises in the NFL. The youth is part of the reason why most experts didn’t give the Packers a chance this season, as they were the youngest team in the NFL. In addition, they’d just replaced future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers with first-time starter Jordan Love.
However, the relative age of the rosters may have been more a positive rather than a downside. The Packers became the youngest side to ever win a playoff game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The majority of their young talents will be returning for the 2024 season, and they also have eleven draft picks including five of the first 91 selections.
The Emergence of Jordan Love
When a team loses one of the best ever quarterbacks, it normally takes a few seasons to rebuild as they look to replace the void. However, the Packers have struck gold with Jordan Love, who became a first-time starter this season. The quarterback will be 26 in the 2024 season and he’ll be hoping to improve on what was a sensational first season as the face of the franchise.
Love completed 409 passes for 4,625 yards and a passer rating of 98.5%. In total, he threw 37 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions. Compare this with Rodgers’ first season where he threw 28 touchdowns with 13 interceptions and it’s clear to see why the Packers have the potential to win the Super Bowl next season.