What was the Packers’ secret weapon that made the 2023 season so successful?That’s the question on the minds of Packer fans everywhere.
This team has exceeded even the wildest expectations of the deadliest. The lazy analysis typical of the preseason sports world seemed like bad algebra.(The Packers in all their QB glory missed the playoffs.) The Packers would be terrible.This was a fact that could not be denied no matter where you looked.
The long list of dedicated talking heads runs from Richard Sherman to Colin Cowherd. Those who believed in the team could only be given a warm hope for one year. But the problem remains. What did they miss?Before we answer that question, let’s look back at what the Packers faced when the season started.
This season was a pivotal one in the careers of general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur.
Both men spent years preparing for the end of the Rogers era. But preparation and execution are two different things. For the first time with the Packers, the team will be 100% “their team” and no longer cling to the mantle of Superman. Their products in the field will be judge, jury and executioner if things go wrong. Then the season starts and the Packers are cursed.
Before the first game, their most explosive wide receiver, Christian Watson, pulls a hammy after successfully completing his first camp.
The most experienced players on offense, left tackle David Bakhtiari and quarterback Aaron Jones, will be available for wins in Week 1. So the game plan immediately revolved around Romeo Dubs, AJ Dillon and some skilled, inexperienced players.. .and it showed. For weeks, the team couldn’t hit the road. Signs of progress quickly turned into disappointing mistakes. Just when they seem to find their rhythm, the new persona falls apart. Musgrave’s record pace was interrupted by a serious kidney injury, Watson returned and stepped up to shoot the hammy again, and Jones only returned when he injured his knee.
This has been the pace of the entire season. Every week I am amazed at how much longer the Packers injury list is than their opponents. I mapped them all and the results were amazing.That’s the number of Packer players receiving injury tags each week, excluding those on IR (coach LaFleur was never comfortable all year). We had to constantly innovate and find ways to win. Each week, the Baby Packers experimented with new chemicals and drinks in the lab to find the magic formula to save the season. Players like Tucker Craft, who looked like they were going to fail in the first half, turned into world powers when given more opportunities. A few months later, the Packers started their own business and are now infinitely rich. Many people can play in this team. Who knows? Just as Mary Poppins moves away when her family no longer needs her, so does the trauma bug.
The Packers have visited Dallas at least three times in two months. Are you surprised the Packers played their best game of the season? If the rain didn’t dampen their hot streak in Santa Clara, we know this Packers team has what it takes to make it to the Super Bowl. Not bad for the first year of the Era of Love.Injuries plagued the club and fans throughout the season, but it was a blessing in disguise. Disappointment kills growth. The 2023 Packers defied all odds as they fought for survival from day one. They were supposed to be the Packers’ secret weapon in 2023. The result was a magical season that no fan will soon forget.
