2023 NFL Power Rankings: Green Bay Packers

Biggest improvement: Rookie receivers

Jayden Reed (second round), Dontayvion Wicks (fifth) and Malik Heath (undrafted) combined for two catches for 48 yards in the season opener against the Bears. Three months later, Reed leads the Packers in receiving yards, Wicks leads the Packers in yards per catch and Heath has been a bigger part of the offense of late. GM Brian Gutekunst's plan for the young receivers to grow as quarterback Jordan Love grows appears to have worked. -- Rob Demovsky

After all the highs of the previous three weeks, the Packers turned back the clock Monday night, reprising the kind of Jordan Love performance that had fans pulling their hair out before his recent hot streak. Entering the contest riding a three-game stretch of turnover-free football, Green Bay gave it up three times, with Love fumbling and throwing a pick in consecutive possessions. The quarterback was just in a funk most of the night, making some poor decisions and missing throws, leaving a lot of points on the field. Keisean Nixon's muffed punt in the third quarter set up a Giants TD, putting the Packers in chase mode. Love responded with two brilliant throws to Malik Heath late to take the lead, but the Packers' defense couldn't stop the Giants with less than two minutes left. How Green Bay didn't sack Tommy DeVito once is anyone's guess; Big Blue gave up an average of seven per game in the previous four.

Losing to the Giants was a hit to their playoff chances. Letting Tommy DeVito drive for a game-winning field goal is a bad look for the defense.

Are Jordan Love's 2023 Pack going to mimic Aaron Rodgers' 2022 Pack? Good enough to claw out of a deep hole and make a late run ... but maybe not much more if the tank hits empty shy of postseason?

Fantasy spotlight: Jordan Love

Since Week 9, Love is the sixth-best quarterback in fantasy football (110.58 points). That stretch coincides with Green Bay winning four of six games. Monday night was a step back as the Giants' blitz-happy scheme harried him into a 76.7 passer rating (25-for-39 for 218 yards, one touchdown and one interception). Still, Love's maturation in the last six weeks gives the Packers hope they have hit on a third straight quarterback.

It turns out the Packers weren't quite ready for primetime. Too many mistakes, too many missed opportunities. It is strangely unsurprising, though. Beating the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs and falling to the Tommy DeVito-led Giants in consecutive weeks is exactly the type of inconsistency you might expect from a young, inexperienced team.

The Packers have a favorable remaining schedule, so they're still in decent shape to make the playoffs. But that bad loss was a reminder the Packers aren't quite there yet. They had the game in hand, due to some of the same breaks they've been catching the past few weeks, and then blew it at the end. They just can't let that loss linger.

Opportunity missed.

Tweets by @EDSFootball