Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) reacts after a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter for the 2024 NFC wild-card game at AT&T Stadium. Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Though the Packers enter the NFL divisional round as massive underdogs against the San Francisco 49ers, history suggests Green Bay could pull off an upset victory — and even win the Super Bowl.
The 2023 Packers are eerily similar to their 2010 team, which defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV.
In 2010, Green Bay looked to create a new dynasty in the wake of recent success. QB Aaron Rodgers — the No. 24 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft — ran fifth-year HC Mike McCarthy’s offense. Two years earlier, the team had traded future Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre to the New York Jets.
Similar to 2010, the 2023 Packers parted ways with their franchise quarterback this past offseason to make way for a new QB. After Rodgers was dealt to — you guessed it, the Jets — first-round pick Jordan Love was given the starting role and asked to lead fifth-year HC Matt LaFleur’s offense.
The 10-6 Packers snuck into the 2010 playoffs as the No. 6 seed — the lowest seed in their conference. Green Bay breezed past the Eagles in the wild-card round, never trailing in a 21-16 victory.
With a shocking 48-32 win over the Cowboys in this season’s wild-card round, the Packers became the first No. 7 seed to win a postseason game since the NFL playoffs were expanded to 14 teams in 2020.
If the present-day Packers are to replicate the success of the 2010 team, they’ll need stellar play from their quarterback. Rodgers was instrumental in Green Bay’s Super Bowl run, throwing for 1,094 yards, nine touchdowns and just two interceptions in four playoff games, per StatMuse. He also was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 24-of-39 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against Pittsburgh.
Luckily for Green Bay, Love is outplaying 2010 Rodgers. In the final eight games of the regular season and wild-card round, the 25-year-old posted a better completion percentage (70.7), passing yards per game (269.1), passing touchdown:interception ratio (21:1) and passer rating (116.6) than the four-time MVP did.
The last time the lowest seed in a conference won the Super Bowl was the 2010 Packers, can history repeat itself?
The Packers were once able to defy all odds as a bottom-seeded team and win the Super Bowl. It remains to be seen, however, if they can pull the feat off again.
Green Bay is a 9.5-point underdog for Saturday’s game at the 49ers as of Friday, per FanDuel.
