Where Do Packers Rank Among NFL’s Triplets?

The Dallas Cowboys’ 1990s dynasty was fueled by their “Triplets” of quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and receiver Michael Irvin.

At Sports Illustrated, Matt Verderame ranked each team’s projected Triplets for the upcoming season. Going with receiver Jayden Reed to join quarterback Jordan Love and running back Josh Jacobs, the Packers’ trio ranks 15th.

“The Packers don’t have any superstars,” Verderame wrote, “but they’re above average at each of the three spots. Love is on a big-money deal, having led the Packers to the playoffs each of the past two years. Jacobs came over on a four-year contract and immediately paid off, rushing for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns. Then there’s Reed, who led the team with 857 receiving yards and six touchdowns.”

Love finished a respectable 11th in passer rating last season, even though he was just 23rd in completion percentage and 21st in interception percentage, because his aggressive style delivered enough big plays. Love wound up fifth in yards per attempt and sixth in touchdown percentage.

The hope is he’ll be a more accurate passer now that last year’s knee and groin injuries are behind him.

“There might be some things here and there that might’ve been affected by the injury, but I’m never going to put anything on an injury,” Love said during Week 1 of organized team activities. “If I’m healthy enough to go, I’m going to try to give it my best and be the best player I can be out there. I always hold myself to a high standard.

“Obviously, it’s not fun playing through injuries, but sometimes those things you got to do. There might’ve been some things that might’ve been affected, but at the end of the day, I’m still trying to put my best foot forward and got to go out there and be the best player I can be.”

Because of Jacobs’ powerful, tackle-breaking rushing, the Packers morphed into a run-first attack last season. Only the Ravens and Eagles, two teams with running quarterbacks, ran the ball a higher percentage of the time than the Packers. Jacobs finished sixth in rushing, with an outlandish percentage coming after contact.

With the addition of left guard Aaron Banks to highlight a revamped line, the Packers hope the running game will be even more effective this season.

“A dog, honestly,” is Banks’ impression of Jacobs. “He’s really good, man. Just watching him on tape, the way he can create in his runs and how physical and downhill he is. I think that the running back plays a big part in the success of the run game – not just O-line but the two together. So, yeah, I was excited to get to block for him. He’s a really good back.”

Reed has led Green Bay in receptions and receiving yards in each of his first two seasons. Last season, he finished 35th in the NFL with 857 receiving yards and 61st with 55 receptions but fifth with 15.6 yards per catch. Even though he’s not even 5-foot-11, he had the highest catch percentage in the NFL on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield.

The key will be keeping Reed healthy because, when he’s 100 percent, he’s an explosive playmaker.

“Since I’ve been here, I made the playoffs but I’m not satisfied,” Reed said last week. “Every year is to elevate and be better , so my goal is to be even more hungry than I was last year. I feel like that’s the whole team demeanor right now. We’ve been competitive in everything we’ve been doing in OTAs, so that’s going to translate going into camp and then going to the season.”

In the NFC North, the Lions’ trio of quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is No. 5. Goff ranked second in passer rating and passing yards, Gibbs got close to 2,000 total yards and St. Brown finished second in receptions and third in receiving touchdowns.

The Minnesota Vikings’ combo of quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Aaron Jones and receiver Justin Jefferson is 18th, and the Bears hope to make a “seismic jump” behind the 21st-ranked triumvirate of quarterback Caleb Williams, running back D’Andre Swift and receiver D.J. Moore.

“This all comes down to McCarthy who, because of a torn meniscus in his rookie season, has yet to throw an NFL pass,” Verderame wrote. “If McCarthy is even solid, the Vikings have one of the best trios.”

The Packers will play only three of the top-10 triplets. They will play seven games against triplets ranked ahead of them. They also will play No. 29 and No. 31.