Why the Packers Look Like Legit Super Bowl Contenders After Early Bye Week

In addition to boasting a loaded roster, Pro Football Focus suggests that the Packers are far more dangerous than they have looked the past two games.

“The Packers enjoyed an early bye week in Week 5,” Thomas Valentine writes for PFF. “To end a quick spell of two games without a win. Through the first two weeks of the season, the Packers looked like a juggernaut on both sides of the ball. As of now, they’re a top-five team in EPA per play on offense, and 12th in EPA per play allowed on defense. That’s a potential sweet spot for a team capable of contending for a Super Bowl in 2025. Green Bay will return from its bye looking to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6.”

Those efficiency numbers back up what the eye test has shown; a young, balanced team that can win in multiple ways.

Jordan Love’s comfort in Matt LaFleur’s system has unlocked Green Bay’s deep group of receivers, while Aaron Jones and the running game continue to provide stability. On defense, the front seven’s consistency and the emergence of a ball-hawking secondary have made the Packers difficult to exploit.

Having the chance to play Joe Flacco, in his first start with the Bengals just four days after Cincinnati acquired him should help, but the Packers have played like one of the more complete teams in football, for at least stretches so far this season.

Now, LaFleur’s team has the chance to go out and prove it, and launch into the second half of the season.