FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Packers turned Sunday's matchup with the Patriots into a blowout at Gillette Stadium, winning 45-27 to improve to 6-3 on the season.
Here are five takeaways from the big triumph:
1. Jordan Love is playing like an MVP.
How can it be termed anything else? The Packers QB posted a sparkling 153.2 passer rating, just 5.1 points shy of the maximum, as he went 23-of-29 for 372 yards with three TDs.
He kept burning the Patriots' top 10 defense with downfield throws that were right on the money, several against blitzes that broke New England's back end.
"I can't say enough about the play of Jordan Love," said Head Coach Matt LaFleur, who stayed aggressive with the passing game as Love kept gashing New England. "Makes my job a helluva lot easier."
Green Bay rolled up 478 yards of total offense, making this the first Packers offense with 45-plus points and 450-plus total yards on the road since Vince Lombardi's Packers at Philadelphia back in 1962.
The Packers also became the first opposing team in the 25-plus-year history of Gillette Stadium to score more than 42 points.
"It's a great team win," Love said. "To be able to have a stat like that, that no one's done, it's pretty cool.
"We came out from the get-go, started fast … and that's just an all-around win right there."
2. The WR duo of Christian Watson and Matthew Golden was unstoppable.
Love targeted 18 throws to his dynamic duo, and they caught a combined 17 of them for 335 yards and two TDs. Both had career highs for yardage – Watson with 171 on seven catches, Golden with 164 on 10 – as they turned in one of the greatest days for a receiving tandem in team history.
No Packers pair had posted at least 150 yards each with a TD in the same game since Don Hutson and Andy Uram back in 1942. Having at least seven catches each to boot, Watson and Golden stand alone from this performance.
"Flowing. That's what it feels like," Love said when the downfield connections with his big playmakers are clicking. "It feels like you're just in that flow state and trying to get guys the ball. You keep wanting to chase every play.
"I was making some good throws, but guys were making some pretty cool catches as well. I think they're balling right now. Just gotta keep finding ways to get them the rock."
Added LaFleur, who also credited Savion Williams with a difficult TD catch: "Those guys are making phenomenal plays … Multiple times on the sideline, those are bang-bang plays and guys are coming down with it."
3. The defense keeps taking the ball away and racking up sacks.
Xavier McKinney's interception on the Patriots' first drive of the game set the tone for a four-takeaway day by the Packers' defense. McKinney got a second one to give him five on the season, while Evan Williams got his third of the year and Isaiah McDuffie forced and recovered a fumble.
The Packers turned those four takeaways into three touchdowns. The fourth takeaway, by McDuffie, became a touchdown in just one play, a 39-yard strike down the middle to Watson, that blew the game open at 42-14 late in the third quarter.
Jonathan Gannon also became almost diabolical with his blitz calls, generating pressure on New England QB Drake Maye all game and sacking him four times. Karl Brooks had two of the four sacks.
"Our defense was flying around making plays," LaFleur said. "I can't say enough about JG, dialing stuff up, getting pressure on the quarterback. It allows our guys on the back end to make plays."
4. Trey Smack bounced back and the running game perhaps found a spark.
The up-and-down rookie kicker was perfect on seven kicks, making three field goals (including a 51-yarder) and four PATs. In the Packers' run of five wins in six games, Smack has missed notable kicks in at least three contests, and multiple kicks twice.
"That was big time," LaFleur said of his kicker's performance. "We saw it in practice, quite honestly. We switched some things up in terms of his approach. He was attacking the football all week in practice, and he was crushing it."
The ground game lost Josh Jacobs early to a fractured finger, which prevented him from getting a grip on the ball, so he left and did not return.
Kaleb Johnson rushed for a TD in the first half and then gained most of his 68 yards on 14 carries in the second half to provide some promise for a rushing attack that hadn't topped 100 total yards in a game until Sunday's 129 on 32 attempts.
"I still think we're far from a finished product," LaFleur said. "It was good to get over 100 yards rushing against a pretty stout defense."
5. It doesn't get any easier, but the Packers look like they're building something.
Next up are the Minnesota Vikings, who will be coming to Lambeau Field after their Monday night home game, during which they'll try to hang onto first place in the NFC North.
Then after a quasi-bye, it's a trip to L.A. to face the Rams, who could be getting ready to take off now that star pass rusher Myles Garrett has returned to the lineup. The Packers could get back their own star pass rusher, Micah Parsons, for that contest.
The Packers have only lost once in their last six games, but this was by far the most impressive win, considering the opponent and venue. The next couple of games will indicate whether this is just the start of the Packers playing their best football.
"It's one game," LaFleur said. "We've got a great team coming into our house, the team leading the NFC North, and we've got to string together another great performance in order to get a win."
