3 Takeaways from Packers' Week 8 Loss vs. Vikings
It's been a trying season thus far for the Green Bay Packers, with Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings serving as the latest chapter.
Minnesota didn't even finish the game with starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was quickly ruled out with an injury. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Cousins is believed to have suffered a torn Achilles.
Yet, the Packers struggled to make the game competitive.
Green Bay has now lost four in a row and heads toward midseason with little hope of pushing back into the playoff picture.
Here are our biggest takeaways from the Packers' Week 8 loss to the Vikings.
The Packers Will Have to Consider 2024 QB Prospects
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Look, quarterback Jordan Love is young, inexperienced and just made his eighth career start. Writing him off now would be foolish. After yet another underwhelming performance (24-of-41 for 229 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), however, the Packers have to have one eye on the 2024 quarterback class.
Love has not, to this point, provided Green Bay with the sort of top-tier quarterback play to which the franchise has become accustomed. A quarterback prospect like USC's Caleb Williams or North Carolina's Drake Maye might provide exactly that.
There's no such thing as a "sure thing" in the NFL draft, but Williams and Maye are the second- and fourth-ranked prospects on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's 2024 big board.
Love is signed through the 2024 season, and perhaps he shows a little more promise down the stretch. At 2-5 and potentially staring down a top-five draft pick, though, Green Bay has to at least consider tabbing another young quarterback as Aaron Rodgers' long-term successor.
Green Bay Needs to Find a Proven Receiver in the Offseason
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Whether the Packers stick with Love in the offseason or turn the page at quarterback, they need to find a true No. 1-caliber receiver. Players like Christian Watson and rookie second-round pick Jayden Reed have flashed potential, but Green Bay has lacked a true top target since trading Davante Adams last offseason.
Reed led all Packers with 83 receiving yards on four catches. Running back AJ Dillon led Green Bay with five receptions.
The Packers don't have a receiver capable of dictating coverages or giving Love easy completions down the field. The Vikings came into Sunday ranked 20th in net yards per pass attempt allowed, and it took Love 41 attempts to reach 229 yards.
If Green Bay doesn't go quarterback in the 2024 draft, it must consider a receiver—six of the B/R Scouting Department's top 30 prospects play the position. Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is the top-ranked prospect on the B/R board.
The Packers may also want to consider impending free agents like Calvin Ridley and Tee Higgins on the open market.
The Packers Have to Consider Being Deadline Sellers
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While the Packers may not be prepared to start tanking for a top 2024 draft pick, it has become clear that Green Bay is rebuilding. With that reality looming, the Packers have to consider selling at Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline.
Specifically, the Packers must consider dealing impending free agents who play on the defensive side of the ball—assuming they still want to get an accurate look at Love, of course.
The good news is that Green Bay has several players who fall into this category and who could yield an enticing return.
Green Bay cannot simply give key contributors for nothing. However, players like conerback/returner Keisean Nixon and safety Darnell Savage —though Savage has been battling a calf injury—could net the Packers a quality draft selection. That added draft capital could go a long way toward finding offensive answers.
At the very least, general manager Brian Gutekunst has to keep his phone lines open while preparing for the future. The current campaign is all but over.
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