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Jordan Love will finally receive his opportunity to be the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers when the 2023 NFL season kicks off. He has spent the past three years as a back up for Aaron Rodgers. With the veteran being traded to the New York Jets, the youngster will take over the job.
A new era will officially begin in Week 1 for the Packers, and Jordan Love will have massive shoes to fill. While it's hard to fairly predict what to expect from Love as he's made just one start during his NFL career so far, apparently Stephen A. Smith is a believer.
Here's what Smith had to say about his expectations for the Packers this year:
"I predict about nine games, they'll probably go about nine and eight. That's where I'm at with them. They'll probably have a better record this year, probably have a better record this year than last year."
The Green Bay Packers finished the 2022 NFL season with a mediocre 8-9 record in their final year with Aaron Rodgers. They were also infamously defeated by the Detroit Lions in the final game of the season, eliminating them from appearing in the NFL Playoffs.
Stephen A. Smith believes that Jordan Love can help them surpass the finish they recorded last year. If Smith's bold prediction is correct, the quarterback will need to find success with a relatively weaker roster than Rodgers had to work with last season.
The Packers moved on from several offensive pieces during the 2023 NFL offseason, including Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Robert Tonyan. They will move forward with a young and inexperienced, though talented, group of pass-catchers. While they profile as a team looking toward the future, Stephen A. Smith thinks they will be ahead of schedule.
Is Jordan Love expected to make the Packers a playoff contender in 2023?
While Stephen A. Smith has high hopes for the Green Bay Packers ahead of the 2023 NFL season, the book makers disagree. If Smith is correct that the Packers will win nine games this year, they will be right in the mix to potentially make an appearance in the NFL Playoffs.
According to their current betting odds, the Packers are -210 favorites to not make it to the postseason. Their projected win total sits at just seven games, according to their current betting line. The odds makers aren't as optimistic about Jordan Love as Smith is.
