Game Of Throws: Packers rookie Golden primed to exceed expectations

​The Green Bay Packers were a trendy pick to win the NFC Championship at FanDuel last season.

Unfortunately for anybody who jumped aboard that hype train, injuries and inconsistencies ultimately prevented the Packers from finishing any higher than third place in the NFL’s best division.

Green Bay was 9-3 entering a pivotal showdown against the rival Detroit Lions in Week 14.

The Packers led Detroit 28-24 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter but went on to lose that game 34-31 on a last-second field goal by Jake Bates that capped an 11-play, 53-yard drive in the final 3:38 of regulation.

Green Bay cruised to wins over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 and the New Orleans Saints in Week 16, but then never led in a 27-25 loss to the Minnesota Vikings that sealed their fate as the division’s third-place team.

The Packers finished 11-6 and went on to lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round.

How did Green Bay fare against the toughest opponents on its 2024 schedule?

The Packers went a combined 0-6 against the NFC’s top three teams in the Lions, Vikings, and Eagles, including the playoff loss in Philadelphia.

While they showed flashes throughout the regular season, Green Bay was ultimately outclassed by its top competition within the conference.

Will the Packers take a significant step forward in 2025?

It certainly seems like FanDuel’s Defensive Player of the Year favourite is the only player anybody in Wisconsin wants to talk about right now.

Even without Micah Parsons, the Packers roster is deep.

Obviously, any improvements will have to begin in the NFC North, which is expected to be one of the most competitive divisions in football once again.

The Lions are the NFC North favourite at +175.

Green Bay is the second choice to win its division at +220, followed by Minnesota at +290 and then the Chicago Bears at +500.

While the Bears have the longest odds to win the division once again, the NFC North is one of just two divisions in which all four teams are +500 or shorter to finish in first place at FanDuel.

The NFC West is the other.

Last season, the NFC North had a combined 45-23 record.

Their .662 combined win percentage was the highest mark by any division in a season since the 1970 merger.

Nobody will be shocked if the NFC North registers the best combined win percentage once again in 2025.

Interestingly, the Packers are the least popular bet to win the NFC North at FanDuel.

That means there are more bets on each of the Lions, Vikings, and even the Bears to win the division.

I believe Green Bay will compete with Minnesota for the second-best record in the NFC North behind Detroit.

Chicago is still the fourth-best team in this division.

Whether or not the Packers compete for a division title, and a playoff win will likely depend on the health of quarterback Jordan Love and the development of a passing game that was far too inconsistent last season.

Since taking over as the starting QB in Green Bay in 2023, Love ranks among the top 10 passers in the league in Total QBR and touchdown passes.

However, the 26-year-old also ranks among the worst in the NFL in completion percentage and interceptions.

Of course, a big part of the equation is the struggles of the Packers wide receiver core last season.

Green Bay’s wide receivers had the highest drop rate in the entire league last season.

In fact, the 8.1 per cent drop rate was the highest in the NFL since 2010 (New England Patriots - 9.0).

The Packers have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Davante Adams left town.

However, they may have found their next star receiver when they drafted Matthew Golden out of Texas in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Golden is the first wide receiver selected by Green Bay in the first round of an NFL Draft since 2002.

The 5’11’’ speedster ran a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and the Packers believe he can be the burner that takes the top off defences the way they had hoped Christian Watson would if his development hadn’t been sidetracked by injuries.

Running back Josh Jacobs is coming off a monster season in which he rushed for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns.

As impressive as he was in his first year in Green Bay, Jacobs is 27 years old, and we can expect head coach Matt LaFleur will want him to be fresh come playoff time.

While the Packers leaned heavily on Jacobs and the run game last season, it was in part due to Love missing three games with an injury as well as the inconsistency at the wide receiver position.

Green Bay just cut free agent addition Mecole Hardman.

There have been persistent rumours that Romeo Doubs could be on the trade block after a disappointing year.

Of course, the Packers drafted Golden in the first round for a reason and there’s a good chance he’s already the best wide receiver on their roster.

Love threw for 3,389 yards and 25 touchdowns in 15 games last season.

Entering his third year as the starter, Love could flirt with a 4,000-yard passing season if he stays healthy.

Remember, Love threw for 4,159 yards and 32 TD passes in his first full season as a starter back in 2023.

If he stays healthy, Love should throw for over 3550.5 passing yards this season.

As for a FanDuel Best Bet, I’ll go with Matthew Golden to register over 700.5 receiving yards in his rookie season.

I’ll also jump on Golden 40+ receiving yards against the Detroit Lions in Week 1.

The Packers invested in Golden with the hope that he could be to Love what Adams was to Aaron Rodgers.

The stage is set for Golden to shine in his rookie season.

Hopefully, the rookie first round pick exceeds all expectations for Green Bay this season.

The Packers need that to happen to take the next step as a legitimate contender in the NFC.