The Green Bay Packers hopped on the freight train and clobbered the unsuspecting New England Patriots off the tracks during "America's Game of the Week" on Sunday afternoon. It was the type of dominant 60-minute performance, collectively from the offense, defense and special teams, that gets you thinking about bigger things. Maybe the Patriots were a paper tiger, and the Packers simply provided the flame. Or maybe the Packers, after scratching and clawing to stay alive during a truly concerning first month of the season, have finally steadied the ship and are ready to assert themselves as true contenders -- right as the football calendar hits November.
The 2010 Packers improved to 6-3 by opening November with a 45-7 win. Does lightning strike
twice?
Five big picture thoughts on the Packers coming out of Sunday's win in New England:
Potential realized: Two weeks ago, the story spun in this same space coming out of a frustrating loss in Detroit was the Packers just "are who they are," talented but unable to get out of their own way, with the potential for more but a self-imposed barrier to getting there. Well, Sunday in New England showed what can happen when the Packers do get out of their own way. Potential is nothing more than an unrealized possibility, but we no longer have to wonder about the potential of the 2026 Packers. When passes aren't being dropped, penalties aren't negating stops and kicks aren't being missed, the Packers can go on the road and embarrass anyone, even the defending AFC champs. This was a statement win, a true demonstration of three-phased victory. Sunday's version of the Packers is very much a title contender.
Banks out, Zeitler in: Sunday might have provided the first taste of what could be the winning guard combo for the Packers. With Aaron Banks struggling again at left guard, the Packers rotated in Kevin Zeitler while moving Laken Tomlinson back to the left side. Wouldn't you know it, but the Packers finally started running the football with two competent guards on the field together. Zeitler played only 20 snaps but was at the point of attack on several of the offense's best runs in New England, including Kaleb Johnson's 34-yarder in the second half. There's a chance Zeitler settles in as the new starter at right guard, Tomlinson forces Banks out of the lineup because he's the better player, Sean Rhyan returns at center and the Packers finally have a legitimate trio of interior blockers for the stretch run. The offensive line still feels like the most likely "fatal flaw" for the Packers, but reasons for hope are becoming increasingly easier to find.
Intersection of talent, opportunity and necessity: What do you get when you mix two elite athletes, massive opportunities in a high-flying passing game and the weekly need to throw the ball without a capable run game? The result is the incredible start of the 2026 season for Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, who both look like legitimate stars at the receiver position. Anyone outside the NFC North and the sphere of fantasy football saw the individual talent inside both Watson and Golden, even through some rocky stretches. Now, as the featured targets for Jordan Love, who has ascended into the NFL's premier big-play hunter, Watson and Golden are taking advantage while becoming one of the game's best duos. The numbers speak for themselves. When it comes to receivers in Green Bay, always trust the process. The talent eventually wins out. Christian Gonzalez, a very good corner in the NFL, found that out the hard way on Sunday.
Two All-Pro safeties, and getting unblocked pressure without an All-Pro: At the midway point of 2026, both Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams have rock-solid All-Pro cases. McKinney leads the NFL in interceptions, while Williams might be the best do-everything safety in football (No. 1 in PFF grade at safety after nine weeks). The safety pair doesn't allow big plays over the top no matter the call, allowing Jonathan Gannon to be ultra aggressive. In fact, the Packers defensive coordinator cooked up 11 unblocked pressures on Drake Maye on Sunday, per Next Gen Stats, and the Packers now lead the NFL in unblocked pressures with 43. Gannon has done all this without Micah Parsons, who demands double teams on most snaps. The hope will be that Gannon stays aggressive and creative once Parsons comes back, simply adding the All-Pro edge rusher into the mix instead of drastically changing course. The Packers have quarterbacks guessing wrong on multiple levels. Pre-snap disguises are creating free rushers, and the two safeties are pouncing on any mistakes down the field.
Can Johnson do a James Stark impression? For the first time in 2026, the Packers gained over 100 rushing yards and had a rusher break 50 yards in a game. Kaleb Johnson doesn't look special in any one way, but he runs hard, typically gets what's blocked up front and can power through arm tackles. With Kevin Zeitler potentially becoming a bigger part of the run game, it's possible Johnson will have an opportunity to be this year's James Starks, who came out of nowhere to power a previously dead run game for the Packers during the 2010 Super Bowl run. Starks wasn't spectacular, but a different style and a fresh set of legs helped spark the run game. Josh Jacobs might not miss significant time with a finger injury, and it's possible the Packers are eyeing running back help via the trade market, but don't discount Johnson's potential as a familiar spark for the 2026 run game.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 5 thoughts on Packers win over Patriots: Potential realized in NE
