The Green Bay Packers steamrolled the New England Patriots by a 45-27 final in a game that was not that close, improving to 6-3 on the season as Matt LaFleur's team looks to be hitting its stride at midseason.
Here are five takeaways from a mightily impressive game by Green Bay:
The Packers are Super Bowl contenders
They are far from a perfect team, but the Packers showed their credentials as a legitimate Super Bowl contender on Sunday afternoon, pantsing last year’s AFC champion with the most well-rounded performance from Green Bay in a long time.
The passing game was electric, the defense ruthless, and even the run game and special teams played their part with competent showings. By the way, Micah Parsons is going to join this team soon.
Green Bay has won five of their last six games
after a 1-2 start and were a whisker away from two more wins against the Vikings and Lions. While they certainly have problems to work through, Sunday was a reminder they can beat anyone when they get out of their own way.
Jordan Love is in the MVP conversation
Love has put the Packers on his back to a scarcely believable level this season, and he was on an absolute heater against the Patriots, ending the game with 372 passing yards and four total touchdowns.
In previous games he has taken the shine off generally excellent performances with a bad decision or two leading to a turnover. That was not the case on Sunday, as he torched New England’s defense, showing their secondary no respect.
Putting on that kind of a show in a big-ticket game is going to lead to deserving conversations about his MVP candidacy on Monday morning.
Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are an elite wide receiver duo
On Sunday we found out what happens when the Packers pass catchers don’t drop the ball. Love kept giving Golden and Watson chances, and they kept delivering.
Golden decisively won his matchup with All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and both he and Watson cooked the Patriots deep over and over again.
Watson also had an incredible one-handed snag, and by the end of the game, the pair combined for 335 yards and two touchdowns. Savion Williams even got in on the act with an impressive touchdown catch of his own.
The Packers pass catchers are providing Love with all the ammunition he needs to keep lighting up the scoreboard, and that’s exactly what they did in Foxborough.
Defensive award winners deliver again
Evan Williams backed up his NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors with another sensational game against New England, intercepting Drake Maye after NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month Brandon Cisse batted a pass up into the air.
Cisse was targeted four times and allowed one catch for two yards on the day. The Packers needed the 21-year-old rookie to have an impact in year one and he has done exactly that.
All-Pro Xavier McKinney also had two picks and is back to finding the football with regularity after the interception well ran dry last season. This Packers secondary is the engine of their exceptional defense.
Bounce back for Trey Smack
It was certainly not the headline, and Smack’s kicks were not exactly crucial, but Sunday was a massively important day for him.
Smack made all seven of his kicks, including three field goals, one of which was from 51 yards out. He looked to be striking the ball cleanly and confidently, and his performance in New England will have calmed not only his nerves, but the nerves of the coaching staff and front office.
Hopefully Sunday was something to build on and a sign of things to come after a rollercoaster season so far.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 5 takeaways from Packers' 45-27 win vs Patriots: Jordan Love for MVP?
