The Green Bay Packers qualified for the playoffs for the 37th time in their history in the 2024 season which is an historic feat in itself. They boasted a better record than last year by delivering an 11-6 record, beating the topsy-turvy 9-8 record from the 2023 campaign.

However, whereas Matt LaFleur’s fifth season in charge ended with momentum, Green Bay lost the last two games in the regular campaign which has left a sour taste. The pathway to the Super Bowl is now full of red alerts rather than a green and gold brick road.

The opening of the campaign showed South America the best and worst of the Packers. They were poor with tackling, only scored one touchdown out of four entries into the red zone and with three turnovers, they should have established a far more decisive lead. Nevertheless, it showed that they can compete with a team that they will meet again soon enough.

If anything, the Packers had a regular problem in trailing this season which always called for emergency comebacks that often fell short. Giving the Vikings a 28-0 start, even at Lambeau Field, was just never going to end well. The Jordan Love and Dontayvion Wicks combination delivered a stirring charge, but then time ran out on a 31-29 loss.

Wicks had a ropey first half of the season where he caught just 16 of his 43 targets. Even so, the Packers enjoyed a 9-3 record, but they continued to fall short against the big beasts.

Despite qualifying for the playoffs just before Christmas, they were edged out by the Vikings who outscored them 27-7 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Again, The Packers surged back in the 4th quarter to make things edgy but it was too little too late. It encapsulated the season as well.

Safety Xavier McKinney admitted that the levels were not being reached. “I can’t sit up here and say, ‘Yeah, we’re on the same level,’ if we ain’t beat them. We’ve got to be more on our details. We’ve got to play cleaner. We’ve got to start faster.”

That much is clear. The four-time Super Bowl champions finished up the regular season with a 0-5 record against the top three sides in the NFC. Their Super Bowl odds suffer when there isn’t any physical or psychological hold over the other real contenders.

Yet the pattern of Love coming on strong down the red zone runway only for the team to come up short is not unlucky or an accident. That in itself is a worrying trend which was borne out again with another marginal three-point defeat to the Detroit Lions in early December. Win that, and the roll could have led to a better finish, especially with wide receiver Christian Watson having another hot streak.

The Packers are always fighting a significant deficit to the elite teams and this has to stop when they travel to Philadelphia for the wild card playoff round. The Eagles have been victorious in 12 out of their last 13 and are in no mood to stop now.

The Packers will have to do it the hard way as the seventh seed with no home comforts. It’s difficult to see how they can overcome a side that has an 8-1 record at Lincoln Financial Field. They will also be without the injured Watson and All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander.

There is some hope though, as the Eagles pontificate over the concussed Jalen Hurts. If Hurts isn’t fit, this puts greater pressure on Saquon Barkley who has completed over 2,000 rushing yards. He is the player that can take the game head-on. On the other hand, Love’s participation was also in doubt when he had to come off in the last game after losing feeling in his hand. The Packers cannot survive without their main man.

Even though the Packers have a reputation for not getting over the line in tight spots, there is a recent precedent. They are the only 7th seed that won a playoff match when they took the Cowboys apart this time last year. The Packers should have beaten the 49ers too and have not forgotten the pain of that near miss.

The Green Bay Packers have a wonderful heritage and boast the youngest team in the roster this year. They need to find a way of not slipping into familiar habits on the biggest stage. “It’s no secret, we have to find ways to win these games on the road. That’s going to be our reality,”  said LaFleur at the end of 2024. We are about to find out if away days can lead to the glory of 2011.