GREEN BAY, Wis. – Fresh off the bye and after a week of looking for ways to improve, the Green Bay Packers returned Monday to begin the eight-week road to the NFL playoffs.

With little margin for error in the NFC, here are three areas where the Packers need to improve to get back to the postseason and possibly make their first run to the Super Bowl since 2010.

Jordan Love’s efficiency

Will the real Jordan Love please stand up?

These statistical comparisons provide an easy symmetry.

Games 1-9, 2023: 58.7 percent, 14 touchdowns vs. 10 interceptions, 6.7 yards per attempt – 80.5 passer rating (27th of 34 quarterbacks with 100 attempts).

Games 10-17, 2023: 70.3 percent, 18 touchdowns vs. one interception, 7.7 yards per attempt – 112.7 passer rating (second of 33 quarterbacks with 100 attempts).

Games 1-9, 2024: 61.3 percent, 15 touchdowns vs. 10 interceptions, 7.6 yards per attempt – 88.2 passer rating (22nd of 36 quarterbacks with 100 attempts).

Love, while dealing with knee and groin injuries, has played better in the first half of this season compared to the first half of last season. However, Love’s dominance throughout last season has only translated into disappointment to start this season. Instead of taking a step forward, he took a significant step back.

With a bye week for Love to get healthy and the coaching staff to find solutions, will Love resemble the quarterback who took the league by storm in the second half of last season? If so, the Packers could make a run at the Super Bowl. If he doesn’t, the Packers’ alleged failure to meet expectations will only be the tip of the iceberg.

The Packers swear they aren’t alarmed by Love’s statistical regression. However, this is a confusing stat: After throwing an interception in 279 pass attempts over the last eight games last season, he has thrown 10 of 240 attempts this season.

“We see it every day. We see how he works, his focus, what he does,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “I think every interception is a little different. I’m not too concerned about that. It has to be better. I think we all know that. But at the same time, I’m not too worried. The way he works, the way he does things, it’s just a matter of time in my opinion.”

It had better be true. Even without prorating Love’s numbers due to time on the sidelines and simply going with 10 interceptions in nine games, he’s on pace to throw 18.8 interceptions. Rounding it out to 18, the only quarterback in the last decade to throw 18 interceptions and lead his team to the playoffs was Josh Allen of the Bills last season, when he threw 29 touchdowns against 18 picks to help Buffalo to go 11-6.

Battle of the Defensive Stars

The Packers count seven first-round picks on their defense. Three of them are among the five highest-paid players on the list.

Defensive tackle Kenny Clark (2016), who is coming off his third Pro Bowl season and was given a contract extension at the start of training camp, making him the 12th highest-paid player at the position, has zero sacks -hate.

Cornerback Jaire Alexander (2018), a two-time second-team All-Pro who ranks third at the position in annual salary, missed three games with injuries.

Defensive end Rashan Gary (2019), who was given a midseason contract extension last year that makes him the eighth-highest paid cornerback, has 2.5 sacks but only half a sack in he actually beat his blocker.

Cornerback Eric Stokes (2021) is a part-time player who hasn’t broken up a pass since his rookie season.

Linebacker Quay Walker (2022), the team’s middle linebacker, leads the team in tackles, but has no interceptions, passes defensed or forced fumbles and was too often a step behind in coverage.

Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (2022) has three sacks and six tackles for losses despite missing four games with an ankle injury.

Defensive end Lukas Van Ness (2023) has one sack. Among 85 edge defenders with at least 125 passing snaps, he ranks 84th in PFF productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per snap, and 74th in win rate.

Green Bay’s defense has been mediocre for years, even when the likes of Clark, Gary and Alexander were at their best.

This year’s defense remains mediocre, with five of those seven players putting up disappointing production and the other two sidelined by injuries.

The pass rush, which looked like a powerhouse during training camp and the joint practice against Baltimore, was a major disappointment.

What happened?

“You’ve got to tell me,” Gary said after Monday’s practice.

Reminded that he’s the pro so he has a better answer, Gary replied:

“I don’t know. We’re just hustling, doing what we’ve got to do. The numbers will come. The numbers, people get it wrong. Put on tape, watch how we play, watch how we set advantages, watch how we put pressure on quarterbacks. The numbers will come if we’re still playing ball fashion.”

The season will depend on it.

Situational deficiencies

Green Bay ranks third in total offense and 12th in total defense. He’s outgaining opponents 70.6 yards per game, fourth-best in the league, and is plus-six in turnovers.

Indeed, the Packers should dominate. So what is disconnection?

Easy.

On offense, they are 19th on third down and 30th in the red zone.

Defensively, they are an excellent sixth on three, but 20th in the red zone.

Of the 14 teams that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, only the Packers are 20th or worse in both red zone categories.

With Love running the offense last year, the Packers were 19th in red zone yards, but first in passing yards. With Joe Barry leading the defense last year, the Packers were sixth in the red zone.

Aside from turnovers, the easiest way to lose games is to kick field goals and give up touchdowns. Packers leave too much production on the field.

Gutekunst acknowledged that fact when asked after the trade deadline what he wants to see in the second half of the season.

“I think more consistency and maybe a bit better in situational football,” he said. “I think to be the team that can go deep into the playoffs and contend for championships, you have to be that kind of team. We’re working on it and I think those guys had some really good moments, but you’ve got to be consistent with it (and) you’ve got to be able to call on it whenever you need to.”

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