Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. So even while the Green Bay Packers, one of the league’s youngest teams, seem to be at the start of something special, it’s no guarantee they ever reach their lofty goals. There’s just too much variance in play.
That’s what might make Green Bay’s 24-21 defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers sting even more. (Beyond Jordan Love looking like Brett Favre, that is.) Sure, it’s a moral victory that the precocious Packers ever pushed the NFC’s No. 1 seed to the brink. There’s a lot to build on this offseason in Green Bay. On the flip side, even with the Packers’ youth, they’re not necessarily destined to take that next step and finish games like this whenever (or if) they get another opportunity.
Matt LaFleur understands this unfortunate reality, as he painfully described why another Packers’ postseason loss stung so much:
Matt LaFleur: "Part of the reason it stings so bad is we fully believed and fully expected to win. … Felt like we had plenty of opportunities to put the game out of reach and unfortunately didn't do enough."
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) January 21, 2024
"There's a lot of promise for the future, but nothing's guaranteed." https://t.co/cFybPJtF0j
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) January 21, 2024
Pro football is a volatile game. Beyond the unfortunate specter of injuries, sometimes things — progressive development, roster construction, schedule — just don’t come together as planned. The Packers should hold their heads high, knowing they gave the 49ers the fight of their season. But to pretend as if their best opportunity to unseat NFC royalty wasn’t on Saturday would be foolish.
You never know — they truly might not get this kind of golden opportunity again.
