Big-time columnist shows how complete the Packers win vs Lions was

It hasn’t been usual for the Green Bay Packers to perform when all three phases play well. Sometimes, the defense initially holds up, but the offense starts slow, and when the offense gets better, the defense falls off. Sometimes, when one of these units has a good series, the special teams allow a big play […]

Wendell Ferreira — NFL News Writer

Nov 27, 2023 6:22 AM EST

Jordan Love — Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK

On Thursday, against the Detroit Lions, all three phases had an important role, it was certainly the most complete performance of the Packers this season.

The solid game throughout the entire roster can be exemplified by how NBC Sports' columnist Peter King saw week 12 in the NFL. In his "Football Morning in America" column on Monday, King always mentions the players and goats of the week. For the good part, he talks about offense, defense, and special teams. And, well, he mentioned one Packers player of each unit.

Offense: Jordan Love

_{"Jordan Love, quarterback, Green Bay. All along, the 2023 season has not been about winning the Super Bowl for Green Bay; it’s been about developing the fourth quarterback in the last 32 seasons for the Packers. So Love isn’t in this space altogether because he had a three-touchdown, no-turnover game in stunning the previously 8-2 Lions Thursday in Detroit. It’s because he capped a terrific November, the month of proving he belongs, with a 103.1 rating and with a 3-1 month, the only loss a four-point decision to the Steelers."}

Defense: Rashan Gary

_{"Rashan Gary, outside linebacker, Green Bay. Played the game of his career, on a national stage, just over a year after tearing his ACL and missing half of the 2022 season. Gary had three sacks of Detroit quarterback Jared Goff, forced two fumbles, recovered one, and had seven tackles. Great video of an emotional Gary post-game, saying he was so tired of crying. Crying days are over, Rashan."}

Special teams: Daniel Whelan

_{"Daniel Whelan, punter, Green Bay. Four punts in Detroit Thursday, four inside the 20-yard line. They landed at the 16-, 3-, 9- and 9-yard line of the Lions, and only one resulted in a Detroit scoring drive. Whelan's a great story. He grew up in Ireland, and moved to the United States when his mom, who worked in the hotel business, got a job at a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in California. A football coach saw him booming kicks as a center fullback and asked if he could try kicking a football. He hit a 52-yard field goal, and one day hit the crossbar from 65 yards out. A prospect was born.}
_{'I couldn’t have written it up any better,' Whelan said recently. 'I just love football. I went to a lot of kicking camps once I got to the U.S., and I concentrated on looking at the competition and just trying to be better than the other guys wherever I went. I think it’s possible there can be more kickers and punters from Ireland, if they’re willing to put in the time, the effort and constantly work on their craft.' He’s 22nd in gross punting, with a 46.8-yard average. His net average, 38.9 yards, isn’t good. But he’s had only five touchbacks in 45 punts.

As for what Whelan thinks of Green Bay: 'I love it. Green Bay’s a lot like Ireland, a lot like Enniskerry.'"}

On his "Numbers Game" section, Peter King also compared the starts from Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Jordan Love — all of them had a 5-6 record over the first 11 games, and relatively similar overall statistics.

"The more I watched Love the other day, the more I thought how smart the Packer way of developing quarterbacks is," King wrote.

Next week, Jordan Love and the Packers will have another chance of making headlines. The team plays on Sunday Night Football against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.