The Green Bay Packers have the youngest offense in football. To get things more extreme, the unit's most experienced player, David Bakhtiari, has been out for the season since week 1. Growing pains were to be expected, but they have gone through it and the performance over the second half of the season is much better. But how did they pull this off? Leadership and cohesiveness were big parts of the process.

A big step in that direction was led by first-year starting quarterback Jordan Love. He started hosting dinners every Monday at his house, a moment to watch football film, but also to allow the roster to grow closer. It's designed for the offense, but defensive players are allowed in as well.

"It’s just crazy how he can bond with everybody," wide receiver Bo Melton said of Love. "Every receiver, every running back. He's a great quarterback."

This is a big difference from what the Packers had had. Not that Aaron Rodgers was a bad leader by any means, and he was highly important for the growth of several players throughout his time in Green Bay. It's just different. Rodgers is 40, Love is 25. The age difference allows the younger quarterback to have a more natural connection with this group of pass-catchers, the youngest in the NFL since the 2017 Cleveland Browns.

"Some cool with the offense this year is dudes just love to be around each other," tight end Josiah Deguara told USA Today's Clubhouse Live. "It's more than on-the-field success. They love to be around each other in the locker room, outside the facility. We've gone to J. Love's house a few times for dinner this season, which is something that he put together that is really cool for us to hang out outside the building, get to know each other a little more."

For Deguara, this process has helped integrate the entire offense, because usually players tend to spend more time with their position groups.

"Me, Ben (Sims), and the tight ends hang out all the time, receivers hang with each other," the fourth-year player added. "But when you get o-line, tight ends, quarterbacks, receivers, all together for dinner, you get to really grow in friendship, grow in relationship, and that only helps us on the field."

The results on the field are, in fact, evident. Between weeks 1 and 8, the Packers were 15th in EPA/play, 17th in EPA/dropback, 18th in EPA/rush, 20th in success rate. Since then, they have been 4th in EPA/play, 3rd in EPA/dropback, 8th in EPA/rush, and 6th in success rate. They transformed themselves from an average to a top group. And they are the least expensive offense in the NFL.

This is their first year. Basically every offensive piece on the roster is under contract beyond 2023, and most of them are on cheap rookie deals. It's just the beginning of the process, and it might not be linear, but the Packers expectation is that the unit will be even better moving forward.

"That's a little bit of the idea, right?" Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said right after adding three wide receivers and two tight ends in this year's draft. "I think that's important, for those guys to grow together."

A big step of this growth happens on Sunday. A win over the Chicago Bears puts them in the playoffs, which would be an extremely valuable experience for the group. A loss, though, and the Packers would need a combination of three other games to get in. It's a high-pressure game for Green Bay, and this is part of the learning curve for a bunch of first- and second-year players.

Jordan Love is doing his part, and his leadership and command of the group are a big aspect to measure what he can be as a franchise quarterback.

Jordan Love can make a lot of money in one game

Love signed a one-year extension with the Packers last offseason