Tucker Kraft was open all over the field. Jordan Love was nearly perfect in the second half. Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary swarmed Aaron Rodgers. 

It all added up to the Packers beating the Steelers, 35–25, on Sunday night and moving to an NFC-best 5-1-1. It also explains why Green Bay is dangerous in the championship chase.

The Packers don’t have many superstars, but they have a ton of good players. And a ton of ways to win. 

Green Bay doesn’t have Ja’Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson on the outside. Its best pass catcher is a 24-year-old tight end, Kraft, who in his third year has become one of the top tight ends in the game. Kraft set a career-best in Week 2 with 124 yards in a 27–19 win over the Commanders. Six weeks later, Kraft usurped that mark with 143 yards and two scores on National Tight End Day. 

On the perimeter, the Packers have a cornucopia of good-not-great players. But who should the opponent guard? Who should it double-team? At one point, Love completed 20 consecutive passes with a whopping 10 players catching at least one, including receivers Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs, Malik Heath and Savion Williams. Love also found three tight ends and two running backs. The best of the bunch might be Jayden Reed, who is on injured reserve with a broken collarbone. 

Against the Steelers, Green Bay couldn’t get going on the ground, rushing for only 94 yards on 3.6 yards per carry, with Josh Jacobs stymied on 13 attempts for 33 yards. Instead of continuing to try to slam the ball into the front, coach Matt LaFleur went skyward, and Love rewarded him with a second-half line of 16-of-19 for 214 yards and two touchdowns. All told, Love passed for 360 yards (9.7 YPA) and three scores. 

Defensively, the Packers gave up 16 first-half points before tightening up over the final 30 minutes. Green Bay allowed only three points while forcing a turnover and limiting Pittsburgh to 114 yards (70 on a garbage-time touchdown march). Rodgers was dismantled in his first start against the Packers since leaving after the 2022 season, going 24-of-36 for 219 yards (6.1 YPA) and two touchdowns while being sacked three times. 

Up front, Parsons and Gary harassed and harried Rodgers. The duo combined for three sacks and a trio of quarterback hits, consistently winning with Parsons moving all over the line. 

What could tell the story for Green Bay in January

Ultimately, the Packers earned a Week 8 road win over a middling Steelers team. It’s a game that goes toward the standings but doesn’t define who they are. It’s a step on the ladder of a brutally competitive NFC North.

But the details are what matter, and what could tell the story come January. 

The Eagles are defending champions and should be respected as such. They’ve also struggled to run the ball despite having Saquon Barkley, while ranking 29th in allowing scoring drives 46.5% of the time. 

In Detroit, the Lions are terrific but struggle when Jared Goff can’t rely on the dynamic rushing tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, as evidenced in their defeats to Green Bay and Kansas City. The Rams have been solid, but they’ve lost two games because of shoddy special teams, missing three field goals and an extra point in those defeats. 

Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) passes against Pittsburgh Steelers
Jordan Love went 16-of-19 for 214 yards and two touchdowns in the second half against the Steelers, and at one point completed 20 straight passes. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Of course, the Packers aren’t perfect. Their run game ranked 23rd in yards per carry entering Sunday. Love is a quality quarterback, but he’s not a top-tier passer like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Matthew Stafford. 

But Green Bay is arguably the team with the fewest holes, whether looking at the roster or the coaching staff. 

In January, the Packers have many ways to win, and not a ton of ways to lose. 

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why the Packers Could Be Dangerous Come January.