Jared Goff or Jordan Love as quarterback?

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love finished behind Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff in SI.com’s All-NFC North team.

In the vote by Bill Huber of Packers on SI, John Maakaron from Lions on SI, Gene Chamberlain from Bears on SI And Joe Nelson of Vikings on SIGoff received three first-place votes and one second-place vote. Love received the other first-place vote and three second-place votes. Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick by the Chicago Bears in this year’s draft, took the third-place votes.

My vote for the first team went to Goff and not Love.

Why?

If I were starting a franchise, I’d obviously take Love. But my rankings are based on the upcoming season. Goff is a three-time Pro Bowler and probably should have been last year when he threw for 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns. Love’s track record consists of a stellar streak that helped the Packers to an improbable playoff appearance.

In other words, I chose the quarterback who performed at the highest level over multiple seasons rather than just multiple games.

With that in mind, here are the breakdowns from our team editors.

First team: Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff

Goff’s emergence was a welcome surprise for Lions fans. After beginning his tenure as a bridge to the future, the veteran has revitalized his career and taken the reins of the franchise. He was rewarded for leading the team to the NFC Championship game with a generous contract extension.

At just 29 years old, Goff is leading the team through the Super Bowl phase. The pressure to win right away will be great, but the passer has proven he can do anything to get there. Detroit has built a strong offense around him, so he has the weapons he needs to be successful.

Goff has played at a high level the past two seasons, ranking in the top five in the league in passing yards and touchdowns last season. His pass timing and ball security have improved greatly since his first season in Detroit, helping the Lions succeed.

The Lions have laid their foundation for the crucial 2024 season. GM Brad Holmes has not hidden his faith in Goff since signing him in 2021, and that faith has now been rewarded.

Second team: Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love

Jordan Love’s greatness is set in stone. After all, he’s set to sign a contract extension that could make him the highest-paid player (by annual salary) in NFL history. He’s one of the favorites to win MVP honors, so the Packers once again have a great quarterback at the helm of the franchise.

That’s the consensus anyway. The reality is that Love has a lot to prove this season, just like he did last season.

Love’s greatness comes from half a season. During the first half of his debut season as a starter, Love ranked last in the NFL in interceptions and was at the bottom of the league in completion percentage and passer rating. In leading the Packers to a 6-2 regular season finish and a playoff berth, he finished first in interceptions, second in touchdowns, second in passer rating and third in completion percentage.

Now he has to do it from September to January (or maybe February).

There’s no reason he shouldn’t. He’s poised and mature. His arm is strong and accurate. He’s smart and athletic. Love took a beating last season and got stronger because of it. He also has one of the best skill position groups in the NFL, even if nobody outside of Wisconsin has heard of guys like Jayden Reed or Luke Musgrave.

If Love is who everyone thinks he is, the Packers are looking at another decade as Super Bowl contenders.

Third Team: Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams

So much has been built up for Williams’ immediate success in this offense, but the offseason hype has been so great that it seems almost impossible he can live up to expectations — that is, until he actually throws a ball or makes a play.

Then it’s clear why they put the future of the franchise on Williams’ shoulders.

Throughout the offseason, the first overall pick in the draft struggled daily to learn the offense in detail in order to compete against a top NFL defense in practice. By the end of minicamp, Williams looked far more determined and NFL-ready than he did at the beginning.

He would throw throws into open spaces within the zone defense for receivers to chase, or spiral throws into tight windows. He even confused defenses during early practices with his eye feints alone, infuriating veteran linebackers. His short throws were far more accurate than what the Bears’ receivers were used to.

Williams’ knack for throwing off the platform on longer plays also started to come into play more frequently, and coaches quickly prepared to use that as a weapon by incorporating it into their practice games. Next comes executing all of those throws against live ammunition during practice sessions wearing protective gear.

For once, the Bears seem to have the passer they envisioned in the draft. Now it just depends on how well they protect him and if the defense can keep him in check in games. All indications are that he has plenty of weapons for a rookie season, more akin to former No. 1 pick Joe Burrow than last year’s No. 1 pick Bryce Young.

Fourth team: Vikings QB Sam Darnold or JJ McCarthy

It was reported that McCarthy could start in Week 1 against the Giants if he meets certain benchmarks. The problem is that no one outside of the TCO Performance Center in Eagan knows what those benchmarks are, and coach Kevin O’Connell has officially stated that Darnold is QB1 at the start of training camp.

If McCarthy does become a starter at some point this season, he will have a special opportunity – just like Caleb Williams in Chicago: He will be selected as a rookie in the first round of the draft and at the same time will be surrounded by well-known talent.

First-round quarterbacks thrown in at the deep end as rookies typically have experiences similar to Darnold’s in New York in 2018, when he looked up in the huddle and saw Robbie Chosen and Quincy Enunwa as the Jets’ key receivers. In Minnesota, whether Darnold or McCarthy, the starting quarterback will walk into the huddle with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson and Aaron Jones as his playmakers at the skill positions and Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill at the tackle positions.

Adding to the notion that Minnesota’s supporting cast is too good for Darnold or McCarthy to let down is the fact that O’Connell was smart enough to call an offense that briefly put Josh Dobbs in the spotlight and helped Nick Mullens rush for over 800 yards in two starts against the Lions late last season.

There are many unanswered questions, but the Vikings are geared towards helping the quarterback succeed.

More news about the Green Bay Packers

Popular articles: They provide the fireworks | For Packers, the sky is the limit | NFC North Quarterbacks | Questions and answers with Josh Jacobs | New faces decide on NFC North | Add an experienced quarterback? | PFF’s Offensive Line Rankings | NFL Awards Odds | Gutekunst’s masterful conversion | Best QB in the NFC North? | Two Packers in the All-Breakout TeamS

Most important packers: 45-49 | 50-54 | 55-59 | 60-64 | 65-69 | 70-79 | 80-90