Mike Tannenbaum Says Jordan Love’s Green Bay Packers Are a “Legit Super Bowl Contender,” but Fans Disagree

The Green Bay Packers have officially punched their ticket to the playoffs and Mike Tannenbaum claims Jordan Love’s team is a threat to other juggernauts in the postseason. The former NFL general manager even professed the Packers as legit Super Bowl contenders, leading fans to disagree with the sentiment. But why?

During an episode of Get Up on ESPN, Tannenbaum outlined how well the Packers’ defense has been playing this year, asserting that it will help them even more to compete in the playoffs. “To, me, the complementary piece of this defense makes them a legit Super Bowl contender,” he said.

Usually, Green Bay and their head coach, Matt LaFleur, rely on the offense to outscore their opponents. But this season, their secondary has indeed been winning them games. They’re the only team in the NFL this season to shut out an opponent, having held the Saints scoreless on Monday Night Football.

The enticing numbers the Packers’ defense has been putting up this season — “they’re seventh in defensive efficiency, but they’re first on third down opponent conversions” — are enough to make them a strong contender, Tannenbaum added.

The former Jets GM went on to explain that this is all because they have the ability to rush the passer — and Rashan Gary has been a big part of that. He currently has 6.5 sacks on the year, a forced fumble, and 41 combined tackles.

It’s a good argument that Tannenbaum makes, and one that has become more popular in recent weeks among pundits. But the fans of the NFL disagree, saying it’s the Detroit Lions that teams should still be concerned about. Some don’t even think the Packers will make it out of the first round.

Others called the crew out for pandering to a team with a large market.

Regardless of the fan takes, it’s a decent argument that Tannenbaum makes. The Packers could have a chance to make a Super Bowl run because of the possible path they’ll have.

As of now, Green Bay and Jordan Love are slated to face the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. While the Rams may have a home-field advantage, many would argue the Packers are the better team. With two more wins, they have already shown an ability to walk into an opponent’s house in the playoffs and blow the doors off of them.

Tannenbaum served as executive vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins from 2015-2018. He was also the assistant GM and later the GM of the New York Jets from 2001-2012. If there’s an analyst who knows what he’s talking about, it’s Tannenbaum.

Last season, the 9-8 Packers went into AT&T Stadium to face a 12-5 Dallas Cowboys squad. And they spanked the Dak Prescott-led team 48-32. They also almost beat the 49ers in the divisional round, but two late Love interceptions put a fork in their season.

This time around, the Packers have a better defense and more weapons on offense. The numbers rank them as a top-10 team on both sides of the ball. And with the weather getting colder, it’s not crazy to think things could align for the team all the way.