So it turns out, it’s liberating to go into a Packers season free from the burdens of playoff expectations, drama and a quarterback’s closing window. Other windows have opened instead, letting in fresh air and the sweet smells of upside.
In these situations intangibles play an outsized role, and will even more on Sunday in Chicago in light of the possibility that the team's top two receivers will be out.
Much is made of how young this team is. Inexperience is always a concern, but for decades the Packers (and Aaron Rodgers in particular) often made younger players walk on eggshells, with one mistake landing them in the kennel.