The Green Bay Packers will get off to a strong start in 2023 if head coach Matt LaFleur has anything to say about it. LeFleur is well aware of the Packers' recent struggles in Week One games dating back to the last few years of his tenure, and he's doing everything he can to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself this weekend.

When asked about Green Bay's shortcomings in opening week games, LeFleur went straight to the point.

“We got our a** kicked,” he said recently, per ESPN.

Things went off the rails to kick off the 2021 season when the Packers lost 38-3 to the New Orleans Saints. Last year, the Week One result wasn't much better, as the Packers lost 23-7 to the Minnesota Vikings.

Article Continues Below

First on the slate in 2023 for Green Bay will be the divisional rival Chicago Bears on the road. Of course, the Packers underwent a foundational shift this offseason when they traded away quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. Rodgers had been a member of the Packers organization for the better part of two decades, leading the franchise to its most recent Super Bowl victory in 2010.

Now the keys will be in the hands of Jordan Love, who the Packers drafted in 2020 in preparation for this very situation. It won't be an easy transition for Love, as not many pundits expect the Packers to be ultra-competitive this season.

Still, they have an opportunity to start things off a lot better than they have the last two years when they take on Chicago.