Love's Career Day Spoiled by Costly Interceptions
Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw for career highs in touchdown passes and passing yards in his return to the starting lineup on Sunday against the Vikings.
Sunday’s game from Jordan Love seemed like a typical up-and-down performance for a quarterback making just his 23rd career NFL start. It was also his first start coming off a major injury. His rustiness in the first half wasn’t too surprising.
In 16 years as the Packers starting quarterback Brett Favre never missed a game from an injury and in 15 years, Aaron Rodgers missed games three times from injury (2010 - concussion, 2013 and 2017 - broken collarbone).
First the good, Love had a career day in passing yards and touchdown passes. It was Love’s third career 300-yard passing day, finishing with 389 yards. It was the most passing yards in a game for the Packers since Rodgers eclipsed 400 yards twice in 2019. Love also had his first career four touchdown pass day.
Jordan Love has only played two games.
Yet he is only 1 of 9 QBs in the NFL to have 15 or more passes of 20+ yards.
He is slinging it.
— Jacob Morley (@JacobMorley) October 1, 2024
He matched both Rodgers and Favre with three touchdown passes in the 4th quarter of a game. Rodgers had three 4th quarter touchdown passes in his epic comeback against the Bears in 2018 and Favre also did this in 2003 against the Chargers. Both Rodgers and Favre were victorious in their comeback attempts.
For Love and the Packers, their comeback was too little, too late. Missed field goals and turnovers did in the offense, despite scoring 29 points for the second in a loss this season.
For the season, Love has completed 49 of 88 passes (just 55.6 %) for 649 yards with six touchdown passes, but also four interceptions. Last season, Love threw just three interceptions total from the Chargers game through the 49ers playoff game.
Now the bad, despite having a career day, one concerning trend that popped up again Sunday was Love’s questionable decision making in the 4th quarter while trailing. In 2023, this was the case in four different Packers losses.
Pressure prevented Jordan Love from throwing to Christian Watson sooner on the game-sealing interception. Love is initially looking to Watson’s side of the field but drops his eyes to evade a sack. pic.twitter.com/k2Bx8L5Nk5
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) October 11, 2023
17-13 loss to the Raiders, two 4th quarter interceptions
19-17 loss to the Broncos, 4th quarter interception
23-19 loss to the Steelers, two 4th quarter interceptions
24-21 loss to the 49ers, 4th quarter interception
In Sunday’s game, the Packers had the ball trailing 31-22, and Love threw essentially a 50/50 ball to Dontayvion Wicks on first down. That interception, combined with Tucker Kraft’s subsequent fumble on Green Bay’s next possession, cost the Packers a legitimate chance at coming back from a once 28-0 deficit.
Jordan Love throws up a prayer ball against the all out blitz and the Vikings get the INT to seal the game pic.twitter.com/DEx2HLDWpj
— Streameast News Network (@StreameastNews) September 29, 2024
As a young quarterback, maybe it’s just part of the learning for Love. But in these critical moments, as was evident last January, questionable decisions can cost the team its season. For the Packers to get to the place it wants to get to, the 4th quarter of close games will need improvement from Love in this area.
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Mitch McLaughlin is a Packers fan and shareholder residing in Sacramento, California. He will be writing Packers stories each week on Cheesehead TV. He can be found on Twitter: @McLaughlinMitch
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Comments (10)
EnemyTerritory
October 01, 2024 at 07:56 pm
Time to trade the 0-2 Love. We have the 2-0 Willis with zero turnovers on a cheap contract.
Oppy
October 01, 2024 at 08:09 pm
You should post the other televised view of the play- the one from behind the receiver that shows him slowing down, then looking back and panicking because he didn't realize the ball was being thrown his way, and he has to speed up and attempt to adjust to the throw.. and then apologizing to the other receivers on the sideline because he knows he screwed up.
Coldworld
October 01, 2024 at 11:33 pm
Wicks. Yes, did he think he was a decoy? A strange time to decelerate not be looking for the ball.
The first interception was a bad decision given the coverage and the fact that he significantly under threw it. The second was not in Love, just an unfortunate tip of a good throw. That last one was a 50:50 ball. Yes, he could have waited and tried again on second or third down, but they got the blitz that cleared out that side and left it one in one. That’s likely what they were looking for. That type of risk comes when you hand your opponent a 28 point head start.,
splitpea1
October 01, 2024 at 08:12 pm
The interception against the 49ers was particularly galling given that there were 52 seconds left and I believe we still had two timeouts.
In the Minnesota game there was some suggestion that Wicks broke off his route. But there was still an open man around the 25-yard line, which would have netted a first down. So either Love didn't see him in the face of the blitz, or he was hoping that Wicks could make a play (both Doubs and Watson have come down with jump balls in previous games).
Mister Chievous
October 02, 2024 at 05:50 pm
the interception in the niner's game is made worse with the realization that love could have run for a ten yard gain and safely out of bounds.
Starrbrite
October 01, 2024 at 10:03 pm
It’s the awful INT’s that make you spit out your coffee; Love’s had his share—Farve had more than his share; ARod had a few.
When we win, we tend to forget turnovers. I remember all the turnovers from losses—especially critical losses. I can still see Farve’s INT’s, A Jones fumbles, Mercedes Lewis fumble against San Fran…and many more.
If we win —I don’t care.
Go Packers!!!
Minniman
October 01, 2024 at 11:17 pm
"If we win —I don’t care"
The only problem with that is it's a fraudulent state of mind.
In the latter ARod years the Packers had better W\L records than what we were seeing on the field they deserved.......... which ultimately led to finals series thumpings (against teams that weren't frauds).
I can forgive Love for the 2 tipped ball INT's. The one that he threw off of his back foot (and very reminiscent of the 49ers INT was the one that should never have been attempted).
crayzpackfan
October 02, 2024 at 09:45 am
The coaches need to simply tell Love that hero ball is now a Jet's issue, smile at him, pat him on the back and walk away.
Minniman
October 02, 2024 at 04:10 pm
Perhaps a different slant on your theme is for Love to trust his throwing mechanics and training and identify when the hero ball
Back-foot deep or across the body on early downs with time remaining = NO
4th down with seconds to go in the half or game = Why Not, you're done if you fail either way
That 3rd INT was on a 1st down on the MIN 34...... with 6 mins 20 on the clock in the 4th............. Love had no business throwing that ball if the proposition wasn't " my guy or no guy". He'd just thrown a 36 yard strike and had 2 more shots.
Oppy
October 02, 2024 at 07:08 pm
down 3 scores in the 4th Q warrants taking shots deep downfield.