Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love is learning the hard way how difficult it can be to be the starter in the NFL. After a hot start the first few weeks of the season, he has seen his production crater the last two games.
There are a lot of factors contributing to his recent lack of success. The Packers lost their two best offensive linemen, left tackle David Bakhtiari and left guard Elgton Jenkins, to knee injuries. Bakhtiari could be sidelined for the remainder of the season while Jenkins is dealing with an MCL issue.
The skill position players haven’t been at full strength yet this season. Running back Aaron Jones left Week 1 against the Chicago Bears early with a hamstring injury, missed two games, was limited in his return and then had to sit out again. On top of that, wide receiver Christian Watson missed the first three games of the season.
Sitting at 2-3 and heading into their bye week, the Packers have some things to work out. There has been some concern expressed about Love’s performance, but his mentor, Aaron Rodgers, doesn’t believe it is time to panic.
If anyone knows a thing or two about bouncing back after some rough performances with the Packers it is Rodgers. During his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, he doesn’t believe there is a reason to panic and revealed that he reached out to Love after the tough outing on Monday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Yeah I sent him a message last night, I love Jordan, he’s a great kid, I think he’s showed a lot of things early in the season,” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show. “He’s shown the ability to throw the ball down the field, he’s very athletic. Feel like he’s had a number of really nice look offs.”
While Love has hit a few big plays, figuring out his accuracy on deep balls is imperative for this offense to open up. He has struggled mightily the last two games when attempting passes 5+ yards, throwing five interceptions and playing well below replacement level.
Right now, that is the biggest weakness in his game. He has a big arm, but Matt LaFleur and the Packers’ coaching staff have to figure out how to hone it. Love has shown the ability to keep plays alive and make something out of nothing with his legs and athleticism, as there are certainly bright spots to his performances.
Just like Rodgers received, Love needs some time to settle in and adjust. Eerily, Rodgers also threw five interceptions between Weeks 4 and 5 of his first season as the starter with the Packers, so he knows better than anyone what Love is currently going through.
