It’s been an up and down year in the NFL for many teams and players. One of the most intriguing scenarios is coming out of Green Bay. With the departure of Aaron Rodgers to the Jets and the Packers turning the page, coach Matt LaFleur and new QB starter Jordan Love have had their share of quality wins but also some disappointing losses. It’s been a tale of Jekyll and Hyde this year for the Packers, such as beating the Lions on the road & the Chiefs at home while also blowing a lead to the Giants, and suffering another defeat from the Buccaneers.
Currently sitting at 7-8, playoff hopes for the Cheeseheads seem to be melting away quickly. The Packers still have some optimism that a wild card spot may be within reach, but it may be too little too late. Nothing is promised for Green Bay with remaining games vs the Vikings and the Bears in terms of wins. Jordan Love came out the gate very lethargic and struggled the first seven weeks of the season, but then turned things around and showed some moments of poise and pocket awareness. Love currently has posted some respectable numbers to the tune of 25 TD’s, 3,368 yds and a QBR of 57.8%.
One of the biggest things I’ve seen in Love that has hurt him and the Packers is the turnovers. Costly fumbles at inopportune times and interceptions have compromised Green Bays ability to win down the stretch in close games. To be fair, the Packers have also been injury ridden during the season as WR Christian Watson has been dealing with a Hamstring injury while Darnell Savage is out with a Shoulder injury as well.
These last two games will say a lot about the future of the Packers and the development of Jordan Love. Following in the footsteps of Aaron Rodgers after so many years of division titles and One Superbowl Championship, there was already an elevated level of expectations from the fanbase and the city of Green Bay. We also have to take into consideration the fact that Love sat a lot during his first 3 seasons, not seeing the field often enough. I honestly like what I’ve seen thus far from Jordan, but the consistency needs to be there while also mitigating mistakes from turnovers.
Coming January, if the Packers and Cheesehead nation look more like Swiss instead of Sharp Cheddar, Matt LaFleur will start feeling the heat amongst the Green Bay conditions while Jordan’s “love boat” may be rocking as well. Grade B