After sitting behind Aaron Rodgers for years, Jordan Love became the full-time starter for the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 season. In only one year at the helm, he led the Packers to the playoffs, and even secured a post-season victory. As we enter the 2024 regular season, what should we expect from Jordan Love?
History
Let’s go back to the 2020 NFL draft. Entering the first round, not many were expecting the Packers to take a quarterback. After all, the team had Rodgers.
In 2019, Rodgers may have been suffering a statistical drop, failing to throw for 30 touchdown passes in consecutive 16-game seasons. However, the Packers had a 13-3 record and made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
Therefore, the prevailing thoughts heading into the offseason was that Green Bay was going to add another impact piece to help extend the championship window. Instead, the Packers found Rodgers’ eventual replacement – and even traded up for Love late in the first round.
In all honestly, it was a shock at the time, but should not have been so surprised. After all, this franchise did that exact same thing in 2005.
Even though Brett Favre was still in Green Bay, the Packers took Rodgers during the draft. The model is simple: find your new franchise quarterback, while your old franchise guy is still playing. I guess the worst time to go after a quarterback, is when you desperately need one.
Three Years on the Bench
One of the biggest mistakes that NFL teams make is rushing their franchise quarterback on the field before they are truly ready. From Green Bay’s perspective, that is something they have clearly avoided. As great as Rodgers turned out to be, he still spent three seasons as Favre’s backup before eventually taking over in 2008.
The Packers found a formula that worked, as Love also spent three years on the bench. Has anyone ever said that a quarterback was too ready? That it would hurt his development to observe extra time from the bench? I have never come across an example of that. So Green Bay decided to play it slow with their franchise quarterbacks.
During his first three season in the NFL, Love only started one game, and came in for backup duty in nine others. But his first start was almost a victory for Green Bay.
In November of 2021, the Packers played a road game against the Kansas City Chiefs. With Rodgers out, Love got the chance to start, and the team only lost by one score. Statistically, it wasn’t a shining debut for Love. He completed less than 50 percent of his passes, and threw for less than 200 yards. However, the defense stepped up, showing that they played with as much confidence with Love at quarterback as they did with Rodgers.
This is important in demonstrating that other Packers players believed in the power of Love. Ultimately, Green Bay lost 13-7. But that game was the first foundation for Love’s full takeover a couple years later.
Starting to Start
Entering the 2023 NFL season, the Packers traded away Rodgers, and gave Love the green light. The Love era of the franchise begin as best it could: with a win against the Chicago Bears.
While Love threw three touchdown passes, there still some signs that things were not ideal. He again failed to complete 60 percent of his passes, something that he would not accomplish until his fifth career start. The accuracy was also inconsistent, as Love would make some good throws, but badly miss on others.
To be honest, this continued for half a season, as Love was inconsistent from game-to-game. He would put up a good performance, followed by a complete stinker the next week. All the while, Green Bay was losing more than they were winning. Then all of a sudden, things changed.
In Week 10, the Packers were on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While that game ended in a loss for Green Bay, something finally clicked with Love and his pass-catchers.
All the rookies had improved their route running, while Love himself was increasingly consistent with his accuracy. In the early portion of the season, he would easily hit a wide open receiver down field. However, when forced to throw into tight coverage, Love really struggled.
After the Steelers game, Green Bay was sitting with a 3-6 record, but there was finally some real hope. Love was consistently throwing his receivers open with pin-point passing precision.
The Turnaround
After the contest in Pittsburgh, the Packers went 6-2 down the stretch. They finished the 2024 season with a 9-8 record, good enough to make it to payoffs. Statically speaking, this turnaround is quite evident looking at Love’s game logs.
Following the Week 10 loss to the Steelers, Love had at least a completion percentage of 60 percent in every contest. During the first nine games of the Packers season, Love only hit that mark in three matches.
The passing touchdown numbers are also evident. Including the contest in Pittsburgh, Love produced only four multi-score performances in Green Bay’s first nine games. After that point, Love had multiple passing touchdowns in seven of the team’s final eight regular-season matchups.
Another aspect in which Love demonstrated notable improvement was taking sacks. Over the final five regular-season and playoff games combined, the Packers offensive line only allowed Love to be sacked twice. The quarterback has a hand in that as well. Being quick and decisive after the snap is key to avoiding sacks.
Jordan Love to the Playoffs?
At several points during the 2024 season, it was difficult to envision Green Bay making the playoffs. Following an early four-game losing streak, the Packers held a 2-5 record. After the Steelers contest, they were 3-6. However, a hot finish to the regular-season led to postseason success.
In his NFL playoff debut, Love shined by completing 76 percent of his pass attempts, and producing three passing touchdowns. The Packers tied a franchise post-season record by scoring 48 points during the match.
Of course, a familiar foe ended Green Bay’s run. For the third time in five years, the Packers lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. While Green Bay was leading in the fourth quarter, Love did not have a dominant performance. He failed to pass for 200 yards, and even threw a couple of picks. That ended a stretch of five straight games without an interception, and ultimately ended the Packers season.
What’s Next for Jordan Love?
How will the team move forward after this heartbreak? Following a literal last-minute loss in the playoffs, the Packers now have to start back at square one. That is the scary but beautiful thing about sports. Regardless of the success or failures of a previous season, once a new year arrives, everyone starts fresh.
For Love and Green Bay, it will be key to starting the 2024 season similarly to how they ended 2023. It is difficult to come back from a 3-6 record to advance to the post-season. The team can’t likely rely on late-season heroics to make the playoff. They have to dominate from the get go.
And if the demons of the past (aka the 49ers) are in the Packers way, Love needs to find another level. He’ll certainly get a shot, as Green Bay hosts San Francisco during the 2024 regular season.
We will find out how the Packers will fare this upcoming season. Can Love lead them all the way to the promised land? Only time will tell.
