GREEN BAY, Wis. – Anyone who hasn’t watched Jordan Love recently can get a sense of his season by watching a replay of one game: Sunday’s 24-22 win over the Houston Texans.
It featured a little bit of everything the Green Bay Packers quarterback has done in his five starts this season: spectacular throws reminiscent of the second half of last season when he was one of the best in the league, but also questionable decisions. that led to the kind of interceptions in the first half of last season, when it looked like he still had a lot to learn about how to play in the NFL.
At this point, heading into Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m. ET, Fox) which will be Love’s 24th career regular-season start, it may be too early to tell if Love has a interception problem or if it adopts a necessarily aggressive approach. his second year as a starter.
“There are tons of incredible plays that happen every Sunday that wouldn’t happen otherwise,” Packers center Josh Myers said of Love’s aggressive nature. “It’s amazing to sit there in the pocket and see some of those throws, and the way they land from my perspective is incredible.”
This holds true for 2024: No one has thrown more interceptions this season than Love. His eight picks are tied with Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) and Gardner Minshew (Raiders) for the league lead, despite playing one fewer game. Yet only one quarterback has thrown more touchdown passes than Love. His 15 passes rank tied for second with Lamar Jackson (Ravens), trailing only the 18 thrown by Baker Mayfield (Bucs). Jackson and Mayfield played two more games.
“I think obviously steals are something I want to clean up and definitely improve on, being able to be clean with the ball,” Love said Wednesday. “I think our main goal is to play an attacking game and have 100 percent ball security. That’s definitely an important thing to remember.
“There are always different reasons for interceptions, whether it’s a bad read, a bad thrown ball, things like that. There are so many different ways things happen. For me , it’s definitely something I want to focus on moving forward.”
Not all interceptions are equal. At least one of Love’s picks — and maybe two — can be loaded at receiver.
On the Week 6 interception against the Cardinals, Bo Melton slipped into his path.
On the second of his three interceptions in the Week 4 loss to the Vikings, Romeo Doubs was supposed to take a straight vertical route, but he instead went around the safety to the inside and ended up in the same window that tight end Luke Musgrave, who thought the ball was for him. Musgrave appeared to tip it, leading to the interception.
“In Jordan’s defense, he has a free runner running straight in front of him who shouldn’t be there,” LaFleur said the day after the Vikings game. “He should be picked up in protection. So we need to make sure we step up, make that block, and then I think he can make a better decision and hopefully just drop him. If the spacing is a little different, just take the gift.”
This interception occurred against a five-player pass rush. It was one of three interceptions Love threw when facing more than the standard four-man rush. On another against the Vikings, they sent seven after Love on a first down and threw it deep to Dontayvion Wicks.
Of his last interceptions, both against the Texans, one ran into a standard run and Love didn’t see the defender, while the other ran into a five-man pressure that forced to lift his back foot and step over it. Christian Watson.
His most egregious interception came against the Rams in Week 5. Love attempted to escape heavy pressure in the end zone, and as he stumbled to avoid a safety, he threw a pass that safety Jaylen McCollough caught on the Packers. 4 yard line and came back for a touchdown.
According to ESPN Research, Love was blitzed 35.6 percent of the time, the second-highest rate among regular starters behind Minshew. Yet Love ranks just 22nd in percentage of pressure plays (defined as sacked, hit or under duress) at 27.7%. Jacoby Brissett and Deshaun Watson were both under pressure on over 40% of their dropbacks. The off-target rate of love is low. It ranks eighth lowest in the league at 13.1%. Kirk Cousins is the best with 10.8%. Anthony Richardson is the worst with 22.9%.
“Again, that’s why you need the 11, right? LaFleur said.
Last Sunday was Love’s third career game with multiple touchdown passes and multiple interceptions. That’s tied with Nick Mullens (Vikings) for the most since the start of last season. On low-risk throws to running backs and tight ends, he finished 9 of 10 with two touchdowns (one to RB Josh Jacobs and another on a threading throw to TE Tucker Kraft that went through his hands of a Texans defender).
In 23 starts, Love threw 22 interceptions (and 50 touchdowns). In this regard, he leaned more toward Brett Favre (25 interceptions in his first 23 starts) than toward Aaron Rodgers (15).
“It’s the NFL, there’s not always going to be guys who are very open,” Love said after Sunday’s game. “The windows are going to be tight, sometimes you have to put the ball in there, and I’m going to keep playing. Learn and grow from mistakes, from interceptions, and keep playing, keep moving forward.
“That will never limit me. I have to continue to go out there and be the best player I can for my team.”
