Jordan Love Off To A Good Start As The Heir To Aaron Rodgers And Brett Favre In Green Bay
While everyone knows Jordan Love is following a 30-year streak of Green Bay Packers quarterback greats, no one is quite certain if Love is going advance that tenure of dominance as he takes over for Aaron Rodgers, who took the mantle from Brett Favre.
Will Love be great, too?
Will he be good?
Not so good?
It's the question that will dominate the Packers' 2023 season. And while Friday night's preseason outing against the Cincinnati Bengals could obviously not provide any semblance of an answer, it offered hopeful clues.
Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers reacts to a play against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field on November 27, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Jordan Love Had Fun In First Start As Starter
In this game, Love gave Packers fans something to like.
"It was fun, a fun game," Love said after the game.
"All in all, I thought it was a good first performance," coach Matt LaFleur said. "But it's very limited action and I'm sure he'd love to have the throw to Musgrave back. But I think there's a lot to learn from it.
"A lot of good came out of it."
Love played two series against Bengals backups and played well enough that his most dubious moment was indeed an inaccurate throw to Musgrave, who was open.
And, it must be said, when a quarterback's worst moment in any NFL game is an incompletion, that isn't too bad.
"It was the one I wish I could get back," Love said. "Missed him. Easy throw. Routine throw Just couldn't come up with it. But other than that I think we played well. The pass game was in stride.
"I think those two series I had, obviously came up with a touchdown at the end and going forward after that, I think everybody played really well."
Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field on December 04, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Packers Coach Matt LaFleur Pleased
The Packers have handed Love the reins to the offense this season but have set themselves up to wait a bit before deciding what they have from their new starter. Some people within the club's hierarchy aren't going to wait very long but are still intending to withhold judgment, at least through the first half of the regular season.
And even Love himself has said, transparently one might add, who knows whether he's going to be good or not.
But what if he is better than anyone imagined? What if the Packers do this quarterback Hall of Famer thing again?
Yes, that would be very annoying to the rest of the NFC North.
The answer is important because the Packers after the season will have to decide to continue building with Love or perhaps dip into the quarterback heavy draft of 2024.
Aaron Rodgers has voiced support for Jordan Love in the past. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
A Jordan Love To Aaron Rodgers Comparison
That's a long way away as is the answer. But we're scratching for clues here. So perhaps this is one:
Love was generally sharp in his preseason debut as the Packers starter. He completed 7 of 10 passes for 46 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs.
Love finished his evening with a passer rating of 112.9.
And while that definitely does not send him to the Hall of Fame's steps, this is a very good start. Because it's comparable to what Rodgers did in his first preseason start when he took over from Favre.
Rodgers warmed the bench behind Favre his first three NFL season but in the summer of 2008, in his first preseason start as the Packers' presumed starter, completed 9 of 15 for 117 yards. He threw a TD and an interception in that long-ago and seemingly forgotten preseason game against the Bengals.
Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers looks to throw a pass during Packers Family Night at Lambeau Field on August 05, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Packers In Good Hands With Love?
No one is saying 15 years from now we'll be referencing Love's 2023 preseason opener as Green Bay's new starter in a Hall of Fame context. But this outing was important.
"A lot of good came out of it," LaFleur said. "The poise he showed, the command he showed. I thought we were getting in and out of the huddle quickly. So I thought it was a really good first exposure for him for this season."
This game comes with intangibles. Yes, completing 70 percent of his passes and leading a touchdown drive in one of his two series looks good in the stat book. But more importantly ...
...It will give Love confidence.
It will also give players and the Packers organization confidence in Love.
This isn't to suggest confidence was lacking. But even the preseason, despite all the hot takes stating it does not matter, can provide a lift for a while.
Put another way: Friday's very good outing by Love certainly beats the alternative, especially for a young quarterback on a young team.
"I think anytime you go out there and compete against anybody in the National Football League, it's out there for everybody to see and you got to perform," LaFleur said of all his youngsters. "I think confidence is huge, whether it's in football or in life,
"And any time you go out there and perform well, it definitely gives you confidence..."