The Jordan Love the Green Bay Packers have received since he returned from his Week 1 MCL sprain in Week 4 has been nothing but a rollercoaster.
The Packers quarterback became only the third player in franchise history to throw for four-plus touchdowns (four) and three-plus interceptions (three) in a game in the team’s 31-29 Week 4 loss against the Minnesota Vikings, joining Brett Favre (twice — once in 1999 and once in 1998) and Lynn Dickey (Week 10, 1983 vs. the Browns).
That up-and-down play reared its head once again on Sunday in Week 5 at the Los Angeles Rams. First, Love completed a 53-yard pass to wide receiver Jayden Reed in triple coverage to set up Josh Jacobs’ 2-yard rushing touchdown that put Green Bay up 7-0 early.
However, Love then made the most befuddling play in his two seasons as the Packers’ starting quarterback late in the second quarter. Backed up and facing third-and-12 at their own 8-yard-line, Love rolled right in the back of the end zone, and to avoid a safety, he side-armed a throw toward the right sideline intending to chuck the ball out of bounds. The football ended up not sailing out of bounds but rather into the arms of Los Angeles safety Jaylen McCollough. The undrafted rookie out of Tennessee returned the football 4 yards into the end zone for Love’s first career pick six.
Thanks to Love’s gaffe, the Packers trail 13-10 at halftime. Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur will certainly look to coax more positives than negatives out of his quarterback in the second half.
