The Green Bay Packers’ offensive line was missing their Pro Bowlers at left tackle and left guard.
Also lost to injuries were Christian Watson, their talented receiver, and playmaking runner Aaron Jones.
As a result, Jordan Love only managed to complete 14 of 25 passes for 151 yards on Sunday in Atlanta against the Falcons, but he still managed to produce three touchdowns.
He also finished with a passer rating of 113.05.
Consider excellence.
The Green Bay Packers have treated their starting quarterbacks (Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Love) similarly to how the Pittsburgh Steelers treated their NFL head coaches from 1969 to 1993 (Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin).
Those guys belonged to the top of their peers and at least one Super Bowl ring.
Okay, not Love, but hold on.
Along with fame associated with a storied franchise that Forbes reported generated a record $610 million in revenue last season, his Lombardi Trophy is on the way.
Because of this, sports historians won’t focus on Love starting only his third NFL game on this particular afternoon, when the Packers choked away a 24-12 lead to the Falcons in the fourth quarter for a 25-24 loss.
The breakdown was caused by love.
Love attempted a quarterback sneak for a first down on a 4th-and-1 in the final six minutes as the Packers sought to stop the Falcons’ onslaught, but he never received the snap.
Love recalled how the Packers were forced to punt, which helped the Falcons rush downfield for the game-winning points.
“I messed that operation up,” Love told reporters.
I made a mistake in my speech.
If I don’t say “live,” it isn’t a play. I made a mistake and used the wrong live word.
“.
Nevertheless, with the Falcons leading by one, the Packers still had a chance to tie the game, but Love threw four consecutive incomplete passes to end the game.
No worries, and don’t worry about the fact that Love was a backup who was so far behind Rodgers during his first three seasons in the league that he only started once.
Who cares that Love played in only 10 games at the beginning of this season after Rodgers, with his 10 Pro Bowl appearances, four NFL Most Valuable Player awards, and impending Pro Football Hall of Fame bust, left for the New York Jets?
As many interceptions as touchdowns were thrown on Love’s 83 passes during that span, which can also make you snort.
Three.
It belongs to Jordan Alexander Love.
You could see it and feel it despite his erratic performance against the Falcons.
Love has enough “it” to make Packers officials omniscient when it comes to starting quarterbacks — you know, again (see Favre and Rodgers) — particularly since those running the NFL’s only publicly owned franchise expertly crafted Love’s contract during the spring when hardly anyone outside of Wisconsin was looking.
Brian Gutekunst, general manager of the Packers, should be our first stop.
Reporters questioned Gutekunst after this year’s draft in April as to why his team was passing on Love’s fully guaranteed fifth-year option worth $20.272 million, which would have made his standard four-year rookie deal, which he signed after the 2020 NFL Draft as the 26th overall pick out of Utah State, enter its final season.
Gutekunst, who weeks earlier had dealt the 39-year-old Rodgers to the Jets, said, “It’s a lot of money for a guy who hasn’t played.
But, at the same time, obviously we’re moving forward with him, the general manager said as he turned to his infrequently used backup quarterback.
“.
How obvious is it?
Well, Packers officials got creative while reaching for their checkbook, and both sides compromised with a contract extension.
Love was pleased since he went from his rookie deal with a base salary this year of around $2.3 million to an incentive-filled contract for 2023 that could give him nearly $22.5 million ($13.5 million of that amount is guaranteed).
The Packers were pleased since they weren’t obligated to pay Love after this season.
The bottom line for Gutekunst and other Packers officials: If this native of Bakersfield, California of 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds is a bust, they can grab his replacement from the 2024 NFL draft.
Love isn’t a bust.
For verification, ask the befuddled Falcons defenders about Love’s strong and accurate arm, quick enough legs and flashes of possessing a splendid football mind at 24.
Then there were the Bears defenders during the previous week in Chicago, where Love and the Packers won 38-20 during that season opener for both teams.
He also had three touchdown passes in that game, and his passer rating was 123.2 after completing 15 of 27 passes for 245 yards.