Packers quarterback Jordan Love provided multiple recent moments that reminded many of former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Love’s first season as the Green Bay starter ended with Love reminding many of former Packers quarterback Brett Favre.
With the season on the line, Love rolled right and threw back across his body. The pass was intercepted by 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
“Play broke down, scrambling right,” Love explained to reporters after the game. “Saw Christian [Watson] over the middle. Tried to force one into him. Thought I could make the play. Didn’t see the back side. So, really made a great play.”
Love later was asked to provide further details about what happened on the play that ended an unexpectedly magical season for the Packers.
“I haven’t looked at it yet,” Love said. “Haven’t looked at any pictures, so. Looking back on it, yeah, throw it away. I don’t know if I had an opportunity to be able to run, maybe get out of bounds but, you know, force it across the middle late, which is a mortal sin and it cost us. So it’s something I’ll look at. That’s an area right there I’ll be able to look at, grow from, and get better in the future.”
It looks as if it would have been very difficult for Love to run, given that 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was closing in on him. Also, even if Greenlaw hadn’t made the play from the back side, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner had a great chance to make it from the front side, since he was one of two defenders who had Watson covered.
Still, Love has the right attitude. He’ll learn from it. He had a great first year as a starter. He took the team farther than Rodgers or Favre did in their first seasons at the helm.
Love now has a chance to take the Packers even farther, cementing in 2024 the notion that he’ll be the next long-term leader of the Green Bay offense, perhaps giving the Packers 40 or more years of consistency at the most important position on the field.