Packers quarterback Jordan Love, the 2020 first-round pick who has spent most of his career on the sideline watching Aaron Rodgers, played the first half of Friday’s preseason game. He had some bright moments, but also too many inaccurate throws, and didn’t look the way most coaches would want a first-round quarterback to look at the start of Year 3.
Despite that, Packers coach Matt LaFleur defended Love, saying that two of his three interceptions were not his fault.
“I think two of those you can totally take off him,” LaFleur said. “The third one, we had two busted routes because the ball really shouldn’t have gone there on that play, but he had nowhere else to go with the football, and he forced it in there and the defender made a good play. We’ve just got to clean up everything around him. We say it all the time about quarterbacks, they’re going to get too much credit when we do well and they’re going to get a lot of the blame when we don’t, and that’s just the reality of playing that position in this league. But I was pleased with Jordan’s performance.”
Love completed 13 of 24 passes for 176 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions, plus four carries for 24 yards. The Packers hope Rodgers will stay healthy and they won’t have to play Love at all this year, but if Love does have to go, LaFleur sounds confident in him, even if his passing accuracy still leaves a lot to be desired.