Evaluating Jordan Love’s Performance
The highly anticipated return of Jordan Love occurred this week in his return against the Minnesota Vikings. Many fans did not want him to play against a stout Vikings defense this week, which has played very well in the first three weeks. Malik Willis was available to start, but Matt LaFleur gave Love the green light to return. In his first game back, Love did not disappoint.
The Minnesota Vikings, led by Sam Darnold, have been fantastic to start the year. The Vikings have defeated two good teams, the Texans and the 49ers. The Packers lost in a close matchup with the Eagles, but Malik Willis helped defeat the Titans and Colts. The offense has looked much different with Love, where the team focused on running the ball down their opponent's throats and taking what the defense gives them. The difference was seen when Love returned in this game, where the Packers focused on throwing it and attacking their defense. Love had a terrible first half, and it seemed he was worried about re-injuring his MCL. He threw two interceptions in the first half, but neither was his fault. Christian Watson dropped the first one, and then the second went through Tucker Kraft's hands and Romeo Doubs, which then bounced into the defender's hands. It seemed LaFleur wanted Love to settle in, which made him very restricted and uneasy.
The second half was a whole different story. Love regained his confidence and settled in nicely. The game plan shifted, and Love attacked. The Packers finally opened the scoring with a 50-50 ball touchdown pass to Jayden Reed. He then threw an incredible touchdown to Dontayvion Wicks and did not give up on the young receiver after he dropped multiple interceptions thrown his way. The next touchdown was another great pass to Tucker Kraft, followed by the two-point conversion. However, he wasted an excellent opportunity to score again and threw an awful pick to the Vikings cornerback. When the Packers got the ball back, Love threw another touchdown pass to Wicks, who stepped it up in the second half. Love finished with four touchdown passes, three interceptions, and 389 yards. The Packers could have won if Love had performed better in the first half. However, Love played a decent game for his return, and he should continue to improve as he settles in during the season. Packers fans should not be upset with Love's performance, and the Packers can get their revenge against the Vikings later in the season.
