The Green Bay Packers improved to 5-6 on the season when they defeated the Detroit Lions 29-22 on Thanksgiving Day. The win, their third in their past four games, saw the offense take even more strides towards its full potential. This was quite the surprise considering that they were without starters Luke Musgrave and Aaron Jones, along with Dontayvion Wicks who had racked up 219 receiving yards in his previous four games.
Of course, a great deal of their success was due to the phenomenal quarterback play of Jordan Love. The fourth-year veteran (but first-year starter) completed 22 of 32 passes (62.5%) of his passes 269 yards and three touchdowns. For the second week in a row, he did not throw an interception.
It is no coincidence that the Packers’ recent hot streak of three wins in four games has come at a time where Love is playing the best football of his career.
And running back AJ Dillon, who was drafted one round after Love in the 2020 NFL Draft, has a stern warning for the rest of the league going forward regarding his quarterback.
Green Bay Packers Running Back Puts the NFL on Notice Regarding Jordan Love
Speaking at his locker after the game on Thanksgiving, Dillon said of Love:
“He was phenomenal all game long. I keep saying, week after week, even before we played, back in OTAs, I told you guys, he’s special. I told you I’ll run through a wall for the guy and that hasn’t changed at all. He controls the locker room, he controls the huddle. Guys respect him. You know what you’re gonna get from him every day when he’s in the huddle. He’s a great player and when you see him get that confidence, watch out.”
All throughout the offseason, Dillon was one of Love’s biggest supporters during the flurry of doubts and negative press that he received for the crime of taking over the job for which he was drafted. Indeed, many Packers fans were Love’s biggest detractors despite his teammates excitement that he was going to be taking over the offense.
It has not all been pretty. Green Bay went through a four game losing streak and Love’s completion percentage was the worst in the NFL among qualified quarterbacks. Now, though, Love has just about the same exact passing numbers that Aaron Rodgers had through 11 games in 2008, the year he took over from Brett Favre.
How Good Has Jordan Love Been in the Last Four Games for the Green Bay Packers?
Over the last four games the Packers have played, Love has 65.2% completion percentage for 1,107 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions to go with a 103.1 passer rating.
On a per game basis over this time, these numbers average out to 276.8 yards, two touchdowns, and 0.5 interceptions per game. Over a 17-game season, they would equate to 4,705 yards, 34 touchdowns, and nine touchdowns.
The thing is, though, that Love and the Packers offense are just getting better. The starting and key players that were missing from their win over the Lions were already mentioned. With time, these players, Love, along with skill players Christian Watson, Tucker Kraft, Romeo Doubs, and perhaps even Malik Heath will become one of the most productive offensive units in the NFL.
Time will tell, but they are certainly trending in the right direction.
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1 Comment
FYI: 22 of 32 is 68.75%