The 2023 Green Bay Packers are 2-1 after an incredible comeback in Week Three at home against the New Orleans Saints. The star of the game, of course, was first-year staring quarterback Jordan Love. After a slow start that saw the offensive put up no points in the game’s first three quarters, Love orchestrated three fourth quarter scoring drives as the Packers pulled off a 18-17 win.
Over the course of the last three weeks, more and more NFL analysts are starting to believe in Love, going as far as to say that Green Bay might have found their third-consecutive great quarterback.
“Jordan Love in the 4th quarter yesterday looked like Brian Gutekunst made the greatest decision of any QB drafted recently outside of Patrick Mahomes” pic.twitter.com/qFpTIxpLG9
— ßerris 🦅🧀 (@boxmethen) September 25, 2023
So far his season, Love has 655 passing yards, a 53.1% completion percentage, seven touchdowns, one interception, one fumble, 74 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown.
While Love has a LONG way to go before he forges his own Hall of Fame career, it is hard not to compare him to his two predecessors. And it’s hard to ignore the fact that his numbers stack up to theirs through their first three games as the Packers’ starting quarterback.
Aaron Rodgers’ First Three Starts with the Green Bay Packers
Like the 2023 Packers, Rodgers’ 2008 squad started 2-1 before finishing the year 6-10. Also like this year’s team, they dealt with a plethora of injuries. It remains to be seen how this year’s squad responds to that kind of adversity. But what can be seen is how Rodgers fared in the first three games of that season and how they compare to Love’s:
796 passing yards, 64.7% completion percentage, four touchdowns, two interceptions, four fumbles, 70 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns.
Rodgers had more passing yards and a higher completion percentage, but he also had more than a few veteran pass catchers while Love is working with rookies and second-year players. It is notable, though, that Love has more total touchdowns and fewer turnovers.
Brett Favre’s First Three Starts for the Green Bay Packers
1992 Press Photo Max McGee watching Packer quarterback Brett Favre throwing.
Unlike Rodgers and Love, Favre started his tenure as the Packers’ starting quarterback due to an injury to his predecessor. Favre came in relief of Don Majkowski in Week Three and led the Packers to an exciting victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Packers would go 1-2 in Favre’s first three starts and finish the year 9-7, which was just their second winning season since 1979. In those games, Favre’s numbers were:
709 passing yards, a 70.5% completion percentage, three touchdowns, one interception, three fumbles, 44 rushing yards, and no rushing touchdowns.
Again, Favre had more passing yards and a higher completion percentage than Love, but Love has more touchdowns and fewer turnovers through three games.
It is still early, but the fact that Love has accounted for eight total touchdowns in his first year as the starting quarterback is nearly unheard off. Admittedly, he and the rest of the offense do not look polished and they are just barely scratching the surface of their potential.
But imagine what it will look like when they do.
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