Packers need Jordan Love to return to his old self to compete in the NFC

Dan Campbell had a mysterious look, the perfect poker face to keep us guessing what he was going to do before a quarter and inch play with the game on the line for the Detroit Lions against the Green Bay Packers.

Of course, the Lions coach went for it because that’s what he’s done since arriving in Detroit in 2021. But there was some mystery because the Lions were burned earlier in the game after giving Jordan Love a short field to reverse Thursday night’s NFC North showdown. into a back and forth affair.

Love’s resume must have been running through Campbell’s mind as the television cameras locked onto his intense, red-stained face before the critical fourth-down decision with less than a minute left in regulation. Campbell wanted no part of Love because of what he did last season and in spurts Thursday night. But the fear of love benefited the lions in their 34-31 win over the Packers with Jake Bates connecting on a 35-year field goal as time expired.

The 2023 version of Love got him paid in the offseason with a massive $220 million, four-year contract extension and earned him a reputation as a quarterback you don’t want to hand the ball to on the final drive of a one-score game. . But last year’s Love hasn’t been around much this season, which could explain why the Packers (9–4) are now longshots to win the NFC North and are a combined 0–4 against the Lions (12–1), Philadelphia Eagles (10 –2) and the Minnesota Vikings (10–2) this season.

The Packers can’t just make teams fear Love’s second-half surge starting in 2023. They need him to play like it to have a shot at the NFC postseason, because this year’s version of Love has the Packers a distant fourth when it comes to the NFC’s power rankings.

The Packers had the right idea to make Love’s life easier in various ways. They spent money to sign bruising Josh Jacobs in the offseason after years of using many draft pass catchers. Even the outside-the-box hiring of defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has benefited Love in his second year as a starter.

Love’s job was so subdued that even his many so-so performances this season were enough to make the Packers a very good team and a virtual lock for a postseason berth. But the Packers needed the 2023 version of Love in Thursday night’s matchup against the Lions. Green Bay fell behind 10–0 to a run-first offense, with Love going 3-of-7 for 31 yards in the first half. Making Love’s job easier is enough against lower-level contenders like the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans.

Money-making Love, the guy who earned his huge paycheck last year, came up in spurts in the second half against the Lions, but it was too late. There’s plenty to think about for Packers coach Matt LaFleur after Jared Goff made a game-winning move to give the Lions a win and keep Love on the sidelines.

It’s time for LaFleur to let his star quarterback earn his salary because this conservative approach won’t get the Packers far come playoff time. Maybe this is LaFleur’s way of getting Love to trust the scheme and play with more composure and not just rely on his elite skills. But maybe LaFleur needs to accept the love for who he is, because he’s at his best when he’s pushing the ball down the court to his many weapons. Love should be setting up the running game, not the other way around.

This revamped Packers offense in 2024 hasn’t reduced Love’s turnovers, either — he has 11 interceptions this season, but none Thursday night, even as the offense picked up steam in the final two quarters. Love finished 12-of-20 for 206 yards and a touchdown. Only 20 attempts should be considered unacceptable for a quarterback as talented as Love. Goff went 32-of-41 for 283 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Somehow, the Lions have allowed just 13.8 points per game since Week 8, but they needed a push with 13 defensemen currently on injured reserve. Finally, the Packers tested the Lions’ lack of depth when Love took a punt down the field on second down in the second half — a 59-yard connection to Christian Watson, who made up for a costly fumble in the opening quarter. From there, the Packers scored two touchdowns over six plays to take a 21-17 advantage. (The Green Bay offense received help after Keisean Nixon picked off Goff.)

Love also had an impressive drive to help the Packers tie the game 31-31, throwing dimes of 20-plus yards to Watson and Dontayvion Wicks.

Where is Love, who was red-hot heading into the 2023 postseason, picking apart the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round before pushing the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round? Perhaps LaFleur didn’t like the way 2023 ended with Love throwing an interception against the 49ers, leading to an offseason focused on defense and the running game.

But Campbell went for it on fourth down Thursday night in part because he didn’t want to mess around and find out if the 2023 version of Love would show up in the final seconds of regulation. The Packers need to find ways to get that version of Love back or they may continue to get the same results against the real contenders in the NFC.