Jordan Love doesn't have "it" just yet as he continues to work his way back from an MCL injury he suffered in Week 1.
There's a case to be made that Love hasn't had "it" all season. Even before he was injured in the final moment of Week 1's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, he had only completed 16 of 33 passes for 260 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Yes, the Packers are 3-2, Love is back on the field for the second straight week and a win is a win in the NFL no matter how you slice it. But this past game against the Los Angeles Rams was yet another reminder that Love isn't right just yet.
There was a stretch last season where he threw 18 touchdowns compared to just one interception. He proved to be lethal and accurate as he led the Packers to a surprise playoff berth.
So far in 2024, Love has thrown eight touchdowns, but he's also thrown five picks. That includes three interceptions in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings and a bone-headed pick-six against the Rams.
That was certainly a low point for Love's early career, but interestingly enough, a trait he showed all last season reared up again against the Rams.
He made a terrible mistake, but then followed that up by leading the Pack back down the field for three important points before halftime. He also threw two touchdowns in the third quarter to tight end Tucker Kraft, highlighting an incredible bounce back for a young quarterback.
Love was unphased by his mistake, which, according to head coach Matt LaFleur, is one of the things that makes him special.
"Specifically with Jordan, that's one of his superpowers," LaFleur said, per Mike Spofford of the team website. "We've seen it since the day he was drafted. He just doesn't blink when the pressure comes."That's what he's all about."
"You just gotta take it one play at a time. "That's the mindset. Guys on the other team are very good as well. Everybody gets paid," Love explained, discussing how he's able to keep his cool. "The mindset is when a bad play might happen, a negative play might happen, how do you respond and go forward?"
Love has proven to be able to respond well throughout his young career, but now the Packers need him to respond with some consistency.
With the Minnesota Vikings at 5-0 and the Detroit Lions again looking like a contender at 3-1, every single play of every single game is going to count as it relates to an eventual playoff push.
It certainly feels like one team from the NFC North is going to make it to the Super Bowl this season, and the Packers are already behind the eight-ball a bit.
To catch up, both Love and the offense will have to step up and not just flash explosive football, but remain explosive through four quarters.
"I was talking to Jordan about this in the locker room – it seems like we're a little bit feast or famine offensively," LaFleur said. "Either we get the big plays and go score, or there's no big plays and we're punting. We do need to get a little bit more consistency."
