GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love’s ability to produce big plays while avoiding turnovers earned him a $220 million contract extension after leading the Green Bay Packers on a surprising playoff push in his first season as a starter.
One year later, Love remains as explosive as ever, but he is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions.
Green Bay will struggle to make a deeper postseason run this year unless Love stops throwing the ball to the other team.
“Definitely something I’m going to make a big focus on going forward, just finding ways to take care of the ball better,” Love said after throwing his second pick-6 of the season Sunday in a 24-14 loss to the Detroit Lions.
The Packers (6-3) are 1 1/2 games behind Detroit (8-1) and a half-game behind Minnesota (6-2) in the NFC North standings as they go through their bye week. Love threw a combined four interceptions in home losses to the Lions and Vikings.
Love led Green Bay’s late-season charge last year by throwing 21 touchdown passes with only one interception in a nine-game stretch that included a 48-32 wild-card upset of Dallas. Love was picked off twice in the second half of a 24-21 playoff loss at San Francisco.
The Packers showed their faith in Love by giving him a four-year contract extension this summer.
Love’s still producing big plays this year, but he’s displaying more of a high-risk, high-reward approach.
He finished the 2023 regular season with 32 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions out of 579 passes. So far this year, he has 15 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in only 240 attempts.
“It just comes down to staying true to my reads and when plays do go off schedule, just that fine line of being smart with the ball and not putting it in harm’s way and balance trying to make a play versus just throwing it away and live to fight another day,” Love said. “I think it just comes down to staying true to my reads, like I said, making great decisions and just doing a better job being stingy with the ball.”
Love is tied with Seattle’s Geno Smith for the NFL lead in interceptions despite missing two full games with a knee injury and nearly half of a third game with a groin strain.
He has thrown all those interceptions while getting sacked just seven times, so a lack of protection doesn’t seem to be the issue. For comparison’s sake, Smith has been sacked 28 times.
The Packers still believe in Love. He has shown his big-play ability by averaging 12.4 yards per completion to rank fourth in the league. He’s throwing for 260 yards per game to rank fifth.
“He’s really unflappable,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “He’s kind of the same guy every day. His focus is really, really good. Our offense has been very, very explosive at times because of him – and others, as well, but very much because of him. I think we as a football team, we’re very much working into a complete team and a team that can win situational football, and we’re not there yet. But I think he’s played very well.”
Packers coach Matt LaFleur appreciates Love’s aggressiveness, but acknowledged the 26-year-old must factor in the game situation to know when to push the envelope and when to remain cautious.
LaFleur cited the pick-6 in the Lions game as an example.
The Packers trailed 10-3 and had second-and-2 from their own 38-yard line when Love lined up in shotgun formation, encountered pressure and tried to flip a short pass to running back Josh Jacobs. Kerby Joseph picked it off and returned it 27 yards with 32 seconds left in the half.
“I think he would agree with you that in that situation, he’s just got to throw the ball away and live to play the next down,” LaFleur said. “I do think that’s one of his strengths is his ability to make off-schedule (plays) and not wanting to give up on a play, and I admire that. But I think it’s just, you’ve got to factor in the situations.”
Love has shown he can get better over the course of a season.
Last year, he threw seven interceptions and only four touchdown passes during a four-game losing streak that dropped their record to 2-5. Then he played as well as any quarterback in the league down the stretch.
Love will try to make another late surge by remembering his principles.
“Obviously, the big plays will happen if I don’t force things," Love said, "but just getting back to staying true with my reads and being real disciplined and making great decisions with the ball.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
