The Green Bay Packers have some positives to take away from their 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and the most important is the performance of Jordan Love. However, Dan Orlovsky of ESPN joined the Pat McAfee Show and warned Packers fans that Love might not be able to continue to play this well.
If the team continues to lean on him, Orlovsky believes the Packers’ $220M quarterback is going to get hurt before the end of the season.
“Jordan Love will not make the season if the offensive line is going to play that way; he will not make the year,” Orlovsky warned. “That offensive line is not going to keep him upright and on the field unless they get a lot better real quickly.”
Orlovsky added that the only reason the Packers were even competitive in the game was because of Love. The Packers had a 22-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter. This was due to Love.
“The only way that they looked good, or the reason they looked good, was that Jordan Love was out of his mind,” emphasized Orlovsky. “He made six outrageous throws against all-odds type of situations.”
Love only completed 50% of his passes overall. Still, he averaged 9.2 yards per attempt because when he was completing passes, they were going for big gains. Love had an average depth of target over 11 yards.
Still, he was helped out by his team at times. He was aided by 158 yards after the catch, including 72 from Christian Watson, who did most of the work on a catch-and-run.
Still, the emphasis is on Love and his ability to stay upright.
Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love Will Get Hurt at This Rate
When Love was kept clean, he was 13-for-21 for 221 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He completed 62% of his passes and averaged 10.5 yards per attempt.
However, when he was under pressure, he was 8-for-21 for 166 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. That is a 38% completion rate and 7.9 yards per attempt. He was a completely different quarterback.
Even more surprising is that when Love was not blitzed, he was 0-for-5 as a passer, and he took a sack. Still, when the Vikings did not blitz, they got pressure on three of the Packers’ six dropbacks.
Love was a completely different quarterback against pressure compared to when he had a clean pocket.
Packers Offensive Line Under Pressure
The Packers offensive line was a major issue in Week 1. A lot of teams can struggle with a Brian Flores defense, and he mixes up blitzes better than anyone. Jordan Love noted that expecting pressure comes with playing the Vikings.
“You’re playing this defense, you know there’s going to be pressure,” said Love. “Continue to handle the pressure, find answers, but that’s how it is when you play this defense.”
However, the line still struggled. Jordan Morgan allowed five pressures and a sack. Plus, the Packers’ two guards were the lowest-graded offensive players on the team. Even Sean Rhyan and Zach Bako-Bewele allowed pressures in the loss.
ESPN Analyst Issues Concerning Warning About Packers’ $220M QB