Getty Green Bay Packers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell sacks Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke at FedEx Field on October 23, 2022.
Well, perhaps Green Bay Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love doesn’t have everyone’s support.
A theme has developed over the course of the Packers’ six public training camp practices. Between the offense and the defense, whoever loses the competition period — a designated team drill that can either be a two-minute or red-zone drill — is tasked with doing up-downs in the post-practice huddle.
Out of those six practices, the Packers’ Love-led offense has been on the losing end in five.
“It’s very frustrating,” Love said on Tuesday, August 1, after succumbing to another defeat. “We’re all pretty tired of it but kudos to the defense. Obviously, it’s disappointing as an offense, collectively as a whole. It’s definitely an area we need to step up and figure out how to turn that thing around.”
Adam Schein of CBS Sports wasn’t too forgiving in his criticism of Love’s shaky start to training camp. Evidently eager to stick a fork in the Packers’ voyage into foreign waters this season, he went as far to say that he “loathes” the Utah State product.
“I despise Love. Everyone looks great during preseason practices except apparently Jordan Love, who, by his own admission, has struggled,” Schein said on “Time to Schein.”
“This is a flat-out debacle. It’s also predictable because Jordan Love can’t play football. Simple as that. You have Rasul Douglas, he’s talking all sorts of smack to Aaron Jones saying you guys bleeping stink, Jones is livid and then acknowledges the offense is terrible. Defensive players are calling out the offense. Jordan Love can’t do a damn thing. Last night must have been hell for fans of the Green Bay Packers who had to see Aaron Rodgers on the Jets sideline. Oh, by the way, ‘Big Dog’ Marcedes Lewis just signed with the Chicago Bears. This is going to be a predictable disaster with Jordan Love in Green Bay.”
On the Defense
These comments didn’t go over so well with one of Love’s teammates.
De’Vondre Campbell, who has been the Packers’ starting middle linebacker since arriving on the team during mandatory minicamp in 2021, was quick to catapult himself to Love’s defense.
For the past three training camps, Campbell has had the luxury of watching Love’s progression from the defensive side of the ball. He’s also had the luxury of benefitting from some of Love’s woes this summer at the helm of a unit that’s gotten the better of him.
Schein’s comments are in reference to Rasul Douglas’ heated exchange with some members of the Packers’ offense during Thursday’s practice. In Matt Schneidman’s column for The Athletic, he details running back Aaron Jones having to step in to ease the feisty cornerback after the offense failed to emerge victorious from the two-minute drill under Love’s guidance.
The offense’s lone competition-period victory wasn’t with Love under center. Tailback Tyler Goodson broke off a 38-yard touchdown run not long after Douglas’ chirping — a play that was met with boisterous celebration from the offense — and the reserve unit prevented the offense from once again hitting the deck for up-downs.
Packers GM: Defense’s Dominance ‘Usually the Case’
The growing pains for an offense — and a team — currently in a transition period are indeed predictable and, well, inevitable. The three second-year wideouts in Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure — all draft picks from last spring — are the most experienced at their position. Tight end Josiah Deguara, a third-round pick in 2020, is the elder statesman of a group that includes second and third-round picks, Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
With just 83 regular-season pass attempts under his belt, the Packers don’t truly know what they have in Love. Though, they do know that they’re willing to find out. That’s why they traded Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets this past offseason, closing the book on an 18-year tenure in Green Bay.
There aren’t going to be any sweeping overreactions emanating from team brass. Love’s shortcomings aren’t going to be met with impulsive reactions because there’s been flashes of the remarkable arm talent and athleticism that the Packers drafted him for.
“Not much,” said general manager Brian Gutekunst on Friday, August 4, when asked what he’s learned from the fourth-year passer. “He’s done a really nice job. Just like last year, I think the defense kinda had the offense early and that’s usually a little bit of the case. It certainly was last year and it has been this year.
“There have been some strides the past few days here, I think, but the next two weeks, the opportunities this football team is going to have between the joint practices, Family Night and the two preseason games are going to be very big for us.”