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The Green Bay Packers are playoff bound after Jordan Love accomplished something in his first year as the team’s full-time starter that Aaron Rodgers couldn’t in his last — defeat a rising divisional opponent at home in a win-and-in game for the postseason.
Love was practically perfect on Sunday afternoon, January 7, as the Packers bested the Chicago Bears 17-9 to cap a three-game win streak that landed Green Bay (9-8) the last Wildcard spot and the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs. He completed 27-of-32 passes for 316 yards and 2 TDs, earning a rating of 128.6.
What’s more, Love was at his best in the game’s biggest moments. The QB orchestrated a 12-play, 61-yard drive that ran the last 6:08 off the clock in a one-score game, refusing to allow Bears QB Justin Fields a chance to tie the score. Green Bay made four 1st-downs on the drive, including two 3rd-down completions from Love of 15 yards each on 3rd-and-2 and 3rd-and-7 plays, respectively.
After the game, head coach Matt LaFleur emphatically praised the 25-year-old quarterback for his poise and performance under the highly-pressurized circumstances.
“He’s a tough-minded sucker now,” LaFleur said. “He’s about the right s***. … He has earned it.”
Jordan Love Answers Critics with Brilliant First Season as Packers Starting QB
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GettyGreen Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur (left) hugs quarterback Jordan Love (right) after the team defeated the Chicago Bears to earn a spot in the NFC playoffs.
Love spoke to reporters following the win, articulating how he literally made his dreams come true Sunday night.
“You want to play in big-time games and, when the pressure’s on, just be able to go showcase what you’re made of,” Love said. “It’s definitely something that I was waiting for and dreaming of.”
Love added that his belief in the team — and the Packers’ collective belief in themselves — never wavered, even despite a four-game losing streak early in the year that dropped Green Bay to 2-5 and two consecutive losses that put the team in a 6-8 hole after clawing its way back to .500.
“I think everyone knew what we were capable of,” Love said. “We knew what type of team we had.”
Green Bay’s offense exceeded expectations in 2023, as Love played with the youngest unit in the league based on average age. Love himself also exceeded expectations, finishing the season with 4,159 passing yards (7th in the NFL), 32 TDs (2nd in the NFL), 11 INTs and a QBR of 62.0 (9th in the NFL), per ESPN.
Jordan Love’s First Playoff Game Set Against Dallas Cowboys
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GettyQuarterback Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers walks off the field after defeating the Chicago Bears in an NFL game in January 2024.
Love will need to replicate his recent success next weekend if he hopes to extend Green Bay’s run any further.
There are few teams with more playoff history between them than the Packers and the NFC’s No. 2 seed — the Dallas Cowboys. Green Bay and Dallas have met eight times in the playoffs, splitting those contests 4-4. The Packers bested the Cowboys at home in 2014 and on the road in 2016, both times en route to the NFC Championship Game.
Another layer to the rivalry is that Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy served in the same job for the Packers for 13 years between 2006-18. He was also the head coach in Green Bay the last time the franchise won a Super Bowl, which it accomplished following the 2010 regular season.
“Certainly, going to Dallas is not going to be an easy task,” LaFleur said Sunday. “Got a lot of respect for what Coach McCarthy has been able to establish there. They’ve got a lot of great players.”
Dallas (12-5) clinched the NFC East Division with a Week-18 win over the Washington Commanders. A high-powered offense led by quarterback Dak Prescott and a big-play defense led by pass-rusher Micah Parsons have the Cowboys opening as 7.5-point home favorites over the Packers, per Draft Kings Sportsbook.
Green Bay and Dallas will square off at 3:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Sunday, January 14. The NFL will air the contest on FOX.