It’s amazing what two healthy legs can do for a quarterback who thrives at extending plays and creating under pressure.
Since getting over knee and groin injuries during the bye week, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has been a much different quarterback in the face of pressure over the last five games.
Consider these numbers.
Since Week 11, Love ranks third among quarterbacks in completion percentage (63.0), second in yards per attempt (9.6), fourth in pressure to sack percentage (7.7) and second in passer rating (116.3) when under pressure. And Love has been under pressure on 41.3 percent of dropbacks over the last five games, which ranks as the sixth highest.
Despite all that pressure, Love has thrown zero interceptions under pressure since the bye. He’s been safe with the football and deadly efficient despite facing the most difficult spot for a quarterback — pressure — on almost 40 percent of dropbacks.
There’s no doubt that knee and groin injuries hindered Love during the first nine games. Over the first nine games, Love played in six games. He ranked 31st in completion percentage (40.7), fourth in yards per attempt (8.1), first in pressure to sack percentage (10.0) and 26th in passer rating (57.3). He threw four interceptions while only being pressured only 31.0 percent of dropbacks.
Beating pressure separates the good from the great at quarterback. Playing from clean pockets is hugely important — and Love ranks first in yards per attempt without facing pressure since the bye — but the best quarterbacks can avoid negative plays and even create positive plays when the blocking up front breaks down.
There will be terrific defensive fronts awaiting Love in the NFC playoffs. Surviving that gauntlet will almost certainly require the quarterback to play well in a couple of big pressure spots. With knee and groin injuries in the past, Love has proven himself capable again of performing like one of the NFL’s best against pressure.