Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a tough time being away from his teammates for week 9 of the NFL season. Rodgers, stuck at home battling COVID-19, watched his team lose 13-7 to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Packers dropped their second game of the season after winning seven in a row. Rodgers saw his potential heir, Jordan Love, make his first career start, throwing for 190 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
“I’m really proud of him, the way he went about his business,” Rodgers said Tuesday during his regular appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Rodgers could sense some nerves from his backup, who was playing in one of the toughest environments the NFL has to offer. The second-year quarterback clearly had a lot on his plate, filling in on short notice and going up against an aggressive Kansas City pass rush. The Chiefs blitzed Love on over half of his dropbacks. It was a successful strategy as they logged a total of 28 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
“I thought he hung in there and played tough and made some good throws,” said Rodgers.
Rodgers pointed out Love’s athleticism, which was on display when he frequently needed to escape the pocket. With no quarterback-designed runs called, Love finished with five rushing attempts totaling 23 yards.
“The only thing I told him during the week was just to trust his feet because he is a very athletic guy. I thought he did a nice job avoiding sacks, getting out of the pocket, making positive plays out of potential sacks.”
Love and the offense didn’t establish much of a rhythm until the fourth quarter. The Packers drove the ball to the Chiefs’ 24-yard line before Love threw an interception on a pass intended for Davante Adams. Love bounced back on the ensuing drive, converting two third downs and completing a 20-yard touchdown to Allen Lazard on 4th and 5.
Green Bay brought the game back to within one score but never got the ball back following the touchdown. Obviously, Love wasn’t pleased with the end results, but in the end, it gave him a valuable experience to learn from.
“I think there’s a lot of really good things to build on, and I think that should give him confidence moving forward,” Rodgers said.
[lawrence-related id=70247,70230]