Jordan Love has thrown six interceptions during the Green Bay Packers’ current three-game losing streak, including defeat-sealing interceptions in back-to-back games, but Matt LaFleur’s confidence in his first-year starting quarterback hasn’t changed.
In fact, LaFleur’s concern is less about the quarterback and more about what’s happening around Love.
“He’s done enough for me to show me, it’s all right there. And it’s not just him. It’s getting the other 10, everybody on the same page. We can’t have break downs up front, and we have to make sure we don’t have busts, whether it’s receivers, tight ends, backs…it all works in unison. So the better everyone is around him, the better he’s going to look. Our confidence in him is not wavering one bit.”
The Packers scored only 17 points and lost 19-17 to the Broncos on Sunday in Denver. After leading the Packers to the go-ahead score, Love was provided one final opportunity to win the game after the Broncos re-took the lead in the fourth quarter, but he threw an interception on 3rd-and-20 inside Denver territory.
LaFleur described the ups and downs and on-the-fly learning as “part of our journey together.”
Love made timing mistakes on back-to-back plays to end Sunday’s loss to the Broncos. On 2nd-and-20, LaFleur said Love didn’t get to Christian Watson in time and threw behind him. On the interception on 3rd-and-20, LaFleur said the timing was off and Love threw too late in the play, giving the single-high safety too much time to make the play on the ball.
“He’s learning every time he goes out there,” LaFleur said. “It’s part of the growth process.”
LaFleur said he’d like to “over-communicate” with Love during critical situations.
On 3rd-and-20, Love had a chance to check the ball down and live for fourth down, but he attacked downfield and threw the pick.
Chaos has been the only consistency for the Packers offense in 2023.
Individual breakdowns along the offensive line — both in the run game and pass protection — have become more and more common, and the youth in the passing game — particularly at receiver and tight end — continues to create busted plays. As a playcaller, LaFleur has admitted failures nearly each and every week as he attempts to figure out what his team can do offensively.
LaFleur’s continued confidence in Love reflects the problems around the quarterback. Can the Packers get an accurate evaluation of Love — the most important part of the 2023 season for the franchise — until everything around him settles?