Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love had his first two drives of the second half ended abruptly by lost fumbles from Dontayvion Wicks and Aaron Jones, but the first-year starter responded with a terrific overall performance over the final 30 minutes on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
Love’s numbers during the second half: 12 completions on 13 attempts for 160 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions and a passer rating of 143.6. He took three sacks but Love also completed three passes gaining 20 or more yards and converted four times on third or fourth down while leading the Packers to 13 points and a comfortable 20-3 win.
Love hit Luke Musgrave for 25 yards, Christian Watson for 37 yards and Musgrave again for the 20-yard dagger touchdown. He converted 3rd-and-12 with a 13-yard completion to Aaron Jones, 3rd-and-6 with a 10-yard completion to Romeo Doubs, 3rd-and-12 with a 37-yard completion to Watson and 4th-and-1 with a 2-yard quarterback sneak.
Love’s only incompletion was a throwaway intended for Jones when he was about to be sacked on 3rd-and-16 early in the fourth quarter.
Love averaged 12.3 yards per attempt in the second half.
The Packers kicked two field goals and scored a touchdown in the second half. It’s worth noting that Wicks fumbled at the Rams’ 42-yard line, and Jones lost his fumble at the end of a 9-yard run as the Packers were approaching midfield.
Overall, Love completed 20 of 26 passes for a season-best completion percentage of 79.6. He connected with eight different receivers.
The Packers will hate the missed scoring opportunities, especially when considering the first half. In addition to the back-to-back lost fumbles to open the second half, Love missed Watson for what should have been a touchdown on a drive in which the Packers punted and the offensive line was penalized twice for offsides on successful quarterback sneaks, leading to punts from near midfield. The Packers were also 1-for-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone.
However, Love shined in the second half as a passer, giving the Packers something real to build on as a tough stretch of games approaches. Can Love and the young offense carry over the confidence and energy from the second half this Sunday against T.J. Watt and the Steelers defense in Pittsburgh?