An anxious Green Bay Packers fanbase entered new territory in 2023 — you could be a diehard fan with kids of your own and still not be old enough to remember a year without quarterback stability — but expectations were tentatively high for long-incubating signal caller Jordan Love.
As we reach the midpoint of the season, it’s safe to say that Love has struggled to live up to those expectations. We cannot ignore his inaccuracy on medium-to-deep throws and the costly turnovers that have played a pivotal role in the team’s current four-game losing streak.
Yet it’s equally undeniable that Love’s subpar play is only one element of Green Bay’s offensive woes. From the offensive line to the skill-position players, this unit has been abysmal, painting a larger, more complex picture of the Packers’ failings.
Green Bay’s persistent struggle to establish a reliable running game has undeniably made life harder for Love. He constantly faces third-and-longs and unfavorable situations. Opposing defenses are aware of the Packers’ predicament and prepare for the pass with five to six defensive backs. Love’s predicament is further exacerbated by the presence of young, inconsistent wideouts who frequently drop passes, struggle to gain separation, and run imprecise routes.
Love has eight interceptions on the year, a stat that doesn’t entirely reflect his performance. At least half of these interceptions weren’t fully his fault. Consider his two interceptions in the game against the Detroit Lions: One resulted from a tip drill where the ball hit his receiver’s hands, and another was due to Romeo Doubs’ decision to go off schedule.
In the Las Vegas Raiders game, Love’s second interception occurred on a pass that required Christian Watson to be more aggressive in attacking the ball. Against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Jayden Reed actually had the ball in his hands before a defender ripped it away.
Green Bay’s young receiving corps also struggles with route running. Far too frequently, multiple receivers run nearly identical routes in the same space, inadvertently limiting Love’s options.
The offensive line’s underwhelming performance has been a thorn in the side of the Packers offense this season. The prevalence of unnecessary holding penalties has been particularly frustrating. These infractions not only kill offensive drives but also force Love into yet more unfavorable situations, often needing to make throws 15 to 20 yards downfield. Such circumstances not only add pressure, they also make it more difficult for Love to establish a rhythm in the passing game.
Jon Runyan Jr. and Elgton Jenkins are typically reliable linemen, but they have been playing the worst football of their careers. Additionally, Josh Myers appears to be constantly on the ground at the end of nearly every play. Rasheed Walker has consistently allowed pressure, making it incredibly tough for him to stay poised. Any quarterback would have trouble being productive in a constantly collapsing pocket, but especially an inexperienced one like Love.
It’s worth emphasizing the specific impact of holding penalties on second down, which all too frequently transform manageable third-and-short situations into daunting second-and-long predicaments. That recurring issue has placed the Green Bay offense in unsustainable situations, where the odds of successfully converting for a first down become increasingly slim.
In addition to the holding penalties, a concerning number of ineligible-man-downfield penalties have plagued Green Bay’s offense. They mostly have occurred on screen and short-yardage passing plays. It’s alarming how blatant these violations have been, often giving the impression that some players may not fully understand how the rules work.
The screen and short-yardage throws are designed to build momentum and rhythm for Love and the offense, but these costly penalties have consistently caused drives to sputter and stall. These plays are essential for Love’s development. They are meant to be confidence boosters and rhythm-builders, but the ineligibility violations have derailed that strategy all too often.
Jordan Love has not been playing at his best in the midst of Green Bay’s struggles, but that’s the trouble — we still don’t know what his best might look like. In what was supposed to be an evaluation year, it’s difficult to assess any one aspect of the game when almost everything is going wrong around it. That’s especially problematic for the team’s most essential evaluation, determining whether or not Love is The Guy headed into the future.
