Jordan Love still has work to do. Jordan Love isn’t afraid to let loose and take shots deep down the field. Consider his stunning 53-yard hookup with Jayden Reed in the Green Bay Packers’ Week 5 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Love threw a perfect pass, and Reed made a highlight-reel catch. However, in retrospect, it’s likely a ball Love should never have tried. He was practically begging the Rams to make an interception by throwing it halfway down the field into triple coverage. Love backed himself to make the throw, which he did, and have his receiver catch it.
Everything works out in the end, right?
In this scenario, undoubtedly. The Packers will take it. However, head coach Matt LaFleur cautioned Love against taking such risks in the future.
Matt LaFleur provides an honest answer about Jordan Love’s stunning pass to Jayden Reed.
It’s difficult to be critical of a decision that works so well. Love believed in himself and Reed enough to make the play, and they succeeded. However, sometimes the process is more important than the outcome. As LaFleur stated on Monday, making hazardous decisions on a regular basis will not always result in success.
“The one to J-Reed, I don’t recommend that,” LaFleur stated. “But he threw a hell of a ball, and Jayden made an incredible catch. It’s one of those things where you go, “No, no, no, yes.” But, in the long run, I believe you must exercise caution.”
Well said. We’ll happily watch that play over and over. It’s beautiful. However, considering the big picture, Love should certainly take fewer unwarranted risks.
“All quarterbacks will go through this. “We just have to keep encouraging people to take what’s available,” LaFleur added. “He’s always tried to get the ball down the field, which I respect. One thing we often talk about is when you have
to gain the ability to throw the ball down the field.” There’s no denying that Love’s game is reminiscent of Brett Favre, and it’s a constant risk-reward fight. You can’t make big plays if you never try them, but there’s a delicate line between being daring and irresponsible.
Love demonstrated that the Aaron Rodgers formula can also be effective when he threw 18 touchdowns and one interception in the Packers’ 6-2 regular season finale in 2023. He rarely took excessive risks, instead accepting what the defense provided him and strategically picking his places to play hero ball.
Since returning from an MCL sprain, Love has taken a step too close to the reckless category, resulting in six touchdowns and four interceptions.
Two games. Including the season opener in Brazil, Love has thrown eight touchdown passes and five interceptions. LaFleur does not want to limit Love’s playmaking skills to the point that he is unable to create wow moments, but he does need to cut his turnovers.
His performance for Reed was amazing. Blockbuster. Possibly the best throw of his career. However, it may easily have resulted in a changeover. The end result was excellent, but what about the process? Not very much.
Finding the appropriate balance is Love and LaFleur’s next hurdle.
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