The Green Bay Packers fell to 2-3 on the season with a disappointing Monday night loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. It was a particularly rough night for Jordan Love, as the young QB completed 16-of-30 passes for 182 yards and tossed three costly interceptions.
It's not terribly uncommon for young quarterbacks to experience wild swings in production. Love has been genuinely great for stretches, such as the Packers' fiery 17-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Saints in Week 3. But, he has also been prone to youthful errors and erratic throws.
Such is life with 24-year-olds, especially when it's their first stint as the full-time starter. Still, the Packers fanbase is starting to sound alarm bells as the NFC North slips further out of reach. For those prone to despair, worry not: Aaron Rodgers is here to quell your concerns.
Aaron Rodgers expresses total confidence in struggling Jordan Love
Rodgers' recent appearance on the 'Pat McAfee Show' is making the rounds for reasons completely unrelated to Jordan Love, but the New York Jets gunslinger did sneak in a high compliment for his former protégée.
"He's gonna be just fine," Rodgers said. "Take some deep breaths — he's gonna be around for a while and they're gonna get it fixed."
You would be forgiven for not taking the stuff Rodgers says on the 'Pat McAfee Show' very seriously these days. The QB clearly has a little too much time on his hands as he recovers from a torn Achilles. Still, Rodgers probably knows Love better than anybody, at least on the football field. He spent two years mentoring the Utah State product. He's not an authority on a lot of stuff he talks about, but he is an authority on the Packers' signal-caller.
Love and Green Bay have time to review the tape and get better during their Week 6 buy, with their next game coming on Oct. 22 against the extremely beatable Denver Broncos. There's no reason for panic with Love. The talent is plain to see, but he's a young QB on a young team with a beat-up offensive line. These off nights are part of the growing pains every fan should have been prepared for.
The NFC North probably belongs to Detroit this year, but the Packers are closer to contention than many expected before the season. Love has established fruitful chemistry with young receivers like Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed. The crew around him will only get better from here.
For Love (like most inexperienced QBs), it's better to harp on the highs and not the lows. If there weren't instances of Love executing under pressure and thriving in high-stress environments, that would be a different story. But, we have seen what Love is capable of. With more experience, he should be able to weed out the mistake-heavy games and operate more reliably in the pocket.