Falcons' Arthur Smith Praises Packers QB Jordan Love

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith is well aware of how much growth Jordan Love has shown by being in the Green Bay Packers system for so long.

The Atlanta Falcons are preparing to play their second new starting quarterback in as many weeks as Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers come to town this weekend.

Atlanta got a win over this past draft's No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers thanks to a strong showing by Jessie Bates and the defense, while for Week 2 they will be hosting Love and the Packers. The former first-round pick out of Utah State was drafted in 2020 as the eventual replacement for Aaron Rodgers, but the passing of the torch didn't happen as soon as many would have thought.

Rodgers was the guy for the Packers for the last three seasons, which saw Love start just one game from 2020-2022. He now has the keys to the franchise after waiting his turn and learning the system, and performed quite well in his first week as the face of the franchise. Something that the Falcons head coach Arthur Smith discussed worked in Love's favor on Wednesday when talking about the new quarterback and how the Packers played to his strengths.

Mike De Sisti / The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

"He obviously understands Jordan [Love]. He’s been with him for a couple of years. He’s calling it completely different, as he should. When you have a veteran quarterback, you may want to do it one way," Smith said. "And sometimes it’s not that hard to play to their strengths. I think that’s what you saw. They’re comfortable together. There’s good communication. They’ve had a lot of stability there throughout the organization, and that pays off.”

In his first start without Rodgers affiliated with the team, Love led the Packers to a huge 38-20 win over their rival Chicago Bears throwing for 245 yards and completing 55 percent of his passes, while throwing three touchdown passes. He also led all NFL quarterbacks in rating with 123.2.

The Falcons face Love and the Packers at 1 p.m. on Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.