Jaguars Prepare for NFL's Most Unpredictable QB

The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering a dog fight this Sunday against one of the most wildcard quarterbacks in the NFL. Head coach Doug Pederson is prepared to have his defense ready for the good and the bad they will witness in Week 8.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) against the Houston Texans on Sunday, October 20, 2024 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / William Glasheen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) will battle their toughest quarterback competition in the past four games this Sunday against Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers (5-2). To say the least, Love has been entertaining on both ends of the spectrum this season.

Head coach Doug Pederson is preparing for the Packers quarterback that leads the league in interceptions (8) and also ranks second in the NFL in touchdown passes (15), all while missing two games early in the season.

The good has come with the bad but the results have been positive, winning five of their first seven games. Fearless pass attempts that are frequently launched downfield have ended in disaster while several others have been completed for scores.

Love has been playing with an elevated level of confidence as he has thrown multiple touchdown passes in all five games he's played in. However, he has thrown at least one interception in every game as well.

“I love that attitude quite frankly from your quarterback. We do the same thing with our guy, with Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence]," Pederson said. "We encourage him to test it and to see, especially during the week of preparation and week of practice, see what you can get away with as a throw."

Pederson can relate well with how Love has approached his offensive attack due to the similarity to how the Jaguars starting quarterback controls a game in the pocket.

Lawrence has been the best thrower in the NFL through seven weeks on passes of 20+ yards, earning a 92.6 PFF grade. The difference is Lawrence has thrown six less touchdowns than Love but five less interceptions.

The Jaguars head coach was called back to his days as an NFL quarterback, remembering what it was like to backup one of the most electric and unpredictable quarterbacks in Packer history. He sees a lot of similarities in Love and is aware of what his defense must do against that type of player.

"I think back to my days in Green Bay, I played with a guy that cut it loose quite a bit," Pederson said mentioning the great Brett Favre. "Obviously, Jordan sat behind a guy [QB Aaron Rodgers] that did the same thing for a little while. So, if you're a defensive guy, I think you have to read into it that every throw in the book is open and available. You have to be prepared, you’ve got to be in the right spot, you’ve got to be disciplined and is he going to make a mistake from time to time? He will. That's just the aggressive nature of how he plays and that's OK because for them, they've been able to overcome that. But you’ve just got to stay disciplined as a defense and trust your instinct and be prepared.”

It will not be an easy task for the Jaguars 31st ranked pass defense to shut down Love even with his frequent errors. Guys like Tyson Campbell, Andre Cisco, and Ronald Darby must step up and silence the several skilled pass catchers the Packers possess.

One defender that will have the competitive edge and knowledge against Love will be former Packer safety, Darnell Savage, who spent his first five seasons with the Packers until being signed by the Jaguars this offseason. Expect Savage to have the inside scoop on what Love's tendencies will be.

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