Comparing Jordan Love’s First Eight Games to Aaron Rodgers in 2008

For a first-year starting quarterback, there are going to be good games and bad games. In Game 8 of their debut seasons, it was role reversal for Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In beating the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love had his best game of the season with 76.9 percent accuracy.

With 8.77 yards per attempt, Love had his most efficient day since Week 1.

Not close to making a mistake, Love snapped a five-game streak with at least one interception.

Love completed 20-of-26 passes, but two completions highlighted the eighth start of his debut season.

Facing third-and-12 in the fourth quarter, Love fired a deep pass up the right sideline to Christian Watson, who made a spectacular catch for a 37-yard gain. One play later, Love finished off the Rams with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Luke Musgrave.

“Offensively,” Love said, “having the lead, the message was, ‘Just go put ‘em out. Find a way to go out there and finish the game with the ball, put up some more points, help the defense out and just put the game away.’ And on that note, the defense, they balled out today. But the message for the offense was just go out there and finish the game. Put up some more points and finish the game.”

Love wasn’t perfect. He missed Watson on a deep shot in the second quarter that could have given the Packers a 10-0 lead but instead led to a punt. He took a bad sack just before halftime.

Packers QB Jordan Love completed 20-of-26 vs. the Rams :: Photo by Mark Hoffman/USA Today Sports Images

On the big play to Watson, Love said: “The first one, we checked the route and got an inside-release fade down there, and I kind of underthrew it. He had a step on the DB, perfect route, perfect look for it, and it was just an underthrown ball. Something I was frustrated with, and I wanted to make sure I made it up to him for that.”

He did in a key moment, spearheading a good day at the office for the first-year starter.

Was the game unnecessarily close given the Rams were sputtering along with mistake-prone backup quarterback Brett Rypien? No doubt.

But who knows what the final score would have been had the line not been flagged for lining up offside on a pair of fourth-and-1 quarterback sneaks. Who knows what might have happened without Dontayvion Wicks’ self-induced fumble to start the second half and Aaron Jones’ fumble on the next drive.

Those mistakes let the Rams hang around until Love finished the job.

In his eighth game as a starter, Rodgers and the Packers lost 19-16 in overtime to the Tennessee Titans.

While Love made a couple key throws to beat the Rams, Rodgers failed to deliver in the clutch at Tennessee. Rodgers finished with 314 passing yards, but his second-quarter fumble handed the Titans a field goal and his third-quarter interception came with the Packers in field-goal range.

The Packers went a combined 6-of-17 on third and fourth down and misfired on both of their red-zone possessions.

With the game tied at 16 and a chance to win the game, Rodgers and the offense took over at their 18 with 4:24 remaining. A pair of completions to Donald Driver moved the ball to the Titans’ 45, but Rodgers was 1-of-3 for 2 yards to set up a punt.

The Titans missed a field goal at the end of regulation but won the game in overtime.

In 2008, Tennessee improved to 8-0 on its way to a 10-0 start to the season. In 2023, with Matthew Stafford inactive due to a thumb injury, the Rams dropped their third straight and fell to 3-6 as the Packers snapped a four-game skid.

“I think it’s always, we’ve got to keep building, keep growing,” Love said. “Obviously, it’s a great win but definitely just a win this week. You can’t base this performance on what’s going to happen in the future.

“So, it’s something we’ve just got to build on, come back next week ready to go. Have that same mindset for the week, preparing, getting ready, and go out there and execute. There’s a lot of areas to clean up, a lot of things to clean up to be better next week.”

Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur celebrate the clinching touchdown :: Photo by Mark Hoffman/USA Today Sports Images

Jordan Love Through Game 8

Week 1, at Chicago (win): 15-of-27 passing, 245 yards, three touchdowns vs. zero interceptions, 123.2 rating.

Week 2, at Atlanta (loss): 14-of-25 passing, 151 yards, three touchdowns vs. zero interceptions, 113.5 rating.

Week 3, New Orleans (win): 22-of-44 passing, 259 yards, one touchdown vs. one interception, 66.4 rating.

Week 4, Detroit (loss): 23-of-36 passing, 246 yards, one touchdown vs. two interceptions, 69.9 rating.

Week 5, Las Vegas (loss): 16-of-30 passing, 182 yards, zero touchdowns vs. three interceptions, 32.2 rating.

Week 6, bye.

Week 7, Denver (loss): 21-of-31 passing, 180 yards, two touchdowns vs. one interception, 90.8 rating.

Week 8, Minnesota (loss): 24-of-41 passing, 229 yards, one touchdown vs. one interception, 72.1 rating.

Week 9, L.A. Rams (win: 20-of-26 passing, 228 yards, one touchdown vs. zero interceptions, 115.5 rating.

Total: 155-of-260 passing (59.6 percent), 1,720 yards, 12 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions, 81.9 rating.

Aaron Rodgers Through Game 8

Week 1, Minnesota (win): 18-of-22 passing, 178 yards, one touchdown vs. zero interceptions, 115.5 rating.

Week 2, at Detroit (win): 24-of-38 passing, 328 yards, three touchdowns vs. zero interceptions, 117.0 rating.

Week 3, Dallas (loss): 22-of-39 passing, 290 yards, zero touchdowns vs. zero interceptions, 80.1 rating.

Week 4, Tampa Bay (loss): 14-of-27 passing, 165 yards, two touchdowns vs. three interceptions, 55.9 rating.

Week 5, Atlanta (loss): 25-of-37 passing, 313 yards, three touchdowns vs. one interception, 109.4 rating.

Week 6, Seattle (win): 21-of-30 passing, 208 yards, two touchdowns vs. zero interceptions, 111.5 rating.

Week 7, Indianapolis (win): 21-of-28 passing, 186 yards, one touchdown vs. zero interceptions, 104.2 rating.

Week 8: Bye.

Week 9, Tennessee (loss): 22-of-41 passing, 314 yards, one touchdown vs. one interception, 76.7 rating.

Total: 167-of-262 passing (63.7 percent), 1,982 yards, 13 touchdowns vs. five interceptions, 95.3 rating.

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