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

Through three games, Jordan Love is 2023 is 2-1, just like Aaron Rodgers was in 2008. On Sunday, Love achieved a feat accomplished in franchise history only by Rodgers.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – It took Aaron Rodgers a decade to do what Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love did in his first start at Lambeau Field.

For just the second time in franchise history, the Packers rallied from a deficit of 17-plus points in the fourth quarter. The first came when Rodgers, knocked out of the game with an injured knee, returned for the second half and beat the Chicago Bears in the 2018 opener. That moment is among those immortalized in the tunnel leading to the field.

The second came on Sunday, when Love escaped a 17-0 deficit and led the Packers to a stunning 18-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Love entered Sunday with a league-leading 118.9 passer rating. At halftime, it was 57.8. At one point in the second half, the Saints had broken up as many passes as Love completed.

And then … the Packers pulled off one of the most imaginable comebacks.

“I think it’s just confidence for our whole team, the way we were able to stick together. Nobody flinched,” said Love, who was given a game ball by coach Matt LaFleur. “To be able to put up a comeback win like that, down 17, I think that’s just a huge confidence booster for our whole team. More importantly to bounce back off the loss we had last week, I think that’s a huge confidence booster. It brought us all together a little bit closer today.”

The game hardly could have started worse.

On the opening possession, Love overthrew a wide-open Dontayvion Wicks on a fourth-and-2 trick play. It was hardly Love’s fault, of course. Love handed the ball to Emanuel Wilson, who threw the ball back to Love. Wilson’s pass landed short of the mark. Love managed to scoop up the ball but threw it well over Wicks’ head.

On the second drive, Love overthrew tight end Luke Musgrave, who was streaking between the safeties for what could have been a 62-yard touchdown.

Late in the first half, Love threw a deep ball into triple coverage, then took a third-down sack that knocked the Packers out of field-goal range.

Packers QB Jordan Love after beating the Saints :: Photo by Jeff Hanisch/USA Today Sports Images

On the opening possession of the second half, Love threw his first interception of the season – as good as a punt, in reality.

It took Green Bay 49 minutes to score, with Love throwing a couple strikes to Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs before back-to-back passes were broken up in the end zone. At that point, Love had 17 completions but 11 broken up. But at least they scored, and Green Bay was off and running from there.

Or flying. Love threw one downfield ball after another. He was 15-of-28 in the second half – not great – but there were so many chunk plays to fuel the comeback.

This was Love’s first start at home after getting the call at Kansas City in 2021 and splitting games at Chicago and Atlanta to open this season. Moreover, he was one of three weekly captains and was the last man out for pregame introductions. The roar was deafening – on par with anything during the Rodgers era.

“Yeah, it’s special, man,” Love said. “That’s a moment I’ve been waiting for for a while, and to be able to do that, it was special. I couldn’t even really hear the crowd when I was coming out. It was like a surreal moment, kind of a blackout.”

After opening with back-to-back wins, Rodgers and Co. lost to the Dallas Cowboys 27-16 in Week 3 at Lambeau Field.

Rodgers threw for 290 yards and ran for one touchdown, but the future MVP quarterback was of no help against Dallas’ powerful running game. Marion Barber ran 28 times for 142 yards and one touchdown and Felix Jones had a 60-yard touchdown run as the Cowboys piled up 217 rushing yards.

The Packers trailed 13-9 midway through the third quarter, with Mason Crosby turning three red-zone failures into three field goals. However, the Cowboys pulled away on Barber’s 2-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter and Tony Romo’s 52-yard touchdown pass to Miles Austin early in the fourth quarter.

Jordan Love Through Week 3

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.

Total: 51-of-96 passing, 655 yards, seven touchdowns vs. one interception, 94.7 rating.

Aaron Rodgers Through Week 3

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.

Total: 64-of-99 passing (64.6 percent), 796 yards, four touchdowns vs. zero interceptions, 102.9 rating.

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