Comparing Jordan Love’s First Four Games to Aaron Rodgers in 2008 After Loss to Saints

Jordan Love endured a long night in the Green Bay Packers' loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. Aaron Rodgers had a painful fourth start, as well.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Jordan Love no doubt woke up on Friday feeling the pain of the five sacks and 11 quarterback hits dispensed by the Detroit Lions on Thursday night.

Aaron Rodgers knows the feeling.

Rodgers’ fourth game as the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback was a 30-21 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008. On a third-quarter scramble, he was hit hard by defensive back Elbert Mack and suffered an injured throwing shoulder that impacted his throwing ability for a few weeks.

In his fourth game as the Packers’ starting quarterback, Love wasn’t knocked out of the game but he did take a few wicked shots from a ferocious Lions defensive front that:

- Took advantage of Green Bay’s beat-up offensive line.

- Teed off on Green Bay’s pass-happy attack.

- Got to step on the gas with a 24-3 after just 17 minutes.

“It’s hard to throw on your back. We’ve got to protect him better,” coach Matt LaFleur said.

The first half was an absolute disaster from all perspectives. Love was 6-of-13 passing for 50 yards. With no touchdowns and one interception, his rating was 24.5.

With four sacks, Green Bay finished the half with 16 net passing yards. Fittingly enough, with a chance at a Hail Mary to end the half, the Lions poured through Green Bay’s line for an 11-yard sack.

“I’ve been a part of some tough games but that was a very hard first half,” Love said. “We just weren’t executing, weren’t moving the ball. We weren’t taking advantage of the opportunities the defense was giving us. It’s something that we’ve just got to look at. That’s two weeks in a row that we started really slow on offense, just haven’t been able to get anything going.

Jordan Love faced a lot of pressure against the Lions :: Photo by Dan Powers/USA Today Sports Images

“So, we’ve got to find out what that is and I think everybody just has to play better at the start of the game, me included. I’ve got to be able to come out and start fast and put points up so we’re not playing from behind and making it harder on the defense.”

Love’s first interception was a killer. Already down 17-3, Love fired a ball over the middle to receiver Christian Watson, who at that point in the game had zero catches in his season debut. The ball was deflected by linebacker Alex Anzalone and intercepted by Jerry Jacobs. That set up an easy touchdown that made it 24-3.

At that point, the Lions had more interception yards (20) than the Packers had total yards (1).

Love’s second interception came with the Packers trailing 34-17 with 4 minutes to go, a miscommunication between first-year starting quarterback and second-year receiver Romeo Doubs.

“He kind of saw me move to the pocket so he went off-schedule right as I was throwing it,” Love said. “It sucks that it ended in a pick but that’s what happens when you’re trying to compete at the end of the game.”

After failing to break 56.0 percent accuracy in his first three starts, Love finished the night at 63.9 percent. His 246 passing yards were just off last week’s 259. After throwing six touchdowns vs. zero interceptions in the first two games, he’s had two touchdowns and three picks the last two weeks.

However, after trailing 17-0 at halftime last week against the Saints, it was 27-3 this week. They’ve gone three consecutive games without scoring in the first quarter.

“We just weren’t executing in the pass game,” Love said. “We’ve got to collectively as a whole find out what it is and start faster.”

At least Love will be nothing more than sore. Following the injury, Rodgers stayed in the game and threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings that pulled the Packers within 20-14.

“For him to muster up and throw that ball the way he did was a tribute to his ability to deal with that situation,” then-coach Mike McCarthy said.

Rodgers was replaced by Matt Flynn for one series and watched Charles Woodson put the Packers on top 21-20 with a pick-six of Brian Griese.

However, after the Buccaneers took the lead on a field goal, Rodgers threw his third interception of the game, which the Bucs turned into the clinching touchdown.

Photo by Wm. Glasheen/USA Today Sports Images

Jordan Love Through Week 4

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.

Total: 74-of-132 passing (56.1 percent), 901 yards, eight touchdowns vs. three interceptions, 88.0 rating.

Aaron Rodgers Through Week 4

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.

Total: 78-of-126 passing (64.6 percent), 961 yards, six touchdowns vs. three interceptions, 91.4 rating.

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