Love Will Start for Packers vs. Patriots; Here’s Why

After playing two series against the Bengals last week and after two extensive practices against the New England Patriots this week, Jordan Love will start Saturday’s preseason game.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Aug 18, 2023 4:29 PM EDT

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers have a new starting quarterback, which means there’s a new way of doing business.

Jordan Love will start against the New England Patriots on Saturday night, general manager Brian Gutekunst said on Friday. Love threw 10 passes against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, marking the first preseason action by Green Bay’s starting quarterback since Aaron Rodgers threw four passes in 2018.

The reason for the change in approaches is obvious, and it’s not just the quarterback.

“I think it’s important for our offense to play together,” Gutekunst said. “You guys have heard me talking up here a million times of how he needs to play, and lot of it is just to see things over and over until you just kind of develop the instincts and the callouses to know what you can and can’t do and with our offense, with this particular group.

“So, it’s not just him. It’s our entire offense together. We’ve got a lot of young guys that are seeing some things for the very first time. I think yesterday was a great example of that.”

The second day of joint practices against the Patriots on Thursday showed an offense with a first-year starting quarterback, three second-year receivers, at least one rookie receiver and at least one rookie tight end among the core group of players wasn’t ready for a regular-season Sunday. Love completed 14 passes and had eight broken up or intercepted as easy completions came few and far between.

“You come out of Cincinnati, you saw some things, now you’ve got a different approach,” Gutekunst said. “The Patriots kind of bring a different system, a different approach, and seeing those things for the first time, reacting to them, learning from them, growing from it. So, I think that’s why. And it's not just our young players. I think some of our veteran players, just learning how to play with each other and just being the best we can be.”

Jordan Love (Photo by Sarah Kloepping/USA Today Sports Images)

Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, obviously, would like to see the ball move and points put on the scoreboard. However, he’s looking for the players to build “trust” in one another.

“No matter what play you’re running, it’s, ‘Here’s the play, here’s your job. Go out and do your job,” Stenavich said. “That’s every single guy blocking, quarterback, receivers, running backs. It’s just building that trust together, and that’s why it’s so important to get those guys on the field in those situations.”

The reward for going through those situations, for having Love throwing passes to the likes of Christian Watson and Luke Musgrave, is obvious. So is the risk.

The possibility of a major injury is there with every snap. No Super Bowls have ever been won in the preseason. But they’ve been lost. After reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2014, would the Packers have made a run for the championship had Jordy Nelson not suffered a torn ACL in a preseason game at Pittsburgh?

“It’s not always comfortable for us, especially me because you want to keep everybody healthy and get them to that first game,” Gutekunst said.

“But I think it’s necessary.”