Packer Central

This Time, Jordan Love Gets His Turkey Leg

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love had a sensational game in the cold in a blowout victory over the Dolphins on Thanksgiving night.

Bill Huber

Jordan Love had a big night as the Packers blew out the Dolphins on Thursday night.
Jordan Love had a big night as the Packers blew out the Dolphins on Thursday night. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Last year, the Green Bay Packers tasted Thanksgiving victory by upsetting the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes that day but didn’t get to taste the ceremonial turkey leg.

That was devoured in the Fox broadcast booth.

The NBC crew made sure Love got a turkey leg after the Packers routed the Miami Dolphins 30-17 on Thursday night. After taking a couple bites, he held it high in the air for the Lambeau Field crowd to see.

“It was special,” Love said afterward. “I think, obviously, the joke is not getting a turkey leg last year, so be able to come in here, get the win, get the turkey leg after it was very delicious and just a little something to celebrate.”

While Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who entered the game as one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL, threw for 365 yards, it was Love who was by far the best quarterback on the field.

Love was 21-of-28 passing for 274 yards with a pair of touchdown passes to Jayden Reed as the Packers raced to a 21-3 lead.

With a kickoff temperature of 27 and a wind chill of 16, Love looked at home in the Green Bay cold.

“It’s one of those things that we practice in this every day, so I think we’re ready for it,” Love said. “I can’t speak for them and whether it was challenging for them or not. But, you know, it’s cold. We practice this every day, so I feel that we are accustomed to it.”

After throwing an interception in each of his first eight games, Love hasn’t thrown any the last two weeks. He was especially sharp against the Dolphins. Miami had one chance at an interception, but that was because Dontayvion Wicks deflected the ball into the air.

“I think the biggest thing starts with just taking care of the ball,” Love said. “That something that I’ve been focusing on and trying to do a better job just taking care of the ball, because it starts there (with) not putting our defense in bad positions and making it easy on the other team.

“So, that’s where it starts. And then just going out there and finding completions, getting the ball in the playmakers’ hands is something that we always talk about. My job is continue to be great taking care of the ball.”

To coach Matt LaFleur, Love’s mistake-free play has been more physical than mental.

“I would tell you the thing that we stressed the most is just playing with good fundamentals and reading with your feet,” LaFleur said. “He’s done it in practice. He’s been very conscious of doing that. Tom (Clements) does a great job with our quarterbacks and giving them the coaching points that they need, but it’s ultimately up to the player to take it, and I think he’s taken it to heart.”

Love’s improved play comes at the perfect time with Green Bay going to Detroit to face the powerhouse Lions next Thursday. The Lions are 11-1 after holding off the Bears for their 10th consecutive win earlier in the day.

The Packers have won seven of their eight games. The lone exception was the loss to Detroit in the rain and cold of Lambeau Field on Nov. 3. Love’s foolish pick-six at the end of the first half practically sealed Green Bay’s fate that night.

After the bye that followed that game, Green Bay has won three in a row. During that span, Love has thrown five touchdown passes with one interception, with three consecutive games with passer ratings of at least 107.

“He works extremely hard,” LaFleur said, “and I think he’s playing his best ball right now. I really do. I think he’s done a great job of taking what’s there, taking the checkdowns when they’re there or taking the shots when they’re there. He’s moving around in the pocket really well. I think our O-line is doing a pretty good job, but when it’s not perfect up front, he’s able to buy time or get out of harm’s way and get rid of the football, and that’s critical for us.”

Tight end Tucker Kraft led the team with six receptions for 78 yards and running back Josh Jacobs had a highlight-reel 49-yard catch to highlight his four receptions for 74 yards.

While Love and Jacobs got to munch on some NBC turkey, Kraft wasn’t invited. Still, he was thrilled that his quarterback got to enjoy his belated dinner.

“That was the one thing that was the most important to me was making sure Jordan got his leg,’ Kraft said.

Reed was among several players who enjoyed some turkey before heading to the locker room.

“Our main focus was the win,” Reed said, “but the turkey is just a bonus.”

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.