Brett Favre was known for his daring gunslinger style during his Hall of Fame career. Aaron Rodgers exemplified a different style throughout his Hall of Fame run with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers was one of the most accurate passers in NFL history and had an exceptional ability to avoid turnover-worthy plays, leaving Green Bay fans frequently surprised by any interceptions he threw.
In a strange way, Jordan Love is like a Frankenstein’s monster of two different signal callers stitched together and animated with significant electricity.
Jordan Love has showcased moments reminiscent of Favre and Rodgers early in his Packers career. His touchdown pass to Jayden Reed against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers highlighted his ability to place the ball where only his receiver could reach it.
However, his 50-plus-yard completion to Reed against the Los Angeles Rams, his game-losing interception against the Las Vegas Raiders last season, and his third interception against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4 were Favre-esque plays.
F*ck it Reed down there somewhere
— j.reed11
(@JaydenReed5) October 7, 2024
Love threw two interceptions against Houston on Sunday, bringing his total to eight for the season, tying him with Patrick Mahomes for the most in the league. In his post-game press conference, Love addressed how interceptions have affected his game:
It’s the NFL. There won’t always be wide-open guys. There are going to be tight windows, and I have to put the ball in there sometimes. I’m going to keep playing, learning from the mistakes and interceptions, and moving forward, but it’s never going to limit me. I’ve got to keep going out there and be the best player I can be for my team. I will always be aggressive.
After throwing an interception while targeting Dontayvion Wicks in double coverage, Love quickly rebounded by delivering seeds to Tucker Kraft and Wicks. Green Bay fans witnessed firsthand Love’s transition between these invasive thoughts.
There is nothing wrong with Love being aggressive and occasionally taking shots downfield. However, the issue lies in his decision-making.
Love’s lone interception against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil came on a tight-window throw to Tucker Kraft. While Kraft ran a poor route, there was no justification for Love to attempt that pass. The linebacker had solid coverage, and Reed Blankenship was closing in from the back end.
Love showed up to Lambeau Field wearing a Brett Favre jersey as a tribute, delivering a performance reminiscent of Favre’s style against the Vikings. He threw for 389 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. His turnover-worthy play rate was 5.2%, the highest he has in a game this season.
The Vikings had solid coverage on Christian Watson during Love’s first interception, and the window was tight. However, Love could have avoided his third and final interception. With Green Bay down by one score, he attempted a shot to Wicks in a one-on-one situation. While it wasn’t a terrible decision, the execution was lacking. The pass needed to be thrown more toward the sideline, but Love overthrew it to the inside.
Love protected the football best against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6, where his turnover-worthy play rate was a perfect 0.0%. The only interception he threw occurred when Bo Melton slipped on his route.
When he arrived in Green Bay, Love resembled Favre more than Rodgers. However, he has demonstrated an ability to protect the football. Last year, he recorded seven games with a 0% turnover-worthy play rate, including the Wild Card matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. In 2023, his turnover-worthy play rate was 2.5%, but it has risen to 3.9% in 2024.
The Jordan Love experience in 2024 has been wild. His more intrusive Brett Favre-like tendencies have overshadowed the cautious style associated with Aaron Rodgers. I’m not knocking Favre. He led the Packers to a Super Bowl win and won three MVPs. No sane fan questions what he represents to the franchise and the city of Green Bay. Still, Love tends to play like Favre more than Rodgers, and he needs to adjust that over time.