Perhaps Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love thought of where his mother and girlfriend sat when he took the field against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The home team had them at nosebleed seats high above Arrowhead Stadium, giving them a better view if they watched on television.
While it was hard for him to locate his inspirations, Love’s game hardly came by against Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs put Jordan Love’s mom in the worst seats in the stadium for his first career start.
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) November 7, 2021
His performance during his NFL debut made Packers fans miss Aaron Rodgers even more.
However, it’s unfair to generalize Love’s ceiling after one game.
He has much room for improvement in picking up the blitz and throwing accuracy.
But if this showing is his usual, the Packers front office made a lapse in judgment in picking him.
Struggling With The Pass Rush
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo made sure that Love would not be comfortable inside the pocket.
He constantly dialed up blitzes of five men or more to take away his time to throw.
While Love Kansas City had just one sack all game, they made Love run all over the field by sending at least five men to tackle Rodgers’ backup.
They confused the second-year pro by executing the blitz from various directions to keep him guessing.
Loss of 11…Chiefs blitz, Tyrann Mathieu sacks Jordan Love. Packers forced to punt.
Still 13-0 in the 3rd 6:52 left.#ChiefsKingdom
— Hayley Lewis 👑 (@HayleyLewisKSHB) November 7, 2021
Kansas City’s defensive plays on third and fourth down were mainly quarterback rushes.
As a result, Love completed six out of 17 passes for 30 yards when the Chiefs ran a blitz.
It looked like the Packers would be shut out until Love completed a touchdown pass to Allen Lazard.
That scoring opportunity occurred when a Chiefs defensive player was about to sack him.
Needs Improvement On Chemistry
The Packers are running the same plays that Rodgers does, but the results are different with Love.
Davante Adams finished the game with only six receptions out of 14 targets for 42 yards.
Randall Cobb led Green Bay with 50 yards on three catches while AJ Dillon had 44.
At the game’s end, Love completed 19 of 34 passes for 190 yards.
Davante Adams watching Jordan Love play QB: pic.twitter.com/5K7Xtwglnb
— Boston Connor (@BostonConnr) November 7, 2021
That completion rate is nowhere near Rodgers’ typical numbers every game.
If ever he gets another start, that low completion percentage won’t help their cause.
Therefore, he must be more precise with his throws to keep their drives going.
Surprisingly, Green Bay finished with more passing yards than Kansas City and gained more yards per play.
But Love must complete passes when it matters to convert those yards into scores.
Love’s Grade Is…
It’s fair to give Jordan Love a “D” on his NFL debut.
The Chiefs did not score much anyway, but that’s another concern.
However, the close score made the defeat less alarming.
Likewise, Love showed some flashes of brilliance that need refining.
Lazard ducks him… and that's Jordan Love's first career TD pass! #GoPackGo
📺: #GBvsKC on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/NQGQomCkh1— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2021
At least in his first start in the pros, he did not look like the quarterback that dominated in Utah State.
He has much left to learn to become the first-round pick that the Packers envisioned as Rodgers’ heir apparent.
But head coach Matt LaFleur commended the leadership that his young quarterback displayed throughout the game.
He helped them stay abreast with the Chiefs until they turned the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter.
That’s an attitude that they can build on if they will keep him beyond 2023.
