The transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love in Green Bay was always going to be a bumpy ride. Five games in, the Packers have experienced extremes of a 6G force roller coaster.
The offense has been starting off extremely slow, with Love transforming into a machine for turnovers in the past three weeks. However, despite the Packers’ challenges leading up to the bye week, head coach Matt LaFleur remains hopeful that his team can bounce back.
“We all knew there were going to be some growing pains along the way, but I haven’t lost faith or belief in the group that we have,” LaFleur said on Tuesday, via the team’s official website. “I just think we can do things better. I think we can coach better, and I think we can execute better.”
After torching the Bears in Week 1, it’s been a rough go for Love. The first-year starter threw for three touchdowns in Week 2 but stumbled down the stretch, allowing the Falcons to come back for the win. In Week 3, early game struggles led to a big deficit that Green Bay was able to overcome after Saints quarterback Derek Carr exited with an injury. In Week 4, Love got demolished by Detroit. And Monday night, the former first-round pick threw three interceptions in a 17-13 loss in Las Vegas.
Love has not performed to the expected standard in his first five games, by any measure. According to Next Gen Stats, he is at the bottom of the list for completion percentage over expected, at -6.9, among quarterbacks with a minimum of 50 pass attempts. His completion percentage of 55.6, often resulting from unsuccessful deep throws, also places him last. Additionally, he ranks 29th in passer rating with 77.3 and 21st in EPA per dropback with -0.10.
LaFleur refuses to blame the early season struggles of Green Bay on the QB, emphasizing that the blame for the 2-3 start is shared amongst everyone including coaches and players.
“We can significantly improve many things and I believe it all begins with the detail,” LaFleur stated on Tuesday.
Getting Aaron Jones back full-force after the Week 6 bye will go a long way in helping turn the season around for Green Bay. The dynamite back hasn’t been healthy since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 1. LaFleur noted he expects Jones to return after the bye week.
All is not lost in Green Bay. The Packers come out of their bye to face Denver and Minnesota, two clubs currently sitting at 1-4. Stacking a couple of wins before the meat of the schedule would go a long way toward building confidence in Green Bay.
“Adversity can yield positive results if you remain strong and persistent, and don’t let it discourage you,” stated LaFleur. “I let our team know that self-pity won’t do us any good and could even cause us to regress. However, if we maintain a determined mindset, ready to take on the challenge and get back to work, then we have the opportunity to make progress.”
“That’s the spirit I want to witness. I yearn to see that battle spirit from our team, and I’m confident that we will.”
