Are the Packers ready to move on from Aaron Rodgers? Jordan Love's debut casts doubt
Aaron Rodgers missed the game against the Kansas City Chiefs this week and Jordan Love took his place. Amidst all the kerfuffle of Aaron Rodgers being unvaccinated, which caused many to look at him in a different light, there was something that was constant and we came to know all over again. Aaron Rodgers is just very good. Jordan Love might get there but he is still not at that level.
Jordan Love leaves Packers fans pining for Aaron Rodgers
When the Green Bay Packers drafted Jordan Love, they sent a signal to Aaron Rodgers that they did not believe the incumbent had it in him to carry on at an elite level for a couple of years. Aaron Rodgers responded by putting together an MVP season and playing hardball over staying with the Green Bay Packers. Last season made the Packers front office look foolish for choosing a quarterback when they could have used the draft to build around Aaron Rodgers and conceivably win the Super Bowl.
Jordan Love did not dispel any doubts that people may have had about that strategy in his first start in the NFL during the regular season. The Kansas City Chiefs used his callowness to their advantage by repeatedly blitzing him, which caused him to lose his rhythm. They would never have dared to do so against Aaron Rodgers, who is one of the best beaters of the blitz.
Jordan Love is not the only reason the Packers lost that game, but Aaron Rodgers would have won it.
A look at the comparative statistics lays the difference between the two quarterbacks bare. Aaron Rodgers in the 2021 season so far has thrown 258 times for 173 completions. That is a 67.05% completion rate. He has a total of 1894 yards, averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. Those numbers include the first game against the New Orleans Saints, when Aaron Rodgers threw for two interceptions and no touchdowns, so it gives an idea of just how good he has been in the other games.
Contrast that to Jordan Love's first outing against the Chiefs. He threw 34 times for just 19 completions, a completion rate of 55.88%. He threw for just 190 yards in the game at an average of 5.6 yards per attempt. He had one touchdown and one interception.
Aaron Rodgers 1st game of 2021: 15/28, 133 yards, 0 TD's, 2 INT's, 36.8 rating
Jordan Love's 1st game of 2021: 19/34, 190 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 69.5 rating
It's almost like 1 game doesn't need to define a player
While the picture does not look too bright right now for Jordan Love and the Packers in the future, the team will be hoping this is an aberration. Much like Aaron Rodgers was poor in his first game back after sitting out the preseason, maybe Jordan Love needed to get a game under his belt to get going. We may yet find out if that is true against the Seattle Seahawks.