As the official QB1 for the Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love envisioned his debut evening game on the eve of his first start. Three touchdowns, 245 yards, and a stellar performance later, Love delivered just that.
Before this, in his first tenure leading the Packers, reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers’ era, Love dominated the Chicago Bears with a commanding 38-20 throttling, which wasn’t as close as the final score suggests.
Love said, “Yesterday, I was envisioning a win, and after the win, I was coming off the field.”
This was the Packers’ ninth consecutive win over the Bears and their fifth straight victory at Soldier Field.
According to NFL Research, Love’s final line of 245 yards, three scores, no interceptions, and a 123.2 rating was better than his predecessor, Brett Favre, against the Bears in his debut. Favre lost with 214 yards, 1 touchdown, and a 69.0 rating. Rodgers secured the win with 227 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a 105.8 rating.
With a halftime lead of 10-6, the Packers extended their lead and gained some momentum in the second half. Love connected with Aaron Jones for a 35-yard score and then found Romeo Dubs for another touchdown later in the night. The Packers established a 31-14 lead early in the third quarter. Rookie backup Sean Clifford finished the game for the Packers as Love enjoyed his victorious Sunday.
Love said, “We knew what kind of game we were in.” “Obviously, it’s my first game in this rivalry, so it felt good. They’re a good team. Obviously, the first half was close, and the second half, the way we came out and dominated from there, it feels good.”
Love added, “It feels good to get the win, don’t take it lightly.”
Filling in for the departed Rodgers, Love faced significant pressure to perform, and the 24-year-old secured his first NFL win as the starting QB for the Packers and their first win in an old yet still intense rivalry.
The performance undoubtedly strengthened the trust in head coach Matt LaFleur’s young QB.
LaFleur said, “There’s a lot of belief in that locker room in Jordan Love.” “I think people rally around him. They’re excited for him. They love him, they respect him.”
As Love aims to follow in the footsteps of legendary Packers quarterbacks, he took a big step in the right direction on Sunday.
He said, “Obviously, for us, that was the plan, come here and start the season off right.” “I feel like we’ve done that in all phases.”