SPORTS LINE
The Green Bay Packers have lost once again.
The Packers (2-5) lost their fourth straight game and continued their tradition for slow starts. The Packers have been outscored 73-9 in the first half of their past five games and haven’t scored a touchdown before halftime in any of them. Minnesota dominated the first two quarters but only led 10-3 at the break largely because of missed opportunities. But the Vikings wasted no time breaking the game open early in the third quarter. Jordan Love threw deep to Jayden Reed, but Josh Metellus made a spectacular catch with his back to the quarterback and then delivered a 43-yard interception return to give the Vikings the ball at the Green Bay 20. Green Bay finally reached the end zone on Love’s 1-yard pass to Romeo Doubs on fourth-and-goal late in the third quarter to cut the lead to 24-10, but the Packers couldn’t get any closer. Love was 24 of 41 for 229 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
Green Bay didn’t get a first down until its fifth series when Love threw an 11-yard completion to Christian Watson with just over four minutes left in the first half. The play drew a heart and sarcastic round of applause from a Lambeau Field crowd frustrated by Green Bay’s first-half failures. This is not the Packers and Lambeau Field performance the fans are used to. Jordan Love has had a rough go of it in his first full season as a starting quarterback. Aaron Rodgers led the team for 18 seasons. The Packers selected Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft as they geared up for the future. When the marriage between Green Bay and Rodgers ended, the reins were given to Love. So far, Love’s Packers are 2-4, his 57.5 completion percentage is the lowest in the league, his seven interceptions are tied for the third-most, his 79.8 passer rating is the fifth worst, and he’s yet to throw for 260 yards in a game.
But one Packers legend says it’s way too early to throw in the towel on the 24-year-old. In fact, Donald Driver says Love is “the future of the Packers, and it’s just “going to take time. Jordan Love is starting over – that’s fresh. All those guys are young…there’s no veteran guy in that locker room to lead that charge, and Jordan is young, as well. This is a young team but a team that can grow. I think Jordan Love is the future. It’s going to take some time for him to get his feet behind him, and I think at the end of the day he’s going to be a great quarterback”.
