Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love is among the most polarizing quarterbacks in the NFL this season.
In The Athletic’s annual quarterback tiers rankings, voted on by 50 NFL coaches and executives, Love landed at No. 13 overall and on the tail-end of the No. 2 tier of quarterbacks.
Love has climbed the rankings over the last three years but stagnated last season, partially due to playing through knee and groin injuries.
However, some NFL coaches argued that Love is not a threat himself, but a cog in the Packers system.
“When we faced him last year, I felt ike if you could get to him, you could rattle him,” a defensive coach told The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “He distributes the ball, and they have big skill (players who are) tough to bring down. That is how he makes his hay. I do not watch him and think, ‘Oh, he is f****** people up.’”
That’s not the kind of milquetoast assessment you want from a quarterback on a top-five contract.
Of the 50 total voters, Love garnered 28 second-tier votes and 22 third-tier votes. He did not receive a single first-tier vote.
Packers Prepared for Jordan Love to Be Himself
Sure, one coach found that Love has benefited from an offense that has willing blockers at every level, turning routine throws into potential big gains.
But that doesn’t mean he’s merely a checkdown merchant, as many voters coveted him as a gunslinger that the Packers have embraced.
“When we played them, I was like, ‘Man, this ball is going downfield — he don’t give a s***,’” another coach said. “You don’t see a lot of quarterbacks play like that these days. It’s almost like they build it into their offense and see the benefits of making you defend the whole field and hitting a couple in exchange for a pick or two. It was interesting playing him. I came away thinking there is something different about this kid.”
That’s an interesting comment from the defensive coach that surely could be part of the Packers’ offensive philosophy. By having a gunslinger like Love, the defense must respect his penchant for deep throws, opening up the field for the running game, which ranked fifth last season.
Sando found that Love led the NFL with 35 completed passes of 30 or more yards downfield. However, His 7-of-11 interceptions came on throws 10 yards or further downfield.
“He is like what you wish Geno Smith was,” an offensive coach told Sando. “He is a little bit of a gunslinger, and at times it gets him in trouble, but he is more consistently good than bad, where Geno is more toward the middle or back of that. Jordan has the physical talent to get away with it better.”
Packers Bucked Traditional WR Traits With Matthew Golden
The Packers traditionally have opted to find receivers who are 200-plus pounds, but bucked that trend by selecting Matthew Golden, their first first-round receiver selection in two decades.
At 5-foot-11, 191 pounds, Golden isn’t slight for the position, but he will be met with some physical challenges his rookie year.
How much the Packers stray from their offensive philosophy with smaller receivers like Golden and Jayden Reed on the field will be intriguing to watch as a potential evolution of the offense under Love.
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