Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love capped off an incredible first season as the starter with what might qualify — given the circumstances — as the best game of his young professional football career on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Love completed 27 of 32 passes for 316 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 17-9 win over the rival Chicago Bears. Two of his five incompletions were dropped passes in the end zone that would have been touchdowns.
Love set season highs in completion percentage (84.4), yards per attempt (9.9) and passer rating (28.6). His 27 completions and 316 passing yards were his second most in 2023.
Most importantly, the win Sunday clinched a playoff spot in the first year of the Love era in Green Bay and will send the Packers to Dallas to play Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round.
Love’s masterclass performance vs. the Bears was the perfect finisher to his first season as the starter.
“I don’t think there are many questions left.” coach Matt LaFleur said post-game. “Great things are in store for him.”
Love ended the regular season completing 372 of 579 passes for 4,159 passing yards, 32 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. He completed 64.4 percent of his passes, averaged 7.2 yards per attempt and finished with a passer rating of 96.2. He also added four rushing touchdowns, giving him 36 total. Love had 10 games with multiple touchdown passes, zero interceptions and a passer rating of 100.0 or more.
And the Packers are headed to the postseason despite a 2-5 start.
Down the stretch, Love produced a passer rating of 100.0 or better in five straight games and seven of the last eight. Over his last eight games, he threw just one interception and the Packers went 6-2.
On Sunday, Love threw a pair of touchdown passes to Dontayvion Wicks and delivered one of the late daggers on a third-down completion to Tucker Kraft. Romeo Doubs and Bo Melton had potential touchdown passes dropped or ruled incomplete.
Love joined Brett Favre, Lynn Dickey and Aaron Rodgers as the only four quarterbacks in team history to throw at least 30 touchdown passes and create at least 4,000 passing yards in a single season.
