If you didn’t know better. you would have sworn it was a classic Aaron Rodgers mind trick. On fourth-and-2 from the Packers’ 34 at the two-minute warning Monday night, Raiders coach Josh McDaniels brought out the kick team.
Had McDaniels gone for it and converted, the Raiders, who were up four, could have run the clock out. (Just ask Matt Eberflus.) Had Daniel Carlson made the field goal — and he’s made a higher percentage of them than anyone in football the last three years — the Raiders would have gone up seven.
Instead, he clanged a kick off the right upright, giving the Packers the ball at their own 42. When Rodgers was the team’s quarterback, this would be the start of a methodical walk-off winning drive.
Jordan Love, though, isn’t Rodgers. The Packers seem to be learning this anew every week.
He threw an interception, and the Packers lost.
Love went 16-for-30 for 182 yards and three interceptions Monday night. Take away his 77-yard pass to Christian Watson on a defensive lapse, though, and he averaged just 3.6 yards per pass.
Love started the year with a 123.2 passer rating against the Bears’ overmatched defense. He’s gotten worse since then, going from a 113.5 in Week 2 to a 66.4, 69.9 and, on Monday night, a 32.2 passer rating against the Raiders.
How abysmal is a 32.2? Justin Fields has never done it in a game in which he tried 20 passes. Neither has Mitch Trubisky. A quarterback could throw a one-yard completion on his first pass, an interception on his second and spike the ball into the ground on his next 48 passes and still have a better passer rating.
Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari hasn’t played since the opener against the Bears and needs season-ending knee surgery. Running back Aaron Jones hasn’t played since Week 2 because of a hamstring problem. Monday night, no one could block the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby, who had a sack and four tackles for loss.
The Packers used to have a quarterback that could overcome those things. Love appeared to be that guy in the season opening win against the Bears, but hasn’t looked it since. And he’s only getting worse.
Elsewhere around the league:
• Lamar Jackson is a walking rollercoaster. The Ravens quarterback’s passer rating, by game: 79.5, 112.8, 88.4, 142.5, 65.2.
• The 4-1 Lions are responsible for half the wins in the entire NFC North. They’ve outscored their opponents by 41; the Packers, Vikings and Bears are a combined -54.
• Will Justin Jefferson’s injured reserve stint tempt Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to waive his no-trade clause? The Jets are asking for a friend.
• Checking in on Evan Neal, whom the Giants drafted with the 2022 first-round pick the Bears sent them for Fields: Pro Football Focus ranks him the second-worst tackle in the NFL and he had to apologize for saying fans that criticized him “flip hot dogs and hamburgers somewhere.”
Here are the reshuffled power rankings after Week 5:
1. 49ers (5-0) — They’ve outscored opponents by 99 points. Two other teams can claim more than 50.
2. Eagles (5-0) — Two more sacks for rookie Jalen Carter on Sunday.
3. Chiefs (4-1) — Justin Fields has more passing touchdowns than Patrick Mahomes.
4. Dolphins (4-1) — They hold the NFL’s five fastest instances of a ball-carrier running this season.
5. Lions (4-1) — Ex-Bear David Montgomery is in the top seven in rushes, yards and touchdowns.
6. Bills (3-2) — The injury to linebacker Matt Milano is crushing.
7. Cowboys (3-2) — Top-tier teams don’t lose by 32.
8. Ravens (3-2) — They face the Titans on Sunday in London.
9. Seahawks (3-1) — Their game against the Bengals will be sneaky-fun.
10. Jaguars (3-2) — They went to London 1-2 and left tied for the AFC South lead.
11. Chargers (2-2) — The over-under Sunday against the Cowboys is a whopping 48.5.
12. Browns (2-2) — Can’t wait to see how their defense fares against the 49ers.
13. Buccaneers (3-1) — Big test Sunday vs. Lions.
14. Saints (3-2) — They handed the Patriots their first shutout in more than seven years.
15. Bengals (2-3) — That’s the Joe Burrow we know: 317 passing yards, three TDs, 108.1 passer rating.
16. Texans (2-3) — C.J. Stroud broke Dak Prescott’s record of most passes without an interception to start a career.
17. Colts (3-2) — Jonathan Taylor’s return could swing the race in a bad division.
18. Falcons (3-2) — If they beat the Commanders, will Ron Rivera get fired?
19. Steelers (3-2) — Offensive coordinator Matt Canada is under fire entering the bye week.
20. Rams (2-3) — Welcome back, Cooper Kupp: eight catches for 118 yards.
21. Packers (2-3) — A bye followed by the Broncos will cure them.
22. Commanders (2-3) — Sam Howell has been sacked a league-high 29 times.
23. Titans (2-3) — Ryan Tannehill has thrown two more touchdowns this year than I have.
24. Jets (2-3) — They scored 31 points Sunday and had one offensive touchdown.
25. Raiders (2-3) — It was cool to see the kicking Carlsons match up: the Raiders’ Daniel and Packers’ Anders.
26. Patriots (1-4) — Bill Belichick isn’t on the hot seat, right? Right?
27. Vikings (1-4) — Only Tua Tagovailoa has more passing yards than Kirk Cousins’ 1,498.
28. Cardinals (1-4) — Josh Dobbs’ 57.6 passer rating: woof.
29. Giants (1-4) — Daniel Jones has thrown for 137 yards or fewer in three of five games.
30. Broncos (1-4) — The Bears allowed an NFL-high 463 points in 2022; the Broncos are on pace for 615.
31. Bears (1-4) — Justin Fields averaging twice his career average in passing yards the past two weeks is quite the plot twist.
32. Panthers (0-5) — The Dolphins are next, so expect to see the Panthers back at the bottom next week.
