Matt LaFleur – Packers’ confidence in Jordan Love ‘not wavering’

These were the main takeaways from Lambeau Field on Monday, following the team’s third consecutive loss. In Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos, Love and the offense struggled while the Packers suffered multiple injuries.

The Packers (2-4) failed to score in the first half of their 19-17 loss to the Broncos, and in their last four games, they have been outscored 63-6 in the first halves. The only victory during that stretch was in Week 3, when the Packers managed to come back from a 17-0 deficit and defeat the Saints.

In the beginning of this post-Aaron Rodgers era, Love had a strong start with seven touchdowns and only one interception, leading the team to a 2-1 record. However, in the three consecutive losses, Love has thrown just three touchdowns and six interceptions.

Despite the struggles, the Packers had an opportunity to take the lead in the final possession against the Broncos. However, Broncos safety P.J. Locke intercepted a deep pass on third-and-20 with 1:40 remaining. At that point, Love was missing receiver Christian Watson due to a knee injury, as well as tight end Luke Musgrave, who had previously exited the game with an ankle injury. The Packers’ offensive line has also been dealing with injuries, with left tackle David Bakhtiari out for the season and left guard Elgton Jenkins battling knee problems.

All of these challenges have made Love’s first season as a starter, after sitting behind Rodgers for three years since being drafted in 2020, particularly difficult.

“The performance of the whole team is interconnected, so the better the supporting cast around him, the better Love will perform,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Monday.

“Our confidence in him remains unwavering. As the playcaller, you take responsibility when things aren’t going well, and we’ll continue to do that. But we need to find a way to score more points because it completely changes the narrative when you’re putting points on the board.”

It appears that Love may have Watson available this week when the Packers face off against the Minnesota Vikings. Watson announced that tests on his knee came back clear.

“I’m just trying to recover from the initial pain, and I believe I’ll be ready to play,” said Watson. Musgrave’s status, on the other hand, is still uncertain. LaFleur did not provide any injury updates on Monday, stating that some of the injured players are still being evaluated.

The Packers also suffered losses on the defensive side against the Broncos, and one of them may have long-term consequences. Safety Darnell Savage aggravated a calf injury that first occurred during the October 9 loss to the Raiders. He left the game in the second quarter, and ESPN sources indicate that he will miss multiple weeks and could potentially be placed on injured reserve, resulting in a minimum absence of four games.

In addition to Savage, the Packers also lost defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt to a knee injury and cornerback Eric Stokes to a hamstring injury. Stokes got injured during a special teams play and this was his first appearance since November of the previous year when he suffered a foot injury. The Packers were already missing cornerback Jaire Alexander (out for his third game with a back injury) and linebacker De’Vondre Campbell (who has been sidelined for the past three games due to an ankle injury).