A Jordan reigns in Chicago once more
The Jordan Love era begins with a win, but Sunday's game showcased more than just the young quarterback.
Good morning!
The moment finally arrived Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. After 15 seasons, the Green Bay Packers began a new era with a new opening-week starting quarterback. That fact, along with the longstanding rivalry with the Chicago Bears, put the game in a national time slot and under a blinding spotlight.
Today's edition of The Leap dives into how the Packers fared in this new era with a heavy focus on the man under center.
Today's edition of The Leap is brought to you by Underdog Fantasy, an industry leader in daily and season-long fantasy contests.
Subscribers of The Leap can join Underdog Fantasy here with our special signup link to double your initial deposit up to $100. It's a great way to play fantasy sports with real fans while also supporting the work we do here.
Thank you for reading and supporting our coverage. You can also support our work by following us on social media:
Jason B. Hirschhorn: @by_JBH on Twitter / @by_jbh on Instagram / @JBH@mastodon.social on Mastodon / @byjbh@bsky.social on Bluesky / @by_jbh on Threads
Peter Bukowski: @Peter_Bukowski on Twitter / @peter_bukowski on Instagram / @Peter_Bukowski@mas.to on Mastodon / @peterbukowski@bsky.social on Bluesky / @peter_bukowski on Threads
The Leap: @TheLeapGB on Twitter / @TheLeap@mas.to on Mastodon
If you appreciate thoughtful, independent coverage of the Packers and NFL, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support allows us to serve this community with the stories and reporting it deserves.
As always, thanks for making The Leap a part of your day.
What did you take away from Jordan Love's first regular-season game as the Packers' preferred starter under center?
Jason B. Hirschhorn: Though Jordan Love entered 2023 with a start under his belt and extended playing time in other games, Sunday's matchup with the Bears marked the true beginning of his time as the Packers' starting quarterback, making the contest the biggest moment of his NFL career to date.
The outing showcased a signal-caller still learning on the job. Love's ball placement fluctuated throughout the game, forcing his receivers to make sometimes awkward adjustments midstride. This issue boiled up on passes at various depths as well. A few of the checkdowns and screen passes landed on the wrong shoulder of the target. On a deep shot just before halftime, Love appeared to sail a pass meant for tight end Luke Musgrave.
But despite those issues, Love came up big on the money downs. The Packers converted nine of their third downs and one of their two fourth-down attempts. On those plays, Love went 6 for 11, including touchdowns to Romeo Doubs and Aaron Jones. The young QB also moved the sticks with his legs on a third-and-short.
Beyond the raw numbers, Love displayed the poise and calm that have quickly become his signature traits. When a false start by rookie wideout Dontayvion Wicks set up a third-and-long, Love responded with an 18-yard completion to Jayden Reed. When Love mishandled a snap in the fourth quarter, he channeled his inner Brett Favre to collect the ball and heave a pass to Musgrave -- the very pass catcher for whom head coach Matt LaFleur called the play -- 37 yards down the field.
(via @NFL)
These moments underscore why the Packers felt confident enough in Love to trade away a four-time MVP. Clearly, Love hasn't attained Aaron Rodgers' level of command and dominance and he might never reach them. But the stage didn't seem too large for the 24-year-old and he improved as the game unfolded.
Context also matters here. The Bears finished 2022 with the league's worst defense by most metrics and their offseason additions haven't transformed the unit. Still, Love didn't have his top receiver, Christian Watson, this week and his No. 2 option, Doubs, played through a hamstring injury. That meant undrafted rookie Malik Heath started for the Packers on Sunday while the rest of the receiving corps featured mostly rookies as well. Despite those issues, Love still delivered when it mattered most.
Contrast the performance with that of Justin Fields and the caliber of Love's play begins to come into focus. The Bears, either because of concerns with their offensive line, lack of trust in their quarterback, or both, essentially took the deep ball out of the game plan. Only 10 of his 37 passes traveled more than 5 yards down the field, a startling number that underscores Fields' limitations as a thrower.
Love, meanwhile, didn't funnel his passes to only one particular area of the field or depth of target. While he still clearly has room to improve, opposing defenses have to defend every blade of grass.
Love hasn't proven himself yet, and that process will likely extend deep into this season. But he put his best foot forward to begin his tenure as the Packers' starting quarterback, and the team can hardly complain about the results.
What were the biggest surprises from the Packers defense?
JBH: Though the Love narrative overshadowed virtually everything else entering Sunday's game, the Packers had plenty of questions to answer on defense. In particular, two former first-round picks -- linebacker Quay Walker and safety Darnell Savage -- kick off critical seasons.
For Walker, a second-year pro who drew multiple ejections as a rookie, demonstrating a cooler head and smarter play will go a long way toward establishing himself as a key piece of the defense. Meanwhile, Savage has 2023 to prove he has a future in Green Bay at all following a season in which the team benched him for an extended period. In both cases, their success or failures hold significance for the entire unit.
Certainly, Walker delivered the defense's top play. On a third-and-long, the linebacker undercut a Fields pass to pick it off and take it all the way to pay dirt. The takeaway pushed the Packers to plus-two in the turnover margin while the score removed any lingering possibility of a Bears comeback.
(via @NFL)
Still, the more important development for Walker stemmed from what he didn't do Sunday. Though the Packers defense committed a handful of after-the-whistle penalties, none came from Walker. He kept his head and did his job, a noticeable change from a season ago.
Similarly different from 2022, Savage played one of his best games in recent memory. After regularly missing tackles and taking poor angles on ball carriers, the fifth-year defensive back looked steady in both areas in Chicago, making several key plays to shorten drives. One game doesn't make a trend, but the Packers certainly need that kind of performance given the otherwise questionable safety room they currently have.
Are there any big-picture takeaways from opening week?
JBH: The Packers' win over the Bears doesn't mean all too much by itself, and Week 1 can and typically does lead to overreactions. But if one suspected the NFC North would look wide open in 2023, nothing that happened so far would undercut that perspective.
The Detroit Lions kicked off the regular season with an impressive victory over the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs, and that deserves kudos. Detroit entered 2023 as the odds-on favorite for the division and Thursday's win illustrates some of the reasons for that. At the same time, that game didn't feature Travis Kelce, and the Lions still have questions to answer regarding their downfield passing game and defense.
Elsewhere, the Minnesota Vikings looked like the caliber of team their underlying metrics from 2022 suggested, meaning a poor one. The turnover luck that fell their way last year has already turned in the opposite direction, with quarterback Kirk Cousins giving the ball away three times before halftime. Keep in mind that the Vikings' Week 1 opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, began the season as one of the favorites to land the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Packers have much to prove and will undoubtedly have weeks where they perform as poorly as they did at times last year. Even so, the caliber of their roster provides valid reasons for optimism. Love doesn't have to play like a superstar to keep his team in contention in what appears to be one of the most open divisions in the NFL.