A good quarterback puts up numbers because he has the athleticism to make every throw. Great quarterbacks win games because they also have the clutch gene. Fifteen games into his first season as the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback, it’s too early to be sure Jordan Love is destined for greatness. But after three setbacks to start the season, Love is riding a three-game winning streak heading into Sunday night’s must-win matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. You’ve seen some of the progress he’s gone through and he puts a lot of effort into it.
Coach Matt LaFleur said this week: “I always think that’s one of the best traits of a quarterback. He can tear a team down when he needs it the most and he’s done that a few times this year.”This season, four different quarterbacks have recorded four game-winning drives. Love would have joined that group had the Giants defense not disrupted the game three weeks ago. In a season full of comparisons, Love’s first-season numbers, replacing Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, are interesting.
In the fourth quarter this season, Love completed just 51.9 percent of his passes against seven touchdowns. Six obstacles. Among the 32 players with at least 60 fourth-quarter pass attempts, Love’s rating is 71.8, ranking 28th. In the fourth quarter of his 2008 starter’s debut season, Rogers posted a 60.8% pass success rate with eight touchdowns. Five obstacles. Among the 31 players with 60 or more fourth-quarter pass attempts, Rodgers’ 87.8 rating ranked 11th. However, Love has the Packers to a 7-8 record in the playoff race. The 2008 team had back-to-back close games, losing 6-10.
Statistically, Rodgers was one of the best players in the league in 2008. However, in the second half of the season, Green Bay went 0-6 in games decided by four points or less. When down by seven points or less in the fourth quarter, Rodgers completed 51.4 percent of his passes with two touchdowns against four interceptions for a 58.2 rating.
