Injured Jordan Love doesn’t finish game but Packers beat Jaguars on Brandon McManus field goal
JACKSONVILLE, Florida – With more than 11 minutes left in Sunday’s third quarter, what was supposed to be a simple victory against one of the NFL’s worst teams was suddenly in jeopardy.
Jordan Love, hobbled most of the first half, hopped over to the Green Bay Packers sideline with a groin injury after being bumped from behind by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker. The contact wasn’t malicious, merely incidental, though it came after Love released the football. Love did not return Sunday, and with the Packers clinging to only a field goal lead, they were unexpectedly in position for an upset loss.
Malik Willis had other ideas.
The Packers backup quarterback made his first appearance since Week 3 and looked like he hadn’t skipped a beat, helping guide the Packers to a 30-27 victory. Willis, who led the Packers to two victories in September, gave the Packers offense juice it needed in the final two quarters. The Packers scored touchdowns on his first two drives, taking control of the game.
Willis then took the field in a tied game with 1:48 left, needing a field goal to win. After a 4-yard handoff to Josh Jacobs, it appeared Willis might have audibled at the line of scrimmage before second down. He executed a play-action fake and hit a wide open Jayden Reed down the left sideline for a 51-yard reception, putting the Packers in position to eventually win on Brandon McManus’ 24-yard field goal as time expired.
It was the second straight week McManus clinched a victory with a game-winning kick.
Here are some quick observations from the win:
Packers put Josh Jacobs into workhorse mode after Jordan Love injury
Josh Jacobs is a bruising runner who lacks the explosiveness of Aaron Jones, but his style can put a beating on a defense. The Packers tailback showed again Sunday why it’s essential he gets an ample workload each week. When Jacobs’ carries pile up, he’s likely to break off a long one. Jacobs had only 55 yards on his first 16 carries Sunday, a meager 3.4-yard average. He hit a home run on his 17th carry, running 38 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown that gave the Packers a 20-17 lead late in the third quarter. It was Jacobs’ longest run of the season, and his third time with a run of at least 30 yards, though he hadn’t had a 30-yard carry since Week 2. The Packers rode Jacobs after Love exited in the second half with a groin injury. Jacobs had 39 yards on 12 carries with Love behind center. He had 88 yards on 13 carries after Love exited. His 127 yards were the second time this season he’s finished over the century mark, the first since Week 2 when he had 151 yards on 32 carries against the Indianapolis Colts.
Another week, another bad interception for Jordan Love
During the week, Jordan Love said his focus was to get through a game without an interception. He also said his reads need to be better with the football. Love showed there still is work to do in that area, throwing a bad interception on a pass intended for receiver Romeo Doubs with the Packers inside the red zone. Love tried to thread a pass to Doubs on an out route despite sticky coverage from cornerback Jarrian Jones. It was another pass that shouldn’t have been thrown, something that is mounting for Love this season. He now has nine interceptions in seven games, a departure from the final two months last season when Love took care of the football better than any quarterback in the league.
Xavier McKinney continues to show why he’s among the NFL’s best defensive players
Xavier McKinney continued to put his stamp on being an early favorite for NFL defensive player of the year. After the Packers opened with a sleepy first quarter, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence tried to throw a pass downfield. McKinney sat back and waited for Lawrence’s overthrow, intercepting it to set up the Packers first touchdown on a short field. The Jaguars would later connect on some downfield passes, because no NFL offense can go an entire game without testing a defense deep, but McKinney showed why quarterbacks have been hesitant the past few weeks. After opening the season with an interception in five straight games, McKinney’s drought without a pick lasted only two weeks. His sixth pick of the season in eight games allowed him to retain the NFL lead.
Edgerrin Cooper showing special traits as a rookie linebacker
There are still rookie mistakes. In the second half, Edgerrin Cooper was late running onto the field before the snap. The Jaguars ran the football away from Cooper, so the tardiness did not hurt the Packers defense. Still, it was a reminder that this rookie doesn’t have it all figured out. Yet. Cooper later showed why, changing the game with a strip fumble against Trevor Lawrence. Defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt, back from a three-game absence with an ankle injury, recovered the fumble at the Jaguars’ 5-yard line to set up a short touchdown. Cooper didn’t reserve his speed for pass rushing. He also showed remarkable closing quickness after being beat deep in coverage against Christian Kirk, catching up to the Jaguars top receiver to force a third-down incompletion. Cooper’s athleticism allows him to make plays all over the field, and the Packers continue to use him in a variety of ways.
(This story was updated to add a video.)
Jordan Love injury update: Packers quarterback leaves game early in second half