GREEN BAY, Wis. — In their first meeting against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4, the Packers trailed 31-22 with about six minutes left in the game. On first-and-10 from the Vikings’ 34-yard line, quarterback Jordan Love dropped back and faced safety Harrison Smith bulldozing downhill, unblocked off the edge.
With Smith in his grill after the Vikings sent six rushers, Love launched the ball about 45 yards downfield off his back foot into the end zone for wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks. Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. easily picked it off, as Wicks couldn’t adjust to the off-target prayer in time to break it up.
Not only was Love’s decision a bone-headed one because it was first down, but the play served as a microcosm for the quarterback’s struggles against the blitz during the first half of the season.
From Weeks 1 to 9, Love’s passer rating against the blitz (54.7) ranked 33rd in the NFL among qualifying quarterbacks, according to TruMedia. Since Week 11, when Love logged three consecutive practices as a full participant after the bye week helped heal a groin injury suffered in Week 8, Love ranks first in the NFL in passer rating against the blitz (147.3).
Before the bye week against the blitz, Love also ranked 36th in EPA per dropback, 35th in EPA per pass attempt and 33rd in completion percentage while throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions against at least five rushers. In the six games after the bye week, he’s thrown six touchdowns and no interceptions in those situations and ranks third in EPA per dropback, sixth in EPA per pass attempt and first in completion percentage.
Continuing his composure in the face of blitzes will be paramount on Sunday against the Vikings, who rank first in the league with a blitz rate of 40.5 percent.
But why has Love gone from one of the league’s worst to the best when facing five or more pass rushers?
“I think some of that may have been his health … and just his confidence,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said Thursday, referring primarily to Love’s sprained MCL suffered in Week 1 that he returned from against the Vikings in Week 4 at less than 100 percent.
“As of late, I think he’s done a really good job making decisions,” Stenavich continued. “He’s done a really good job creating time in the pocket, getting out of trouble and finding some plays down the field.”
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Murphy’s interception in Week 4 showcased exactly how not to handle a blitz. Blow a protection and have the quarterback make a bad decision under pressure.
In recent weeks, Love and the Packers have handled blitzes much better. Against the Lions in Week 14, Love somehow avoided the free rush of linebacker Jack Campbell before floating a perfect ball to wide receiver Christian Watson down the left sideline for 29 yards. Against the Seahawks the following week, the Packers’ protection stonewalled Seattle’s blitz to allow Love ample time to find wideout Romeo Doubs’ for an impressive touchdown catch to ice the game.
For the Packers to not only withstand the Vikings’ blitzes but thrive in the face of them — they come in all different shapes and sizes under defensive coordinator Brian Flores — it’s not only on Love. Sure, he must identify where the pressure is coming from, set protections and get rid of the ball on time. But it’s also on the protection to hold up, as it did on the aforementioned Doubs touchdown, and the pass catchers to be ready for the ball to come out hot.
“It starts up front, and the O-line’s doing a great job keeping me protected, and when we do have those kinda overload blitzes, just me knowing where to go with the ball and that I need to get the ball out,” Love said. “But it starts up front. They’re doing a good job. They’re really dialed in in protection, and you just don’t see a lot of miscues in pass pro where there’s just guys coming free. And just me being aware and having that awareness if something does break down, just knowing where my check down is … being able to understand where these answers are to be able to get the ball out quick and just letting these guys go make plays.”
Even with Love’s resurgence against the blitz, Stenavich, the former Packers offensive line coach, still may not sleep well Saturday night.
“As an O-line guy, you’re always on edge at all times for (blitzes), so you never feel good about your protection because there’s always issues,” Stenavich said. “Now when you play a team like the Vikings, there’s a lot of issues, so we’ll find out after this game where we’re at when it comes to that stuff, but these guys do an excellent job scheming blitzes. They bring all kinds of people — linebackers, DBs — and they have good rushers, too. So if they don’t bring pressure, you’ve still got to be on it because they have really good players. Across the board, they’re a really good defense when it comes to creating pressure on the quarterback.”
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• Jaire Alexander’s health
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• Jordan Love’s recent play
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It’s safe to say Green Bay’s communication up front between Love, the offensive line, tight ends and running backs could determine the outcome of a pivotal game in enemy territory.
“It’s a 10-out-of-10 importance,” left tackle Rasheed Walker said. “Five out of five stars importance.”
Even Josh Jacobs knows he’ll have to change his approach given who the Packers are facing.
“Definitely just slower to get out,” he said of being cognizant of his blocking responsibilities given Minnesota’s blitzing tendencies. “Really, it’s just more so about communication, making sure everybody’s on the same page from the offensive line to the quarterback to the running back.”
The Packers are already better off entering a matchup with the Vikings than they were in Week 4 because their quarterback is fully healthy. He was anything but in his first game back from an MCL injury in a 31-29 loss at Lambeau Field during which he threw four touchdowns and three interceptions.
While the Packers are a run-first team for a change and Jacobs might be the key to a victory on Sunday, how Love and company handle everything Flores throws at them both before and after the snap will go a long way in determining whether the Packers can secure their biggest win of the season.
(Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
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