Some of the-anticipated video games of the NFL’s Week 1 slate kicked off at Soldier Discipline, with the Chicago Bears taking up the visiting Inexperienced Bay Packers. With the departure of Aaron Rodgers to New York, Bears followers believed that this might lastly be the 12 months Chicago bought out from below Inexperienced Bay’s shadow.
As for Packers followers, they believed a torch had been handed from Rodgers, to Jordan Love. A torch that the previous Utah State passer might carry given his expertise, and what he had completed in restricted motion since he was drafted within the first spherical again in 2020.
On a macro stage, Packers followers got here away assured, due to Inexperienced Bay’s 18-point win over the Bears. Love seemed the half, finishing 15-of-27 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns. In the meantime his counterpart Justin Fields struggled, throwing an interception and opening the door to hypothesis about his future in Chicago.
However on a micro stage, one play from that sport may very well be one of the best proof obtainable to Packers followers that they’ve the crew’s subsequent franchise passer. Late within the second quarter the Packers confronted a Third-and-10 state of affairs on their very own 44-yard line. With Inexperienced Bay holding a slim one-point lead, a failed third down might open the door to a punt, and Chicago taking the lead earlier than halftime.
Love had different concepts.
Whereas the Bears present Love two deep safeties earlier than the snap, they spin into single-high zone protection, dropping security Eddie Jackson beneath. Broad receiver Jayden Reed runs a crossing route, figuring out of the suitable slot. That is the route that Love desires to throw, however the defender that poses the largest downside is linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, lurking beneath.
Watch as Love solves the Edmunds downside:
Love makes use of his eyes to perfection, getting Edmunds to leap to the linebacker’s left earlier than ripping a no-look throw away from the LB’s motion. To actually respect this throw, have a look from the tip zone angle:
Put your self in Edmunds’ thoughts right here. You see Love drop again and, after a fast look to your left — prone to spot the rotating safeties — you see him stare at your proper. As soon as he hits his drop depth, you see him flash his eyes again to your left. Every thing to that time is screaming to you that he’s making an attempt to get you to maneuver proper, earlier than throwing to your left.
That’s what Edmunds thinks, as he breaks in that course. As he does, Love whips a no-look throw to Reed, crossing behind the linebacker into that secondary window, and Third and 10 turns into 1st and 10 due to the 30-yard achieve.
Inexperienced Bay would tack on a area objective on the ultimate play of the half to take a 10-6 lead into the locker room, and they might not look again.
Positive, it’s one play. However it’s a play that tells a narrative, one Packers followers have been longing to listen to for months.
Love can play too.