'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jordan Love passed the test in his first playoff game by throwing for 272 yards and three touchdowns in their Wild Card Round victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to finish with a perfect passer rating in his first postseason game.
With the Green Bay Packers' 2023 season ongoing, they must travel to Levi's Stadium to face the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round. On paper, it's a more challenging test because the Niners are the top team in the National Football Conference.
Neutralizing the 49ers' pass rush, especially the pressure from 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, will be a vital factor in the Packers' success. But while they will be foes in a few days, Bosa pointed out the main reason Love succeeded despite having zero playoff experience.
Speaking to reporters, the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end compared Jordan Love with Aaron Rodgers by saying:
“They’ve had and a quarterback who does exactly what he’s coached to do, which Aaron Rodgers is a Hall-of-Famer and unbelievable, but he kinda went outside of the realm of coaching, and sometimes it’s good when you have a guy who does what he’s coached to do.”
Jordan Love is making Matt LaFleur's system shine
No one can deny the Packers' success under the partnership of Rodgers and head coach Matt LaFleur. They had 13-win seasons from 2019 to 2021 before struggling to an 8-9 record in the four-time Most Valuable Player's final season with Green Bay.
While Aaron Rodgers added two MVP trophies during that stretch, the Packers did not return to the Super Bowl.
Jordan Love has the mastery of LaFleur's offense because he has studied it since joining the team as a first-round draft choice in 2020. With the former Utah State standout getting his opportunity as the full-fledged starter, it's the first time LaFleur's system has been fully implemented, as Bosa said.
As a result, Love and the Packers won six of the last eight games to clinch the final NFC playoff spot. Aside from an improved comfort level in LaFleur's scheme, getting most of their key players back from injury could mean they might be peaking at the right time.
That's a scary proposition for the 49ers, even if they have home-field advantage. The Packers and the 49ers will play on Saturday, January 20, at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
