Preseason action was vital for Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Jordan Love to gain reps as he develops behind Aaron Rodgers.
While the preseason numbers weren't glowing, Love displayed improvement in his pocket presence and reading defenses, and threw a number of nice balls in Thursday night's loss in Kansas City.
Love and the offense struggled out of the gate, with two three-and-outs before back-to-back scoring drives. The QB finished 16-of-26 passing for 148 yards and an INT.
Head coach Matt LaFleur said he liked what he saw from the third-year quarterback this preseason.
"I think early on there wasn't really a lot open for him and he was under some duress," LaFleur said. "The one thing I loved about it is, when the game doesn't start out the way you it to, how do you respond? I thought he showed a lot of resiliency, and I think that just shows the maturation process that he has done over the last couple years. I thought there was a lot of good things out there. I always look at the numbers at the end of it and I am like that doesn't make sense. I thought he did a lot of good things, but we will take a look at the tape. I am sure there is always something to clean up, but all in all, I thought Jordan did a lot of good things out there."
Love's interception came on a deep shot with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first half and the Packers near midfield. The QB tried to squeeze the ball in between several Chiefs defenders. LaFleur said, watching live, he didn't mind Love's decision to take a shot in that situation.
"I will have to go back and look at it, but when I watched it live, I was not unhappy with the decision at all," the coach said. "Again, I have to go see how the safety was playing, but I was looking at the same place he was. I thought Alize (Mack) had a step on his man and unfortunately the strong safety was able to come across Alize and make the pick."
While the pick was a questionable decision, Love has certainly made strides with his play this preseason -- despite what the box-score watchers might scream. Playing with mostly backups, the QB battled through drops, miscommunication with young wideouts and some blocking struggles. Context when analyzing Love's preseason is everything. Despite the wonky stats, the 23-year-old showed undeniable growth this offseason.
Now he'll head back to the bench behind Rodgers for another season.
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