GREEN BAY, Wis. – As a first-time starter in 2008, Aaron Rodgers endured many tough losses like the one Jordan Love and the Packers suffered on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
For the third straight game on the road, Love has a chance to take the winning lead. For the third straight game, Love faltered.
After throwing four straight incompletions in Atlanta, Love threw game-ending interceptions in Las Vegas and again in Denver.
With the 19-17 loss to the Broncos, the Packers (2-4) have lost three straight. After scoring 62 points in the first seven quarters of the season, Green Bay scored 68 points in the final 17 quarters.
After the bye, the Packers scored 13 points against the Raiders, who were 22nd in points allowed. At the end of the bye, the Packers had scored 17 points against the Broncos, who remained last in points allowed.
“We all know there are ups and downs, but I think everyone is very disappointed,” Love said.
“We have to find a way to win, we have to find a way to win these games. We were put in that position a few times as far as the offense was concerned to win the game and we didn’t take advantage of that.
The Packers have scored 20 points or less in each of the last four games, a low for the first time since 2005. This team has scored 17 points or less in six straight games, so it has could be worse.
Their attack in the first half could hardly have been worse. They didn’t score a single point in the first half against the Saints in Week 3. Against the Lions in Week 4 and again against the Raiders in Week 5, they scored three times. Against the Broncos, they again scored nil.
“We just have to show more urgency to start the game and we have to find a way to score points,” Love said.
After failing to move the ball consistently with a stretch-the-field approach in their first four starts, the Packers were unable to move the ball with a more conservative approach. Love averaged less than 4 yards per attempt in the first half despite completing 10-of-13 passes. 4,444 In total, the passing game led by Love in six games has suffered an identity crisis. It wasn’t entirely Love’s fault, but the passing game failed to do anything at an acceptable level.
In his sixth start in 2008, Rodgers completed 21 of 30 passes for 208 yards as the Packers beat the Seahawks 27-17 in Seattle. With two touchdowns and no interceptions, his rating was 111.5.
While Love faced veteran Russell Wilson, 15 years ago, the quarterfinals pitted Rodgers against Charlie Frye. With Matt Hasselbeck sidelined with injury, Frye was 12 of 23 for 83 yards and threw interceptions to Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson.
At halftime it was 10-10 before Rodgers completed back-to-back drives with touchdown passes to Greg Jennings and John Kuhn.
In six games, Rodgers in 2008 and Love in 2023 threw 193 passes. Rodgers is plus-13 for completions, plus-220 for yards, plus-1 for touchdowns, minus-3 for interceptions and plus-18.6 for passer rating.
