Packers QB Jordan Love plays against Lions due to a groin injury, but throws a critical pick-6

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love played at less than full strength and was missing his usual starting center.

That combination proved costly in the Packers’ 24-14 loss Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

A week after he had to leave in the third quarter due to a groin injury 30-27 win in Jacksonville, Love worked his way back in time to face the NFC North-leading Lions. But he wasn’t as effective as usual, throwing a pick-6 in the final minute of the second quarter to put Detroit (7-1) in control.

Love said several times after the game that the injury did not affect his play.

“No, I felt fine,” Love said.

Love went 23 of 39 for 273 yards without a touchdown pass. His receivers dropped several passes on a rainy afternoon.

Love’s biggest mistake came just before halftime.

The Packers (6-3) trailed 10-3 and faced second-and-2 from their own 38 when Love rolled to his right under pressure. He threw a short pass intended for Josh Jacobs, but Lions safety Kerby Joseph picked it off and ran 27 yards into the end zone with 32 seconds left before halftime.

Love said he didn’t see Joseph when he made the throw.

“I saw (Jacobs) trying to get out and tried to throw it down,” Love said. “It was a check-down for him and the ball didn’t go where I wanted it to. They made it a good game.”

Love has thrown 10 interceptions on 240 pass attempts this season. As a first-year starter last season, Love was picked off 11 times in 579 attempts.

“He fights, he competes and we know we have to take care of the football,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “But I don’t doubt what he’s trying to do. We just have to do better.”

The Packers ultimately fell behind 24-3 and were hampered by several botched snaps as they tried to rally. Elgton Jenkins, normally the starting left guard, played center because Josh Myers was out with a wrist injury.

After the Packers went on second-and-10 at Detroit’s 14 in the third quarter, Love fumbled back-to-back snaps. The Packers recovered both times, but had to settle for Brandon McManus’ 38-yard field goal.

Love also fumbled early in the fourth quarter after the Packers reached the Detroit 36. That ride ended with Jacobs being stuffed into fourth-and-1 of the 9.

“There’s a lot of things we need to clean up,” Love said. “The awkward clicking, the bottom line is that the ball is wet and rainy, and we need to handle the exchange between me and Elgton better. It’s certainly happened one too many times. And then the drops, it comes down to playing when the conditions aren’t perfect. It was clearly wet and there were too many drops.”

Romeo Doubs, who had four catches on five targets for 28 yards, acknowledged the receivers needed to help Love more.

“Obviously catching footballs in the rain is not ideal for a receiver, but it is no excuse for any of us,” Doubs said. “But again, we’re going to let this be a learning experience and go straight to watching the film, adjusting for the weather we’ll have for the rest of this month and throughout this year.”

The Packers have plenty of things to correct as they enter their bye week. They outgained the Lions 411 yards to 261, but couldn’t finish their drives. Their four trips to the red zone resulted in two field goals and one touchdown.

Green Bay is competing with every team in the NFC North for playoff position, which resembles the toughest division in football. Detroit and Minnesota both won at Lambeau Field, and the Packers will have to play both on the road. They also have to play division rival Chicago twice.

If the Packers want to show a late-season surge similar to the one that got them to the playoffs last year, Love will have to stay healthy and cut down on his mistakes.

“It’s definitely disappointing,” Love said. “(I) endanger the ball far too often and (that’s) definitely something I need to clean up.”

___

APNFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.