Jordan Love Practices, with a twist

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With a huge NFC North game against the Minnesota Vikings looming on Sunday, injured Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love practiced Thursday.

But there is a difference.

Reporters were able to watch about 10 minutes of Thursday’s practice. WednesdayLove took on a heavier workload during the brief media viewing window than last week. This involved taking two reps out of four during a drill featuring quarterbacks and running backs.

On Thursday, he completely missed this exercise. Malik Willis took all the snaps with top running back Josh Jacobs.

“That’s because he was limited (in terms of participation),” coach Matt LaFleur said.

What did Love do? He threw passes to running backs and tight ends during a ball security drill. After speaking to a coach during the aforementioned quarterback period, he took his usual workload for a few minutes during a broadcast period before reporters had to leave practice.

From a footwork perspective, the drill Love participated in is much more taxing than the periods he participated in.

Officially, Love had limited attendance Wednesday. After this workout, Love admitted that he was “less limited” than last week.

“Yeah, we’re building it, that’s for sure,” he said after practice. “It’s kind of just based on how I feel and today’s practice and how I feel and what I do from there.”

Love suffered a sprained MCL in the final seconds of the Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil. Friday will mark exactly three weeks since the injury.

Love did not practice before the Week 2 win over the Indianapolis Colts and had limited participation all week before the Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans, but was inactive for both games .

“I was pretty close” to playing, Love said. “I pushed all week trying to prepare, but at the end of the week we just determined that I wasn’t where I wanted to be.”

Last week’s practices — including an on-field workout before the Tennessee game — seemed to have set the stage for Love to be where he wants to be, which is back in the starting lineup.

“I feel like I’m getting better every day, moving, training and feeling better,” he said. That judgment “comes down to running in practice, doing drills in practice, things like that, and just feeling my body.”

Without Love, the Packers beat the Colts and Titans behind Willis, who broke a 100-year-old record by beating his former team.

Among quarterbacks with 30 pass attempts, Willis is No. 2 with a passer rating of 122.7 and No. 1 with 9.5 yards per attempt. Among all players with at least 12 rushing attempts, Willis is second with 9.5 yards per carry.

Willis was excellent on third downplayed with his arm and legs, and came close to turning the ball over to bring the Packers’ record to 2-1.

“I think it’s just finding those successes, moving the ball down the field,” Love said when asked what impressed him about Willis. “Other than the penalties, we didn’t really have a lot of negative plays. So he gets the ball out, he doesn’t take any sacks. He simply avoids those negative plays, which allows the offense to keep moving forward. And he made big throws, he made big scrambles.

“He has played at a very high level so far.”

Willis’ run could end on Sunday, with Love seemingly on track to return to the starting lineup.

As was the case Wednesday, only first-round offensive lineman Jordan Morgan was not on the field for the start of practice. He is recovering from a shoulder injury.

Tight end Tucker Kraft, despite wearing a non-contact red jersey for padded practice, was listed as a full participant.

For the Vikings, starting wide receiver Jordan Addison, who missed the last two games with an ankle injury, was back at practice Wednesday and practiced again Thursday.

Packers injury report Thursday

Did not participate: L/T Jordan Morgan (shoulder).

Limited participation: CB Jaire Alexander (quad), DT Kenny Clark (toe), QB Jordan Love (knee), TE Luke Musgrave (quad), WR Jayden Reed (calf/quad), RT CB Carrington Valentine (ankle), DT Devonte Wyatt (shoulder ).

Complete: LG Elgton Jenkins (rest), TE Tucker Kraft (shoulder), C Josh Myers (shoulder), Zach Tom (quad).

Vikings injury report Thursday

Did not participate: DL Jonathan Bullard (knee), LT Christian Darrisaw (illness), LB Ivan Pace (ankle), S Jay Ward (knee).

Limit: WR Jordan Addison (ankle), C Garrett Bradbury (ankle), LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (knee), TE Josh Oliver (wrist).

Complete: QB Sam Darnold (knee), OLB Dallas Turner (knee).

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