Biggest Matchup: Packers QB Jordan Love vs. Chargers Sack-Strips
GREEN BAY, Wis. – If there’s one thing Jordan Love has done exceedingly well in his first season as the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback, it’s showing awareness and ball-security when under pressure.
Love has fumbled four times in nine games. One of those was an out-of-bounds throwaway that was deemed a backward pass.
For comparison, when Aaron Rodgers replaced Brett Favre in 2008, he fumbled 10 times. So did Favre in his season with the Jets. This season, Cardinals-turned-Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs has a league-high 11 fumbles.
The Chargers, who lead the NFL with eight fumble recoveries, have two of the league’s premier quarterback hunters and strippers of the football.
Khalil Mack ranks seventh in the league with 9.0 sacks. With three sack-strips, he’s one behind Cleveland’s Myles Garrett for the NFL lead. Since entering the NFL in 2014, he’s second with 22 sack-strips and 28 forced fumbles overall.
Joey Bosa is tied for 15th in the league with 6.5 sacks. While he’s forced only one fumble this season, he has a league-high nine strip-sacks since the start of the 2021 season. Since entering the NFL in 2016, he leads the NFL with 10 strip-sacks on third down.
“It’s not even just those two guys. Those guys just happen to get to the quarterback the most,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “It’s really all their guys. When they get to the quarterback, they do a really good job at trying to rake at the football or punch at the football to create those strip-sacks.
“And it’s not just them. (Alohi) Gilman does a heck of a job. He’s ripped a few balls away from the back end at the safety position. They do a really good job of emphasizing that and they’ve got really good players to go out there and execute it.”
It will be up to Love to maintain his grip on the ball but, also, on the offensive line to keep Mack and Bosa away from the passer.
Left tackle Rasheed Walker and right tackle Zach Tom did a superb job against the game-wrecking Steelers tandem of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. According to Pro Football Focus, Tom allowed zero sacks and three pressures and Walker allowed zero sacks and five pressures. Watt had the game’s only sack.
Last week, from a who-lines-up-where perspective, it was simple. Walker would block Highsmith and Tom would face Watt.
This week, Mack is close to 50-50 between left and right sides. Bosa is closer to two-thirds on the left (or vs. the right side of the offensive line) but he’ll move inside frequently on passing downs.
“Obviously, ball security’s paramount this week, just like it is every week,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “Their pass rush, Bosa, Khalil, both really good players. They do an excellent job with their load fronts, overloading sides, working games, using the linebackers to pick, really getting 1-on-1 matchups. They’ll move Bosa inside to wherever they think they can get an advantage inside.
“It’s going to be a task across the board for all of us up front to do a good job of protecting the quarterback.”
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