Here’s Why Packers QB Jordan Love Believes He’ll Be Sharp for Playoffs

GREEN BAY, Wis. – After being inactive last week against Baltimore due to a concussion, starting quarterback Jordan Love will not play against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, either.

That doesn’t mean Love won’t be sharp for the playoffs, though.

Rather than the usual practice structure of Love and the No. 1 offense facing a scout-team defense to get ready for the game, Love and the No. 1 offense have been working against the No. 1 defense.

“I think we’ve done a great job of amping it up this week,” Love said on Thursday, his first comments since before suffering a concussion at Chicago on Dec. 20. “Guys have been flying around at practice. We’ve been doing a great job. That’s where you’ve got to get your reps in and be able to maximize those and get yourself ready. I think we’ve scheduled it, structured a good way throughout practice this week where we’re getting a lot of reps.”

Love, who was full participation at practice the last two days and cleared the concussion protocol on Thursday, downplayed the rest-vs.-rust factor.

“I think the only thing as a quarterback that you’re not simulating is getting hit,” he said.

He compared it to not playing in the preseason but getting ready for Week 1. In this case, Love will take 15 starts into the playoff matchup against the Eagles or Bears.

He even disagreed that the jump in play speed following a three-week layoff will be a factor when he starts in the playoffs.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love runs out of the pocket against the Bears before his concussion. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“You’re dealing with NFL players still in practice,” he said. “I would even argue sometimes that you get in a game and it feels like it slows down a little bit compared to practice. No, that’s something where I played all season. It’s not like I sat out all season and just coming back. I have a lot of banked reps playing out there.

“I know what it’s like to be on the field and feel those things. Obviously, [the key] at practice is trying to emulate game speed and get everything back to feeling like you’re in that atmosphere.”

Love said he felt symptom-free in the week leading up to Saturday night’s loss to the Ravens. He expected to be back in the lineup but said he was unable to pass the computer testing that’s part of the protocol.

He was disappointed but also understood why the protocol is in place.

“I understand what the situation was and I didn’t clear the concussion protocol,” he said. “It’s one of those things where you understand coming into it that you might be going, you might not be going, and it just came down to understanding that, obviously, the protocol’s in place to try and keep me safe, protect me.

“Even though you might be feeling good, there’s a lot more things that could happen potentially in a game to knock you out even further. It’s just understanding that and just understanding that I’ll be good and it’ll be good to be able to sit out a week, rest, and come back 100 percent.”

Love was on the receiving end of two roughing-the-passer penalties by defensive tackle Andrew Billings in the Chicago game, with the second knocking him out of the game. Love wouldn’t touch a question about whether it was a dirty play – “It’s football. It’s part of the game,” he said – but knew he got his “bell rung.”

For Love, it was his first concussion in the NFL. He had a couple while at Utah State, he said.

“I know it’s part of the game and it’s tough,” he said. “It’s something that’s hard to judge and see what the real impact is going to be. I understand it’s part of it. I feel good right now. I felt fine during practice, things like that. I think that’s really, as a player, that’s all you can base it off of is how you’re feeling and if anything might be lingering, that’s when it might be more of a concern.”

With Love out of the concussion protocol but with the Packers having nothing to play for on Sunday, he’s spent his time this week helping Clayton Tune get ready for the Vikings while getting a jump-start on his playoff prep. The Packers will face either the Eagles, who beat the Packers at Lambeau Field this year and twice last season, and the Bears, who split their two games this season.

“Obviously, if I was starting this game, I’d be preparing and having all my focus on this week,” Love said. “This is a defense that you’ve got to have a lot of focus going into that week and just understanding the different looks. Yeah, if you can get ahead and start looking at other teams, it definitely helps out.”

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