Once again, the Green Bay Packers were faced with another challenge. After quarterback Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID, and put under guidlines for unvaccinated players, backup quarterback Jordan Love was elevated to started, for their matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. A matchup that saw Green Bay’s seven-game winning streak snapped, in a 13-7 loss.

On Quick TO:SS, I predicted Green Bay would lose. Not because of an awful performance from Love, but ultimately I wasn’t confident he’d help produce enough points to keep up with the Chiefs. This ended up being true and false.

Jordan Love didn’t win the game for the Packers, but he didn’t lose it either. While Love didn’t sling the rock all over the yard, (19-of-34/179 yards/1 passing TD/1 interception) he was under constant pressure from that Kansas City front. You can give credit to the offensive line for only allowing one sack, but you’d also have to chew them out for not helping their young QB, by keeping the pocket clean. (As well as penalties and bad snaps to to boot.)

Special teams was an unmitigated disaster. Just in the first half they managed to: miss a field goal, have a field goal blocked, and misplay a punt that ended up giving the ball back to the Chiefs, in the red zone. Those errors cost Green Bay six points. Six points that would have had the game tied, after Love’s touchdown pass to Allen Lazard, late in the fourth quarter. Instead, it ends up being the margin in which the Packers lost.

The biggest bright spot belonged to the defense. Without question this was their best performance of the year. Kris Barnes seemed to be all over the field, as was De’Vondre Campbell. (Reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week.) Hard hitting linebackers that made critical stops all game long. The coverage for the Packersheld up as well. With Eric Stokes being a late scratch because of a knee injury, Kevin King’s return to the lineup was a welcome sight. Between himself, Chandon Sullivan, and Rasul Douglas, Green Bay was able to bottle up the big-play offense of Kansas City. All they needed was one more stop, which, unfortunately, they weren’t able to get in the fourth quarter.

The noise of this loss being all on Jordan Love is false and nauseating. So many things have to right in a young quarterback’s first start, for it to result in victory. Almost every that could go wrong, did, and yet Love still had the Packers in a spot to win the game.

It’s alright to be disappointed in defeat, but to label a young QB, making his first start, a bust after that one start is nonsensical. How quickly do people forget how Aaron Rodger’s first season as starter went?