State Your Case: Does Lester Hayes Have What 'It' Takes to Reach Canton?

By John Turney 

"Lester doesn’t have it."

That’s what a Hall-of-Fame voter told me around 20 years ago when former Raiders' cornerback Lester Hayes was a finalist for Canton, and the rest of the committee must have agreed. In four years as one of 15 candidates under consideration (2001-04), Hayes was never elected.

But that was then, and this is now.  Then he was a modern-era aspirant. Now he's one of 31 seniors eligible for the Hall's Class of 2025, which begs the question ...

Does Lester Hayes, a.k.a., "the Judge " and self-proclaimed only true "Jedi Knight" in the NFL, have "it?" In other words, is he worthy of Canton?

Let's talk about it.

Over his career with the Raiders (1977-86), he had 39 interceptions, 572 return yards, and four touchdowns -- numbers the anonymous voter cited as deficient. Yet, he led the league with 13 interceptions in 1980, just one shy of Dick "Night Train" Lane’s all-time single-season record. 

After that year, opponents avoided him, cementing his reputation as a "shutdown corner" -- even though that term was not yet part of the NFL's lexicon. Only after Mike Haynes joined the Raiders in 1983 did they start challenging Hayes again, simply because they had no other option. But Hayes was still a top-tier bump-and-run corner, and he remained such for the rest of his career.

Then, there’s the "Stickum" issue. Hayes coated his hands and arms with the yellow goop. When Stickum was banned in 1981, some claimed it hindered his interceptions. Hayes countered, saying it helped him "stick" to receivers slightly longer during bump-and-run coverage. He admitted it looked excessive, but he had his reasons.

You can find material that suggests Stickum may be a reason that Hall voters never came around to him; that he was somehow tainted because of it. But if that's true, it's silly. It was Hall-of-Famer and teammate Fred Biletnikoff who introduced Lester to it. 

Hopefully, that's not a reason voters voted him down.

Beyond personal stats, Hayes played a key role in the Raiders' Super Bowl XV and XVIII victories. His 1980 playoff performance, with five interceptions in four games, was instrumental in Oakland's win over the Philadelphia Eagles. In 13 playoff games, Hayes had eight interceptions, five of them in 1980 when teams dared to test him.

In total, Hayes played 10 seasons before a foot injury ended his career. His 1980 season earned him AP Defensive Player of the Year, making him one of only six cornerbacks to win that award. Four are in the Hall of Fame; one is still active, and then there’s Lester, on the outside of the Hall, looking in.

But 1980 wasn’t his only standout season. In 1979, with two pick-sixes, he earned second-team All-AFC honors from UPI. In 1981, The Sporting News named him All-NFL, and in 1982, he was second-team All-Pro by the NEA. 

Continuing in 1983, Pro Football Weekly named him All-Pro, and he was second-team All-Pro on the AP and NEA squads. Finally, in 1984 the PFWA voted him All-Pro. Hayes was also part of the NFL’s 1980s all-decade team, a recognition awarded by the Hall-of-Fame selection committee.

But there's more. 

Proscout, Inc., an independent scouting company that began grading NFL players in the mid-1970s, had Lester pegged as elite from the outset. In the 6-foot, 200-pound Hayes' first season as a starter (1978), he was ranked 13th-best in the NFL. The following season he wasn't chosen for the Pro Bowl, but he didn't go unnoticed by Proscout. It ranked him fourth. He was in the top six in 1983 and 10th in 1984. 

When he recorded those 13 interceptions in 1980, Proscout ranked him as one of the game's top cornerbacks. And when he had seasons with two or three interceptions, it put him among the best. That wasn't a grade based on stats; it was based on how well a player does his job.

"The Judge" did his job.

It was quite a journey to the pros for Hayes, a defensive end in high school who moved to linebacker in college, later switched to safety and then became a cornerback in the NFL. And while he initially questioned Al Davis’ decision to put him there, the move was a wise one. Hayes excelled as a cornerback.

"Lester was one of the best at intimidation," said fellow Raiders' cornerback Mike Haynes. “As a cover man and tackler, he was phenomenal.” 

Hayes rarely played zone coverage, staying in man-to-man coverage most of the time. If he read a play and knew the ball wasn’t coming his way, he would go "hunting" --  the forerunner to the modern “match” coverage where defenders help nearby teammates if their receiver isn’t targeted.

Hayes was a throwback to the Raiders' bump-and-run glory days, but he was more physical. He'd butt his helmet into the chests of opposing receivers so hard that, according to Hall-of-Fame receiver James Lofton, "It would knock the wind out of you."

But his ability extended far beyond physical play -- so much so that Burgess Owens, another Raiders' safety, extolled Hayes when asked about him.

"Lester," he said, "plays the position better than anyone in the game. He may become the best of all time."

While he may not be the "best of all time," a closer look could reveal that our voter was wrong ... and that Lester Hayes does indeed have "it."

Packers Gain Yards, Not Victory, Against Lions

 By Eric Goska

Jordan Love was in attendance at Lambeau Field Sunday.
(photos by Eric Goska)

Come away with 400 yards and the Packers had always been golden against the Lions at Lambeau Field.

Alas, like any streak, this one was bound to end.

Detroit – a team that plays its home games in a dome – had little trouble adjusting to the elements Sunday. The Lions shrugged off the wind and rain to dispatch Green Bay 24-14 in a much anticipated battle for supremacy in the NFC North Division.

Had the outcome been determined by the stat sheet, Green Bay would have won. The Packers produced more first downs (20 to 17) and manufactured more yards (411 to 261) en route to engineering a more robust average gain per offensive play (6.6 to 4.7).

Josh Jacobs led all runners with 95 yards rushing, 22 better than Detroit’s David Montgomery. Jayden Reed paced all receivers with 113 yards, more than double the output of the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown.

But, like empty calories, the Green and Gold’s abundance provided little nutritional value. Besting the Lions in a host of statistical categories did little to effect the scoreboard.

Coach Matt LaFleur’s outfit can’t even brag about having outgained Detroit by 150 yards. The Titans (+191) did so by a wider margin (on Oct. 27) and lost 52-14.

Where it mattered most, Green Bay floundered. It had twice as many penalties (10 to 5), far more dropped passes (6 to zero by one count) and three botched snaps.

And while Jordan Love passed for more yards (273) than his counterpart Jared Goff (145), he also threw an inexcusable pick-six just before the half to put the Lions up 17-3 at the break.

Yards gained can get a team only so far.

Years ago, gaining 400 or more yards was usually followed by a win. Green Bay went 16-0-1 in such games from 1923 to 1945.

Even this century, getting to 400 often pays dividends. Since 2000, the Packers are 88-28-1 when doing so.

Green Bay has attained 400 yards a total of 233 times during the regular season since 1923, going 175-55-3 in those games. It struck for the first time against the Racine Tornadoes in 1926. It struck most often against – you guessed it – the Detroit Lions.

The Motor City Eleven have often served as a punching bag for the Packers. Sunday was the 40th time Green Bay nicked the Lions for 400 or more yards in the regular season. The team is 32-8 when doing so.

And while the Packers could get there and still lose when playing in Detroit, hitting the benchmark at Lambeau Field had always come coupled with victory. From 407 yards in a game in November 1964 to 488 yards in an early-season matchup in 2020, Green Bay had gone 12-0 against the Lions in the stadium named for its first head coach.

(L-R): Marques Eversoll, Bill Rabeor and Chris Havel.

Green Bay hadn’t been perfect against the Bears (9-2).  It hadn’t been without blemish against the Vikings (5-3-1).

But against the Lions, it had been spot on.

Over a 32-year span from 1992 – the season Green Bay again began to win with regularity – through last season, the Packers gained more yards and scored more points against the Lions than they did against any other team. While the differences between what they inflicted on the Bears and Vikings were small, one fact remained: Detroit was on the bottom.

Not anymore. As the division-leading Lions (7-1) have shown, they can win when outgained. LeFleur and his Packers (6-3) had better marry points to yards when the two teams tangle on the first Thursday in December.

Stepping Off 400 at Lambeau
Green Bay’s regular-season record (73-15-1) when it gains 400-plus yards at Lambeau Field.

     Record           Team                    Streak
        12-1                 Lions                        Lost 1
         9-2                 Bears                        Won 6
         6-0                 Cowboys                Won 6
         5-1                  Eagles                     Won 1
       5-3-1                Vikings                    Lost 1
         4-0                 Buccaneers            Won 4
         4-0                 49ers                       Won 4

Rest of the league: Falcons (3-1); Raiders (3-0), Cardinals (3-0); Titans (2-1); Giants (2-0), Rams (2-0), Patriots (2-0), Redskins (2-0), Saints (2-0); Chargers (1-1), Chiefs (1-1), Colts (1-1); Bengals (1-0), Bills (1-0), Broncos (1-0), Seahawks (1-0); Browns (0-1), Jaguars (0-1) and Panthers (0-1).

What Giants' Lawrence Is Doing Is More Than Unusual. It's Unprecedented

By John Turney 

Nine sacks.

That's how many the NFL leader has at this point, and we're not even halfway through the season. So who is it? Not edge rushers Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa, Maxx Crosby or J.J. Watt and not a quick, elusive defensive tackle like Aaron Donald, either. In fact, it's someone you may not have expected.

It's defensive interior Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants ... or, "Sexy" Dexy, as he calls himself.

Granted, there have been defensive tackles with a lot of sacks before, but not like this. Lawrence is ... well, different ... and let me explain. It's not that he's a big defensive tackle; it's that he's a huge defensive tackle. Not 300 or 325 pounds. But 342 ... maybe more.

And that's significant.

According to Pro Football Reference, the leading statistical internet website, his nine sacks are the most for any player in NFL history listed at 340 pounds or more. The previous big, big man single-season sack mark (I don't call it a record) was set by 6-foot-2, 345-pound defensive tackle Grady Jackson. who had eight sacks for the Raiders in 2000.

But that was in 16 games. This is through eight. So, what Lawrence has done in a season not yet halfway complete is more than unusual. It's unprecedented.

Pro Football Reference also lists former defensive tackle Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson with two seasons of eight sacks each. But it has him at 340 pounds, where his teams' media guides put him at 313 in those years. It's possible that he weighed more -- he certainly did in later seasons -- but probably not 340. Nevertheless, in his top years he still had one fewer sack than "Sexy Dexy" has through eight games.

Now, there's one detail that should be clarified, and it has to do with former Detroit nose tackle Jerry Ball. In 1989, he had nine sacks. Though Pro Football Reference put his final weight at 330 pounds, he was listed at 298 in 1989, or well below Lawrence. Of course, anyone who saw Ball play in the mid-1990s knows that 330-or-so pounds is low. By a lot. Ball was probably 350 or 360 when he left Detroit and never close to Lawrence's mark when he was beyond 340 pounds.

That leaves Dexter Lawrence standing alone.

Nine sacks. At 342 pounds.

If he were to continue at this pace, he'd wind up with 19 sacks for the season, or 1-1/2 short of the bar for a defensive tackle, set by -- who else? -- Aaron Donald. Nevertheless, every sack Lawrence produces over the next nine games pushes him farther ahead of the game's mammoth defensive linemen and separates him from those 340-pound nose tackles who had to be removed from the field on passing downs.

Dexter Lawrence plays all three downs, and that's what makes him remarkable.

Yes, there is more to pass rushing than just sacks, and, yes, there is more to Lawrence than just sacks. Over the last several years, he was among the NFL leaders in pressures among interior defensive linemen. Per Pro Football Focus, he ranked 14th in pressures in 2021, second in 2022, tied for fourth in 2023 and third so far this year. That means he creates as many sacks for linemates as they do for him.

Somewhere John Madden must be smiling. He loved big linemen, but he loved HUGE linemen even more. Can you imagine what he'd say about one of his so-called B.U.B.B.A.s (Brotherhood United of Bad Bodies of America) topping the league in sacks this far into a season?

He'd be going bonkers. 

Were Madden still with us, "Sexy Dexy" would be an All-Madden regular every year. Plus, every time Madden was involved with the broadcast of a Giants' game, he'd marvel at what Lawrence is doing this season.

As we all should. 

Billy Shaw, Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer

by Jeffrey J. Miller

Long-time Buffalo Bills fans (and pro football fans across the league) were saddened with the news that Billy Shaw, one of the greatest players in team history, passed away on October 4 at the age of 85.  For anyone unfamiliar with Shaw’s career, he was a member of the Bills’ American Football League championship teams of 1964 and ’65 and considered by many to be the finest guard in that league’s ten-year existence. To Buffalo fans, he was the very embodiment of the Bills’ blue-collar spirit, the perfect representation of the team and city that has always prided themselves as underdogs and an afterthought in the world of pro football. 

Shaw’s accomplishments are well-known to Bills fans and observers of the game.  He was a five-time All-AFL selection, appeared in eight AFL All Star games, and won two AFL championships.  In 1970, he was selected as one of the first-team guards on the AFL all-time team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and received the ultimate laurel when he was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1999.  To this very day, Shaw remains the only HOF enshrinee who never played a down in the National Football League.  (He is also one of only two Bills players in the Hall of Fame who played his entire career with the team, the other being Jim Kelly).    

When I was writing ROCKIN’ THE ROCKPILE back in the early 2000s, I had the good fortune to interview more than 60 players and staff from the Bills’ AFL era, including Jack Kemp, Lou Saban, Ralph Wilson, Pete Gogolak, Booker Edgerson, Ed Rutkowski, Ernie Warlick and many others, including Billy Shaw.  Even in the day before the proliferation of the cell phone, I was shocked that I found Billy’s number in the regular white pages of the phone book, which I suppose was emblematic of the man’s “regular guy” essence.  Billy was very open and forthcoming during our interview sessions, providing deep insight into his decision to go with the Buffalo Bills of the upstart American Football League rather than the established NFL after a standout career at Georgia Tech.  

“I went to (Bobby Dodd, head coach at Georgia Tech),” Shaw recalled, “and said, ‘Coach, here are my options.  Help me.’  He said, ‘There is a place in football for a new league, and you have a chance to be part of history, because if done correctly, it won’t fail.  It will enhance football.’  And he was exactly on cue.  I actually signed with Buffalo before the NFL draft, and the reason that I did that was that Dallas had made contact with me before the draft and they wanted to play me at linebacker, and I had never played linebacker.  Coach Dodd recommended I go to Buffalo because they wanted me to play on either side of the 

On behalf of Bills fans everywhere, I say, “thank you, Bobby Dodd!”  Shaw went on to anchor one of the most formidable offensive lines in AFL history, beginning with paving the way for Cookie Gilchrist as he became the first AFL running back to top the 1,000-yard mark (1,096) in 1962, protecting quarterback Jack Kemp en route to the back-to-back championships in ‘64 and ’65, and eight straight AFL All- Star games.   Shaw was so well respected that he was selected to play in the All-Star Game after the 1967 season despite missing five games that year to a severe knee injury.   

Halfback Bobby Burnett attributed a great amount of responsibility for his Rookie-of-the-Year campaign of 1966 to Shaw.  “Billy Shaw, in one of the very first practices, told me, ‘You want to be All-Pro?’  I said, ‘Yeah.’  He said, ‘ You get on my butt and follow me where I go.  I’ll make you All Pro.’” 

Our interviews covered a range of subjects, including the early days of the team and the American Football League, the dominant years from 1964 to 1966 when the team made it to three straight AFL title games, the down year of 1967 that saw Billy miss a large chunk of the schedule due to a knee injury, 1968 when the team won just one game, the AFL All Star game in January 1965 when the black players took a stand against racial discrimination and mistreatment, his assessment of many of the players he played against, memories of old War Memorial Stadium, Bills fans and much more.   

Once the project was near completion, I had to make a decision about who I wanted to write the foreword for the book.  I had many great options from which to choose, and I know that anyone of them would have been willing and done a great job.  But when it came down to it, Billy was the best choice.  To my delight, he was more than happy to accept the invitation.  And he did an outstanding job!

Billy’s passing stands as a reminder of a time when the Bills stood at the forefront of professional football (even if it was the AFL), and that the number of surviving members of that exclusive AFL fraternity is sadly dwindling.  A recent reunion of the 1964 AFL championship team held at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park (the current home of the Buffalo Bills) was attended by all of five alumni (Butch Byrd, Wray Carlton, Booker Edgerson, Paul Maguire, and Ed Rutkowski).  There are a handful of others still among us, but they were unable to attend due to health issues.

I didn’t want to make this article one of those typical listings of the man’s accomplishments (though it appears I did do some of that) with a year-by-year account of his career.  That approach gets tiresome after a while.  Just wanted to pay tribute and say “thank you” to Billy for being so generous with his time and memories, and for writing such a wonderful foreword for my book.  And as I am thinking about it now, that book would most likely not have been possible, or at least necessary, without Billy Shaw.            

               

 

Packers Overcome Jacksonville's Lengthy Drives

 By Eric Goska

Jeff Hafley's defense did more than blow bubbles
at Jacksonville Sunday.
(photos by Eric Goska)

The Jaguars unleashed a rare one-two punch against the Packers Sunday.

But for all its effort, Jacksonville’s once-in-a-blue-moon double-dip earned it nothing more than a dubious footnote in Green and Gold history.

Trevor Lawrence and his offensive teammates twice mounted far-reaching drives while hosting Green Bay at EverBank Stadium. That the outsized quarterback capped both with touchdown passes did not deter the Packers who rallied after each to post a 30-27 win.

Early on, Jacksonville displayed a distinct inability to roam the field. Three of its four initial possessions ended with a punt. The other was halted by an interception. None of the four advances yielded a first down or consisted of more than three plays.

So when Green Bay went ahead 10-0 on a 31-yard Brandon McManus field goal with six minutes, three seconds remaining in the first half, the Jaguars had all of 23 yards on 11 plays.

Reining in an opponent to that extent has always spelled victory under head coach Matt LaFleur. Six times had his Packers afforded the competition 23 or fewer yards on their first 11 snaps, and six times Green Bay prevailed.

Surely this was a cakewalk in the making?

Not even close. Jacksonville was not about to wave the white flag.

Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper forced
a fumble when he sacked Jaguars
quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Down 13-10 at the break, the Jaguars twice dialed long distance. They moved 93 yards in 10 plays to go ahead 17-10 on their second possession of the third quarter. They then zipped 87 yards on 8 plays to tie the score at 27 with 1:48 remaining in the game.

The home team made it look easy. Especially Lawrence who compiled a perfect passer rating on the two advances by completing 10 of 12 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

The six-foot-six signal caller doled out passes to seven different receivers: Evan Engram (3-34), Brenton Strange (2-26), Christian Kirk (1-26), D’Ernest Johnson (1-20), Tim Jones (1-15), Parker Washington (1-15) and Brian Thomas (1-14). Thomas and Engram each reached the end zone, both from 14 yards out.

More than half (10) of Jacksonville’s 19 first downs were produced on the two forays. Nearly half (185) of the Jaguars’ 390 yards were produced while running rampant.

Lawrence’s plunge for two on fourth down kept the first advance alive. His pass to Strange for 21 on third down ensured the second continued.

Devonte Wyatt recovered a fumble that led to
a Packers touchdown.

Yielding touchdowns after an opponent has traveled more than 85 yards twice in one game is virtually unheard of in Packerland. It had happened just four times previously since 1921, a span of 1,442 regular-season games.

Each of the four teams that did it – Giants in 2022, Falcons in 2017, Rams in 1956 and Lions in 1951 – defeated Green Bay. Jacksonville becomes the first to go to such lengths and lose.

Though the Packers prevailed, concerns ought to be raised regarding their defense or lack thereof. Even in a sport with the scales tipped in favor of the offense, giving up two touchdowns in the same game on drives of more than 85 yards is alarming.

Prior to Sunday, the league’s 32 teams had combined to produce 2,333 drives in 2024 with 287 of those originating inside a team’s 15-yard line. Just 43 of those 287 (15 percent) resulted in touchdowns.

At EverBank Stadium, four of Jacksonville’s 12 possessions started within 14 yards of its goal. That half of those wound up with the Jaguars in the end zone is two too many.

Thus, Green Bay became the third team to allow two touchdowns on drives of more than 85 yards in one game this season. Minnesota gave up two to the Packers in its 31-29 win on Sept. 29, and Washington surrendered two in falling 30-23 to the Ravens on Oct. 13.

Area Code 86+6
Since 1921, only five teams have staged two touchdown drives of more than 85 yards in a regular-season game against the Packers.

           Date                      Team          Drive 1         Drive 2             Result
   Oct. 27, 2024                Jaguars           10-93              8-87             GB won, 30-27
    Oct. 9, 2022                  Giants            11-86             15-91              GB lost, 22-27
  Sept. 17, 2017               Falcons             9-86              10-87             GB lost, 23-34
   Dec. 16, 1956                 Rams               6-97              11-86             GB lost, 21-49
   Nov. 22, 1951                 Lions             10-86              2-90              GB lost, 35-52

TUESDAY TIDBITS: "How Can I Be Sure"

By TJ Troup

Lions running back Billy Sims

We all have influences, and am still influenced by songs and the folks that compose, play, and sing those songs. 

Today is Eddie Brigati's birthday, and in '67 with the Young Rascals, one his signature songs and thus the title for today's column.

 This past Sunday afternoon the Lions and Vikings had one helluva game! 

Filled with twists & turns; outstanding plays, and plenty of drama. These two teams have met many times, but has never really been much of a rivalry since the Vikings have won so often when these two teams play. 

Have researched every 100-yard rushing performance in league history, and when one team has a 100-yard rusher, and the opponent does not—the team with the 100-yard rusher wins 77% of the time. Gibbs of the Lions gained 116 luggin' the leather in the Detroit victory. 

What is the Lions record when they have had a 100-yard rusher against Minnesota you ask? Detroit has won 11 lost 7 and tied once; not near 77%, yet what is the Lions record historically in the games against the Vikings when they don't have a 100-yard rusher? 

Since October 27th, 1963 the Vikings have won 73 lost just 33 and tied once. Most of those Lion 100-yard rushing performances against Minnesota were accomplished by Sims and Sanders. When James Stewart of the Lions gained over 100 rushing on October 14th, 2001 would be the last time a Detroit runner would pound out 100 yards on the ground against the Vikings till this past Sunday! 

How many teams have had such failure in running the ball against a division opponent that twenty-three years must pass before a runner could go over the century mark? We all know the league now is a quarterback-driven league, but a few old former coaches (that are also dinosaurs) still enjoy the run game. 

Derrick Henry (l) and Sanquon Barkley (r)

Speaking of the men who can lug the leather, am sure looking forward to the December 1st match-up between the Eagles and Ravens, and possibly that day the focus will be on Barkley and Henry? Those two workhorses still might be ranked at the top of the rushing leaders of the league then?

Love Hits Fifty in Win Over Texans

 By Eric Goska

Jordan Love (shown here during training camp) threw the
50th regular-season TD pass of his career Sunday.
(photos by Eric Goska)

In a fast-paced world of bigger-better-bolder, Jordan Love delivers.

Love threw his 50th regular-season touchdown pass Sunday. The scoring throw was one of three he launched as the Packers nipped the Texans 24-22 at Lambeau Field.

In getting his hat trick, Love connected with Tucker Kraft and Dontayvion Wicks in the second quarter and Josh Jacobs in the third. Each score put Green Bay ahead in a game in which the lead changed hands seven times.

Considerable bandwidth has been afforded Love and his penchant for finding the end zone. Whether it be the Dope Sheet put out by the Packers ahead of the game or play-by-play man Jim Nantz of CBS during the broadcast, Love is getting his due.

One can expect the Dope Sheet, the team’s weekly media information packet, to be in Love’s corner. Here are a couple of nuggets put to paper before Green Bay and Houston tangled for the sixth time.

• Love now has posted 15 straight games with 200-plus passing yards and at least one passing TD, which is the second-longest streak in franchise history behind only QB Aaron Rodgers’ 19-game streak from 2010-12.
• Love has thrown multiple TD passes in each of his last eight games, the second-longest streak in team history behind only Rodgers’ 13-game streak in 2011.

After Love struck gold with Kraft on the fourth play of the second quarter, Nantz reported that Love had thrown a touchdown pass in 17 consecutive games. After No. 10 did the same with Wicks, Nantz let the viewing audience know that Love had thrown multiple touchdown passes in nine straight games.

With just over four minutes remaining until halftime, CBS put up a graphic that showed how many TD passes Love (45), Aaron Rodgers (39), Brett Favre (28) and Bart Starr (15) had thrown in their first 22 starts.

Said Nantz: “And now, look, Jordan Love has more than all of those three legends.”

Johnny Jolly (2006-09, 2013) signed autographs.

Games started is one way to look at how quickly and often a player rings the bell. Examining the number of attempts needed to reach a particular milestone is another.

Nine passers have thrown 50 or more TD passes for the Packers during the regular season. Four, including Love, needed fewer than 1,000 attempts to get there.

Love secured No. 50 on a safety-valve pass to Jacobs from the Houston 8 midway through the third quarter. After securing the ball at the 11, the running back did the rest, eluding linebacker Jake Hanson on his way to the end zone.

Nantz noted that the score was the first receiving TD by Jacobs in his 6-year career. He did not mention Love having hit 50.

For Love, the throw was the 829th of his regular-season career. Only Cecil Isbell (666) and Arnie Herber (768) – two-way players from a bygone era – required fewer attempts to get there.

Of course, Love had help in reaching this latest benchmark. Five of his teammates have caught two or more TD passes thrown by him: Jayden Reed (11), Romeo Doubs (10), Christian Watson (8), Wicks (7) and Kraft (6). Eight others have grabbed one each.

Next up for the Packers is Jacksonville where Love could add to his haul. No team has surrendered more touchdowns through the air than have the Jaguars (16).

Getting Up To Speed
Packers passers and the attempt on which they threw their 50th regular-season TD pass.

        Att.        Passer                          Stat Line at 50 TD Passes
         666        Cecil Isbell                           666-330-5032-50-45
         768        Arnie Herber*                      768-309-5003-50-73
         829        Jordan Love                        829-524-6055-50-22
         969        Aaron Rodgers                  969-620-7448-50-19
       1,016       Tobin Rote                          1016-431-6178-50-76
       1,270       Bart Starr                             1270-721-9670-50-65
       1,307       Brett Favre                         1307-809-8507-50-44
       1,310       Don Majkowski                 1310-724-9074-50-45
       1,431       Lynn Dickey                        1431-781-9823-50-74

Numbers used for Arnie Herber's first two seasons (1930-31) are those of historian David Neff.