Love's Rating Nose Dives in Packers' Loss to Raiders

 By Eric Goska

Jordan Love in action against the Seahawks in a preseason game in August.
(photos by Eric Goska)

Jordan Love is struggling.

The Packers quarterback compiled the lowest passer rating of his fledgling NFL career Monday night at Allegiant Stadium as Green Bay fell 17-13 to the Raiders.

Love’s sixth career start was the first in which he failed to throw a touchdown pass. Another first: he tossed three interceptions in the same game.

In completing 16 of 30 passes for 182 yards, Love earned a passer rating of 32.2.  In five previous starts, he had never fallen below 65.

His performance in Las Vegas stood in stark contrast to the numbers he put up early in the season. Perhaps this low was to be expected after such a promising start.

Love posted back-to-back 100-plus ratings to open the season (123.2 in Chicago and 113.5 in Atlanta). After two weeks, his passer rating of 118.8 lead the league.

In the three games since, Love has put together an uninspiring mark of 57.7. His season rating of 77.3 ranks 28th.

TE Luke Musgrave (88) caught a team-high
six passes from Jordan Love Monday night.

Against the Raiders, Love had little success going deep. Aside from a 77-yard bomb to Christian Watson, Love’s longest completion was a pitch and catch to Josiah Deguara for 19. Fourteen of Love’s 16 completions gained 12 or fewer yards.

Love did not do enough on third down. The product of Utah State University completed 4-of-10 passes for 23 yards and a pick for a passer rating of 8.3. He converted just two third downs with his throws.

Love turned the ball over. His three interceptions included two in the fourth quarter, both of which snuffed out promising drives that had migrated into Las Vegas territory. A touchdown on either advance would have given Green Bay a late lead.

In not measuring up, Love joins a short list of three other Packers quarterbacks this century who clocked in below 35 in a game: Brett Favre (3 times), Aaron Rodgers and Brett Hundley. Favre was the only one to emerge victorious, doing so twice.

According to Stathead, there have been 316 instances of players posting a rating below 35 in the regular season since 2000 (minimum 20 attempts). Under those circumstances, teams won 25 times against 291 losses (7.9 percent).

Dare we say it? By sinking so low, Love has no place to go but up.

Favre, Rodgers and Hundley all improved the week after visiting this low-rent district. Their bounce-backs ranged from 10 to 73 points depending on the player.

Perhaps Love can go from outhouse to penthouse when he travels to Denver a week after enjoying a bye. If not, he could join Anthony Dilweg (1990), Don Majkowski (1988), David Whitehurst (1977), Lynn Dickey (1976), John Hadl (1975), Don Horn (1970) and Tony Canadeo (1943) as Packers who went two weeks in a row in the same season with a rating below 35.

The Big Chill: Hovering Near Freezing on a Passing Front
Since 2000, the seven instances of Packers QBs posting a passer rating below 35 (min. 20 attempts)

Rate   Player                  A-C-Yds-TD-INT       Date                       Opp.              Result
30.2    Brett Hundley        40-17-130-0-2            Dec. 23, 2017        Vikings        GB lost, 0-16
32.2    Jordan Love            30-16-182-0-3           Oct. 9, 2023           Raiders        GB lost, 13-17
32.4    Brett Favre             29-14-131-0-2            Dec. 5, 2004           Eagles        GB lost, 17-47
32.9    Brett Favre             37-20-174-0-3            Dec. 17, 2006         Lions          GB won, 17-9
33.5    Brett Favre             33-18-189-0-3            Sept. 17, 2000        Eagles         GB won, 6-3
34.3    Brett Favre             29-14-144-0-2            Dec. 19, 2005         Ravens       GB lost, 3-48
34.3    Aaron Rodgers       42-17-185-0-2            Dec. 14, 2014         Bills           GB lost, 13-21