GREEN BAY, Wis. — There’s a chance Packers quarterback Jordan Love plays Sunday against the Lions after suffering a groin injury that knocked him out of last week’s game against the Jaguars, or at least that’s what the Packers want the Lions to believe.
Love sprained his groin on Green Bay’s opening drive while rolling out before a third-down incompletion. Love said Wednesday that the injury bothered him throughout the game while playing another two quarters before a late shove to the back from Jaguars edge Travon Walker knocked him out of the game for good. Love didn’t practice on Wednesday and head coach Matt LaFleur said they’ll monitor him one day at a time this week and see where he’s at before Sunday’s matchup between two of the NFL’s best teams.
How realistic is it that Love will play against the Lions?
“I think it’s realistic,” he said, adding, “I’ve made progress. It’s definitely feeling better. I think every day there will be some improvements to it, but definitely feels better than it did on Sunday.”
Love said he’d be fine playing without practicing this week, but that’s not his ideal scenario to prepare for a game. He said playing through the injury in Jacksonville hampered his ability to extend plays, not necessarily throw from the pocket, but LaFleur said Love is moving around better a couple of days post-injury. It comes down to being able to protect himself during a game, which to Love, means being able to move if he needs to.
LaFleur said if Love is cleared and able to play, he’ll play, even with the bye week following Sunday’s tilt with the Lions. It’s a massive game for potential division and playoff implications down the line, especially since a loss would drop the Packers (6-2) to 0-2 in the NFC North. They sit a half-game behind the 6-1 Lions, who have already had their bye week.
Jordan Love said his groin is definitely feeling better.
How realistic is it to play Sunday against the Lions?
“I think it’s realistic.” pic.twitter.com/Ro2OQu9OpU
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) October 30, 2024
“Obviously a big division opponent coming up, so going to do all I can to try to get back,” said Love, who admitted that the magnitude of Sunday’s game factors into playing or not. “At the same time, no matter who we were playing, with any injury, I’m going to try to get back as soon as I can. I want to be out there for the guys and my team and to put my best foot forward out there for them.”
If Love doesn’t play, the Packers are far more comfortable with backup Malik Willis than they were entering their Week 2 game against the Colts after Love sprained his MCL in the season opener.
Willis has demonstrated a starter’s-worthy command of the offense, an ability to create with his feet and even the ability to pass the ball downfield with accuracy, which was the biggest question surrounding his arsenal when he was thrust into the line of fire a month and a half ago. The Packers won both games he started and finished against the Colts and Titans in September and prevailed against the Jaguars when Willis played most of the second half, largely because of his dime to a wide-open Jayden Reed for 51 yards late in the fourth quarter.
“A lot more,” LaFleur said when asked how much more comfortable he is with Willis now than before Week 2 when Willis had only been in Green Bay for 19 days before his first start. “He’s got a good understanding of what we’re trying to get accomplished, of the techniques and fundamentals, so I would say much more confident. And I think that kind of showed in the game, too. It’s not like in the game, we weren’t going to run anything … everything was live that we had installed. He’s done a really nice job.”
During Sunday’s game in Jacksonville, tight end Tucker Kraft said to the team in the huddle with Willis that they had been there before with their backup quarterback to inspire belief after Love went down.
“He’s only had more time to develop and learn this offense, so I think it was just important to make sure everyone stayed calm,” Kraft said. “There’s not a doubt in my mind that we’re going to go out here with Malik and execute.”
Willis, though, doesn’t necessarily believe his prior success inspires confidence going forward. Perhaps his even-keeled nature is what’s helped him excel in high-pressure situations when called upon this season.
“I don’t think it matters,” Willis said of helping to win all three games he’s played in with regards to what might await. “It’s easy to win. It’s easy to lose in this league. It’s just how it’s dealt. You’ve just got to be able to be ready when the time comes and work hard each day to get better. I feel like that’s more important than being confident by a couple of wins. These are different teams. Each team is different and each game is its own game.”
Love wasn’t the only key player on the Packers’ first injury report of the week. The other non-participants in Wednesday’s practice were cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee), running back Josh Jacobs (ankle), left guard Elgton Jenkins (glute), center Josh Myers (wrist), left tackle Rasheed Walker (knee) and safety Evan Williams (hamstring).
Josh Jacobs didn’t practice today because of an ankle injury suffered Sunday:
“I’ll be good game time.” pic.twitter.com/ep8eEallVs
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) October 30, 2024
According to a source, Alexander avoided a major knee injury in Sunday’s game against the Jaguars, but his status for this Sunday’s game against the Lions is unclear. Jenkins and Myers dealt with the same injuries last week but still played, so count on them to play against the Lions. Walker’s status for Sunday’s game is unclear and so is Williams’ after his injury knocked him out of last Sunday’s game in the first half and he didn’t return. Williams has earned a starting role at safety, so his absence could lead to a couple of moving parts in the secondary once again.
“Evan felt something pregame,” LaFleur said. “He tried to go out and play and it set off a chain reaction in terms of how do you go about putting who you feel like is going to give you the best chance to win? Bull (Javon Bullard) didn’t practice any at safety all week and then he’s got to go play safety and I think that’s tough on a young player. You kick Keisean (Nixon) inside. Obviously, I think our corner depth’s pretty good, so that led to CV (Carrington Valentine) and (Eric) Stokes getting more opportunities. As far as the rotation goes amongst those guys, we’re going to rotate all those guys because we have confidence in them.”
Jacobs, whom LaFleur kept out of the game late in the fourth quarter despite the running back wanting to stay in, should be good to go for Sunday.
“I feel pretty good,” Jacobs said Wednesday, adding that his injury bothered him on his 38-yard touchdown run that featured several sharp cuts. “I’ll be good come game time … you don’t never really feel it until after the game. Like you feel it in the game, but it be alright. Then after the game, when you get on the plane and it’s swelled up, you kind of get off and like damn, it all settled in. But I’ll be alright.”
The Packers will need as many of their banged-up starters as possible come Sunday against a team without discernible weakness across all three phases.
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(Photo: Rich Storry / Getty Images)
