GREEN BAY, Wis. — Jordan Love was one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks over the second half of last season. He had 18 touchdowns against just one interception over the final eight games while leading the Green Bay Packers to a playoff berth in his first season as the starter to prove it.
His coach thinks he’s playing even better now.
“This is the best ball he’s played,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Thursday. “Just when I look at all the little things … in terms of his ability to manipulate the pocket when he’s under duress, getting the ball to his checkdowns, or whatever it may be, I think he’s playing at a really high level.”
It helps that Love has gotten past the knee and groin injuries that slowed him early in the season. Love threw his 11th interception of the season on Nov. 17 against the Chicago Bears. That matched his entire total from last season.
He hasn’t thrown another pick since.
In the past four games, Love has seven touchdowns without an interception. He has three more games, beginning with Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), to see how close he can come to matching last season’s finish. The Packers (10-4) can clinch a playoff spot with a win or tie.
Despite missing two full games because of the knee injury and the second half of another after the groin injury, Love still ranks tied for seventh in the NFL with 25 touchdowns.
Love’s four-game streak without an interception is tied for the second longest of his career.
It wasn’t that long ago that it was worth wondering whether Love had an interception problem.
“I think a lot of it is just decision-making, just being smarter when I have the ball in my hands, understanding that … we win a lot of games when we take care of the ball,” Love said. “So I think the defense is doing a great job of generating those turnovers, but it all starts on offense, just being able to play a clean game and take care of the ball. But it’s definitely been a focus, just making smarter decisions with it.”
While Love wasn’t ready to say this is the best he’s played, he did not disagree with the comparisons to the second half of last season.
“I think you look at how we played last year toward the end and now; I think it’s pretty similar,” Love said. “The main thing for me is just taking care of the ball, being smart with it, going out there and finding completions and keep continuing to stack those positive plays.”
It’s probably no coincidence that Love’s connection with deep-ball receiver Christian Watson has spiked in recent weeks. Over the past five games, Watson leads the NFL with a whopping 29.8 yards per catch on 13 receptions for 387 yards. Only three other players are over 20 yards per catch during that span.
“There’s always a momentum thing in this game,” Watson said. “I feel like the more you’re able to make plays, the easier it is to make plays when they come. I definitely think that helps.”
