Jordan Love had especially hot hand in Packers win over Lions | Film review

GREEN BAY – Each week during the NFL season, PackersNews reporter Pete Dougherty and Eric Baranczyk break down game film from the Green Bay Packers game, looking for significant developments.

The following is an excerpt from last week’s story. For the full story, click here.

Jordan Love had a hot hand

When Jordan Love is on, he makes some great throws, and he was on in the 31-24 Thanksgiving Day victory against the Detroit Lions.

The Packers quarterback’s 51-yard deep shot to Christian Watson for a touchdown was a beauty. It hit Watson in the stomach in stride and could not have been dropped on the receiver any better.

But Love had several other excellent throws as well.

One was late in the second quarter on a third-and-5. With defensive end Aidan Hutchinson closing in from the back side, Love hung in the pocket as things heated up around him and allowed Dontayvion Wicks’ route to develop in one-on-one coverage against Brian Branch.

With Branch’s back to him, Love looped a ball just over his shoulder and right onto Wicks for a big 18-yard gain that kept the scoring drive alive.

Love then finished the drive with another of his best throws, on fourth-and-1 from the 2. This was a high-pressure play, because it was all-or-nothing, a touchdown or a long but empty possession. Romeo Doubs ran an out route at the goal line, and Love had to throw the ball a long way at a tight angle without much margin for error. He zipped the pass right on Doubs’ body to make it look like an easy play for a touchdown.

Another of his best throws came on a well-designed play by coach Matt LaFleur. It came on that same drive, with 4 minutes, 31 seconds to play in the second quarter on a second-and-8 from Detroit’s 34.

LaFleur called a bootleg to Love’s right, and it was a tough play to defend because the Lions had to account for Love possibly running for the first down, as well as receivers running parallel routes with him at three levels.

Usually on that bootleg, a tight end runs the shallowest route, but LaFleur had Watson peel back behind the offense line as the route in the flat. That drew Branch in coverage.

Wicks ran an intermediate route across the field with cornerback Amik Robertson in coverage. And tight end Luke Musgrave was the surprise on the play and ran the deepest route instead of the shallowest. He got a step on linebacker Alex Anzalone when the latter lunged at him on the line of scrimmage expecting a run, but still Anzalone’s coverage wasn’t bad when Musgrave broke his route to the sideline.

Love had a big enough window to throw to Wicks but went for the bigger gain and made a perfect throw on the run to Musgrave. He led Musgrave enough that Anzalone couldn’t get to the ball but still allowed the tight end to make a comfortable if reaching, sliding catch. The play picked up 23 yards and helped set up Doubs’ touchdown.

If Love would have been stationary on the throw, it would have been good, but to be that accurate on the move made it great.

Love missed a few throws as well, but overall he played with poise and was a big difference maker in this game.

This article originally appeared on Packers News: Jordan Love had especially hot hand Packers win vs Lions | Film review