After leaving Green Bay’s 30-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, an MRI taken on October 28th confirmed that Packers quarterback Jordan Love avoided a long-term injury to his groin, which means he “has a shot” to play against the Detroit Lions this weekend, according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Love was able to record 14 completions on 22 attempts for 196 passing yards before leaving Sunday’s game against the Jaguars in the third quarter.
If Love is unable to go, it will mark the third game this season that he has missed due to injury. When available, Love has managed to stuff the stat sheet. He is currently tied for third in the NFL with 15 passing touchdowns and tied for first with nine interceptions on the season.
Packers Star Could Go in Week 9 Divisional Matchup
Next Steps
Pushing Love to play would be a mistake. The Packers will need him to be fully healthy if they want to make any type of playoff push. Also, things didn’t go well the last time Green Bay rushed Love back when the second-year starter threw three interceptions against the Minnesota Vikings in a 31-29 home loss.
The right decision would be to give Malik Willis the start against the Lions. Willis has shown that he can be reliable when asked to answer the call. He won both starts he had to make in weeks two and three. More importantly, he led a game-winning drive against the Jaguars thanks to a beautiful pass he threw to Jayden Reed for 51 yards. Willis has earned the trust of the Packers coaching staff and fans.
With that in mind, this will be the toughest test of Willis’ career. The three teams Malik Willis has beaten this year have a combined record of 7-16 for a win percentage of .304. That is very different than the 6-1 Detroit Lions who come into Lambeau with the NFL’s second-best record and a win percentage of .857. Dan Campbell and the Lions undoubtedly pose a much greater threat than the three worst teams in the AFC South.
Still, starting Malik Willis over a hobbled Jordan Love makes the most sense. If Jordan Love tears his groin and is lost for the season, then Green Bay’s playoff hopes are crushed by week nine. However, if Malik Willis gets the start and loses a close game, then the Packers are only two games out of first place in the NFC North. They would also have valuable game tape on the Lions for the next time these two meet. You don’t want to risk the long-term health of your $220 million quarterback for a game that could end up being meaningless when the 2024-25 NFL season ends. Give Willis the ball, and let Jordan Love get two weeks of rest so that he is ready to go for when the Packers play the Chicago Bears on November 17th.
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