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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Employees Author
GREEN BAY, Wis. — This would possibly as properly be Week 19 of the common season and never the beginning of the pressure-packed NFL playoffs. Not less than that is Inexperienced Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s method to Sunday’s NFC wild-card sport on the Dallas Cowboys after the first-year beginning quarterback led his group into the playoffs.
That comes as no shock to those that have watched Love all season.
“I really feel like he is at all times on the identical degree,” Packers receiver Christian Watson mentioned. “I believe I’ve mentioned this because the second he received the job, that he has like a bizarre poise about him, though he is being thrown into an enormous position. He is saved it all through the entire season, good and unhealthy, and he is saved it now. So I believe he is proper the place he must be.”
It will likely be Love’s first playoff begin however not his first time round a group within the postseason. The Packers made the playoffs twice in Love’s three seasons as Aaron Rodgers’ backup.
When requested if he seen something extraordinary that Rodgers did to arrange throughout a playoff week, Love mentioned: “No, I actually do not assume there’s something you modify.”
In his three years round Rodgers, Love mentioned they by no means mentioned Rodgers’ first playoff look. Love didn’t even know that it was a 51-45 additional time loss on the Arizona Cardinals in one of many wildest video games in Packers’ postseason historical past.
“I do not assume we ever talked about that one,” Love mentioned.
That is to not say Love does not perceive how tough it’s to make the playoffs as a first-year beginning quarterback — one thing neither Rodgers nor Brett Favre did — or that he will not have the same old pregame jitters. However his method is designed to maintain every little thing the identical.
“Each sport I am going by means of a guidelines of what I inform myself, issues to attempt to inform myself to loosen up, relax, see the sport, let it come to me, and simply deal with all of the little particulars that I can deal with, management what I can management,” Love mentioned. “So I do not assume will probably be any completely different than every other sport. Clearly, will probably be an away sport, will probably be a loud surroundings. So simply attempting to get my ft and get settled into the sport shall be large.”
Love rolls into the postseason coming off two straight video games for which he was named NFC Offensive Participant of the Week, making him the primary Packers participant since receiver Don Beebe in 1996 to win a participant of the week award twice in a row. He is been arguably pretty much as good as any quarterback over the previous eight video games of the season, with 18 touchdowns and one interception.
All through the second half of the season, Love’s management has develop into obvious, too, even when a few of the tales behind it have been exaggerated.
Final week, receiver Bo Melton revealed that Love has been internet hosting dinners and movie classes for the complete offense on Monday nights. On Wednesday, Love clarified that it is really solely been twice they usually watch Monday Night time Soccer, not sport movie, however that does not imply it hasn’t been significant.
“I believe that speaks volumes,” working again Aaron Jones mentioned. “That is the way you actually come collectively as a group and get to know one another, bond. You are taking part in for one another, however you have to know one another to play for one another.”
“I really feel like that is one of many largest methods — communion, breaking bread collectively. Who does not like to eat? Jordan has a pleasant crib, so we love kicking again over there, taking part in some pool, watching Monday Night time Soccer, no matter it is likely to be. Consuming good meals, desserts and simply having fun with ourselves.”
Love and the Packers’ offense might need one thing else going for it in opposition to the second-seeded and closely favored Cowboys: an almost wholesome roster. Operating again AJ Dillon, who sustained a extreme stinger two weeks in the past, was the one participant who did not apply on Wednesday. Even Watson, who has missed the previous 5 video games due to a hamstring damage, and fellow receiver Romeo Doubs, who left Sunday’s win over the Bears as a result of he was coughing up blood and needed to go the hospital, practiced on a restricted foundation.
“I believe it would be nice,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur mentioned of probably having his full complement of ability gamers for the playoffs. “You’ll be able to by no means have sufficient good gamers. Actually, I believe not having them for fairly a while, it creates some challenges in, ‘How do you insert them into the lineup and what precisely are you going to do with them?’ However that is a superb downside to have to determine.”