Jordan Love’s touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks during the Green Bay Packers’ blowout victory over the Dallas Cowboys was a master class of quarterback play.
Diagnosing the defense. Adjusting the protection. Pocket presence. Fearlessness. Trust. Arm talent.
It was all there on a third-and-7 touchdown pass that gave the Packers a 20-0 lead late in the first half and helped send them on their way to Saturday’s NFC Divisional game at the San Francisco 49ers.
The throw and the catch are what jump off the screen. It’s the behind-the-scenes work that made it possible.
“That was an awesome play,” Love said, “but we’ve watched the pressure tape throughout the week. We have all the answers with the different protection calls we make.”
The key to it all came with 10 seconds left on the play clock.
“We went with a double-cadence, and they showed the pressure right away,” Love said.
At that point, with their two off-the-ball linebackers showing blitz, Love knew he had the Cowboys right where he wanted them. The team had gone through that blitz during the practice week and Love had the answer.
So long as everyone did their job, the Packers were going to score a touchdown.
“They give you all the keys and it’s on you to be able to go out there, see it, and then be able to pick it up with the clock running down,” Love said.
Love stepped to the line of scrimmage to get the blocking organized to make sure there were enough blockers available to pick up the six rushers. He then dropped back into shotgun, clapped his hands, got the snap and ripped the pass to Wicks while drifting backward against the oncoming rush.
“The thing that’s been cool is to watch the evolution of his abilities,” coach Matt LaFleur said after the game.
When the Packers lost without Aaron Rodgers at Kansas City in 2021, Love was overwhelmed by a Chiefs defense that blitzed him relentlessly. Knowing opposing defenses would throw the kitchen sink at Love as the permanent replacement for Rodgers, LaFleur spent the offseason planning accordingly.
“It’s time spent, value received, so you’ve got to judge how much time you want to put into that,” LaFleur continued. “For him to be able to get us into a max protection look (in) a matter of a few seconds to get Tuck(er Kraft) to stay in on a protection and to hang in there when you got a free runner at you, I just thought that was so impressive. I think that’s just a great example of what he is, the growth that’s transpired with him.”
With Kraft kept in to block the sixth rusher, Love stayed in the pocket. He trusted the blockers would do their job, just like he trusted Wicks would beat veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore with no safety help.
“I was able to get to the check and I was just hoping that they stayed with it, didn’t check out of it,” Love said. “I knew we had a great play on, and it came down to if Wicks was going to win on his route or not, and he did that.”
The play impressed 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, giving him and the powerful Niners defense a glimpse of the challenge that awaits on Saturday night.
Wilks knows he needs to pressure Love. Love knows he must respond like he did on the touchdown to Wicks and has over the last nine games, with a league-high eight touchdown passes and a league-low zero interceptions while pressured.
“That’s an area of my game I’ve improved, I’ve tried to focus on,” Love said. “That’s a play of just everybody executing, coming together, picking up the blitz and Wicks going out there and putting a great route on tape and finishing the play.”
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