Matt LaFleur praises hidden aspect of Jordan Love's play and explains its importance in Packers' win over the Bengals

Everyone knows Jordan Love for his ability as a passer. The way he maneuvers the pocket and avoids sacks is probably his best superpower as an NFL quarterback. But that doesn’t mean the Green Bay Packers quarterback doesn’t have athletic legs — and he put those on display during the 27-18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Love had 26 yards on seven rushing attempts, and his mobility went much beyond those numbers. In addition to some key scrambles to generate first downs for the Packers, Love showed his ability to move the pocket and generate extra time. There was an interception in the first quarter, but outside of that mistake, the results were great.

“I thought he played his [expletive] off. I know that was one of the better games that he's played for us in terms of just being able to use his legs to convert critical third downs,” head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game. “His ability to maneuver through and find a way to pick up a first down, the third down conversion late in the game when they had just sacked us and they got all the momentum, that was a big time play to hit [Matthew Golden] right there. So yeah, quarterbacks, every play is under a microscope and certainly we never want to give the ball up, but I thought he played his [expletive] off.”

Love’s mobility isn't a coincidence

Jordan Love was limited to the pocket for the most part last year, but that doesn’t mean this is who he will always be. The quarterback had shown some mobility earlier in his career, and getting back to that was a priority this year after handling so many injuries in 2024.

“Quarterbacks using their legs and trying to extend plays when the routes are covered or things break down in the pocket is huge,” Love explained. “It puts an extra layer of pressure on the defense. That's something I had to focus on coming into the season, trying to use my legs more and extend some of these plays. Last year, I was dealing with some things, so I wasn't moving around as much.

“It's definitely been a big emphasis for me,” Love added. “And it's been huge to be able to extend some of these plays, especially on third and short. I just have to keep trying to find ways to do that, and I think it's been great.”

The other aspects of Love’s game, including the arm talent and sack avoidance, will still be there. But a little bit of extra juice won’t be a negative.

“There were some opportunities where I could have extended the plays and made some plays with my legs. It's definitely been a focus coming into OTAs and training camp,” Love reinforced. “If it's not there, trying to find ways to use my legs.”

In an era when quarterback can make everything, Jordan Love keeps showing he can be a complete player as well.