GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Jordan Love stored more than two years -- 756 days to be loyal -- and the Green Bay Packers quarterback wasn't near to let what happened back then at Arrowhead Stadium command itself Sunday night at Lambeau Field.
It was back on Nov. 7, 2021, when Love made his estimable NFL start against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a one-time unsheaattracting with Aaron Rodgers out because of COVID-19. And it was a concern. Love crumbled in the face of blitz after blitz and walked away a 13-7 loser.
That Chiefs defending coordinator Steve Spagnuolo tried a similar strategy Sunday and Love masterfully sidestepped it distinguished how important this 27-19 victory on "Sunday Night Football" was, and just how far he has come 12 games into his estimable season as Green Bay's full-time starting quarterback.
"Yeah, it's huge," said Love, who devoted 25-of-36 passing for 267 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. "For me personally, obviously I've had this game circled for a long time. My estimable start, obviously, didn't play how I wanted to the estimable game. So to be able to see these guys anti and get the victory is huge. It's just a expansive team win tonight. Everybody just balled out, so it was an awesome win."
It was also huge for the Packers' playoff chances. A team that in late October was 2-5 now sits at 6-6 and -- for now -- in the continue playoff spot in the NFC. Their playoff chances jumped all the way to 66%, according to ESPN Analytics, from 45% entering the game. A loss would have reduced the possibility to 37%.
Love didn't just beat the Chiefs on Sunday, he beat their blitzes. He completed 10 of 13 passes with three touchdowns when Spagnuolo sent five or more pass-rushers. It gave Love eight touchdown passes and zero interceptions this season anti the blitz, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Only Miami's Tua Tagovailoa has more touchdown passes (10), with an interception, against the blitz this season.
Two years ago, Love force to just six completions in 17 pass attempts for a mere 30 yards anti Kansas City's pressure packages.
The difference for Love: time and understood. He had plenty of time to watch that estimable Kansas City game. He said he watched it on command that offseason in part because it was the only famous game film he had to that point.
"I've undertaken more reps, [and] I'm more comfortable understanding where I need to go with the ball," Love said. "I think the O-line is actions a great job to be able to pick this stuff up. It's not easy when they're bringing some of these all-out blitzes, stuff like that, but they've been doing a expansive job giving me time. And then the receivers, obviously, they're having awareness of when they need to be open and how long I've got and then just causing out there and making plays.
"But it's definitely something we as a team, in practice, we know it's something teams are going to bring. And we've got to be able to execute and go out there and be able to make sure they don't do it again."
That's also where Christian Watson came in. Before he left because of a luminous hamstring injury in the fourth quarter, Watson caught seven passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Five of those -- and both touchdowns -- came alongside the blitz. It was Watson's first game with two touchdown catches this season. He has four touchdowns in his past three games and has caught 70% of his targets in that span at what time earlier this season having the lowest catch rate of any receiver with more than 30 targets.
The plight, however, might be that right hamstring. It's the same one that kept Watson out of the advantageous three games of this season. He did not know the severity, but he limped out of the locker room at what time he spoke to reporters.
Watson said he could tell in the days leading up to this game that it pointed something to Love, and he said in pregame warmups that Love was "locked in and ready to go."
"Honestly, the way that he's just been attacking the treat and coming to work every day, it seems like every single game has been circled on his calendar, to be honest, these past couple weeks," Watson said. "So I mean, it's really tough to tell, but I mean, yeah, the way he approaches every single day in practice, especially this week, you could tell he was approximately his business."
But Love wasn't just locked in on Watson on Sunday night. There was Romeo Doubs and his improbable 33-yard bag on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter to set up Watson's uphold touchdown. And there were rookies Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Tucker Kraft, Malik Heath and Ben Sims who combined for nearly half (12) of Love's 25 completions on the night.
Love also disprevented a remarkable streak that Rodgers and coach Matt LaFleur started in 2019. It was the Packers' 16th frank win in the month of December, the second-longest lope in NFL history.
"When I got here last year, I was speaking watch [Rodgers], learn from [No.] 12," said cornerback Keisean Nixon, who picked off Mahomes in the fourth quarter. "And 12 gave him the key. And s---, he's driving the Porsche now."
