The Green Bay Packers got an encouraging update on Jordan Love only two days before their Thursday night matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
Love briefly dealt with discomfort and numbness in his right arm after taking a hit to the elbow during Sunday’s 20-17 overtime win over the New York Jets. He repeatedly shook out his hand afterward, creating at least some concern about whether the issue could linger into a short week.
That concern appears to be gone.
PackersNews’ Ryan Wood reported Tuesday that Love said the discomfort went away before the Jets game ended and never affected his ability to throw.
“After strip sack, Jordan Love said discomfort in his elbow went away before Jets game ended. It did not affect any of his throws, he said. At no point did he think the elbow might force him to leave the game. He indicated the elbow is a non-issue for ATL, even on a short week,” Wood wrote.
Love also wasn’t listed on Green Bay’s initial Week 3 injury report Monday.
Jordan Love Says Elbow Won’t Affect Falcons Game
The scare came during a game Green Bay badly needed.
The Packers entered Week 2 trying to avoid an 0-2 start after blowing a second-half lead in a 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Green Bay then fell behind the Jets 17-7 in the fourth quarter before rallying for a 20-17 overtime win.
Love finished 16-of-29 for 145 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He stayed in the game after the hit to his elbow and helped lead the comeback.
Love was still dealing with the aftereffects of the hit during the game, but Wood’s update makes clear the quarterback never believed he was in danger of leaving.
That is particularly important on a shortened week with less time to recover.
Packers Face Bigger Challenge Protecting Jordan Love
Love’s elbow may no longer be a concern, but what is happening directly in front of him certainly is.
The Packers will be without starting right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele for the remainder of the season after the knee injury he suffered on Green Bay’s opening possession against the Jets.
That’s a major loss for an offensive line that was already struggling to consistently keep Love clean.
Love has been sacked seven times through the first two games, losing 43 yards on those plays. Four of those sacks came in Green Bay’s 39-22 Week 1 loss to Minnesota, when the Vikings were also officially credited with 15 quarterback hits.
Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said Green Bay’s own count had Love being hit 18 times in that game.
Things improved some against New York, but Love was still sacked three more times. One of those was the strip sack that caused the elbow discomfort and numbness in his throwing arm.
Now Bako-Bewele is gone for the year.
Locked On Packers host Peter Bukowski believes Green Bay has enough young talent to survive the loss on paper. His concern is whether the Packers can get enough out of it.
“If I trusted the Packers OL coaching infrastructure, I wouldn’t be that worried about the ZBB injury. Morgan, Belton, and Rhyan are all top-100 picks. I thought Burton was a borderline top 100 talent. But … I don’t,” Bukowski wrote.
The Packers could need several of them.
Aaron Banks also left the Jets game with a toe injury, while Donovan Jennings suffered a hand injury after replacing him. Both were listed as non-participants on Green Bay’s initial estimated injury report for Week 3.
Atlanta has its own major injury problem after placing top cornerback A.J. Terrell on injured reserve Tuesday.
That should help Love and Green Bay’s passing game Thursday night, but only if the Packers can give their quarterback enough time to take advantage of it.
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