National Football League

Can Jordan Love push the Rodgers-less Packers past the Kansas City Chiefs?

Published Nov. 5, 2021 7:31 p.m. ET

Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers will not be suiting up for the Green Bay Packers' upcoming trip to Kansas City to face the Chiefs, and he has since sent the league into an uproar after news surfaced that he tested positive for COVID-19 this week, even though he said he was "immunized."

While Rodgers will be forced to field questions and assuage reservations surrounding his character, his team still has a football game to play on Sunday (kickoff at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

And with that, Love will come to Green Bay's rescue.

How heroic he will be, is the question.

Love is a 6-foot-4, 219-pound Utah State product who will make his first NFL start against the reigning AFC champions. He tossed seven attempts in a brief appearance during Week 1, completing five of those for 68 yards, finishing with a passer rating of 102.1.

Despite his brief stint on an NFL field, Love is confident in his ability to lead the 7-1 Packers.

"I prepared for this, and I'm confident in myself," Love told reporters Friday.

"Obviously, there’s gonna be some nerves there. There always is. … I have a lot of confidence in myself and in this team. Those dudes are gonna take care of me."

His coach echoed that feeling.

"We have a lot of confidence in him," Matt LaFleur said. "We talked about having that no-flinch mentality, and I didn’t see any flinch in him."

"I think he's come a long way, but by no means is he a finished product," LaFleur added. "It's going to be a great opportunity for him to get his feet wet for the first time in a meaningful game, being that it's the regular season. So, it'll be a great learning experience for him, and I'm just excited for his opportunity."

Love will get a significant boost with the return of Rodgers' favorite target, Davante Adams, who's back in the lineup after sitting out last week due to the same protocols that Rodgers is facing.

And Adams himself is excited about what the budding connection can do together Sunday.

"It's going to be new, but I'm looking forward to seeing how the game goes. When you have an opportunity to be on the field, you definitely see another … kind of a different look in his eye," he said.

Can Love –– thrown into the proverbial fire –– earn his first win in his first start?

For Michael Vick, Love's confidence is contagious, and he believes he'll do exactly what it takes to get Green Bay over the hump.

"It's been a long time coming. He has been sitting behind Aaron Rodgers –– one of the greatest quarterbacks the game has even seen –– for the past two years," Vick said of Love. "This is his moment. I expect Rodgers-type numbers, and I expect the Packers to win this game against a wounded Kansas City team.

"This is his time. This is his moment."

Former Packers defensive back LeRoy Butler expressed similar positivity.

"I think the system is amazing for him," Butler said Friday on "The Herd."

"You'll get a chance to see one of the best running games. Davante Adams will help. Remember last week, Aaron went 22-for-37, 184 yards and two TDs. If [Love] has that, I think they beat the Chiefs. He's been ready for it."

Even Rodgers gave his QB2 a vote of confidence heading into the affair.

"I have had conversations with him, and I’m very excited for Jordan," Rodgers said, via WSAW's Matt Infield. "It’s going to be very strange to watch the game on TV."

And the assurance in the locker room didn't stop there. Running back AJ Dillon had this to say about his greenhorn teammate:

"It's important for any team at any level to have leaders. On this team, we have so many. I think that Jordan –– yeah, maybe he hasn't started an NFL game, but he's a natural-born leader. He's been working with arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game."

But the jury's not completely sold on Love's ability.

"I had the Packers winning this game if Aaron Rodgers was there," Stephen A. Smith said on "First Take."

"I don't now, because he's not. I think Love is going to have a hard time. I don't expect Love to be shown any Love. It'll be interesting to see how he responds to this challenge. Kansas City should win this game, and I'm going to go with them to win this game, because that bad man is not there."

"Interesting" is a hard sentiment to argue with. In fact, it might be one of the more enthralling matchups that fans see all year.

You have to love that.