Packers roundtable: What was Jordan Love's most unforgettable play of the 2023 season?
Jordan Love finished his first season as the Green Bay Packers in a much better place than most people would have imagined. He surpassed 4,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns and led the team to an unexpected divisional round appearance — and it could have been even closer to the Super Bowl. The year included […]
Jordan Love finished his first season as the Green Bay Packers in a much better place than most people would have imagined. He surpassed 4,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns and led the team to an unexpected divisional round appearance — and it could have been even closer to the Super Bowl.
The year included several top-level highlights and beautiful throws. So, we invited Packers content creators around the internet to choose one unforgettable moment.
For you, what was Jordan Love's most unforgettable throw of the 2023 season?
Peter Bukowski, The Leap and Locked on Packers Podcast
Touchdown throw to Dontayvion Wicks against the Dallas Cowboys
The Wicks touchdown versus Dallas embodies everything you're getting from Love. He progressed so much in his pre-snap reads and getting the team into the right protections pre-snap.
Early in the season, he might just try and wing it. It wasn't clear how much freedom he truly had at the line of scrimmage. They were running more run-it plays, fewer cans and not allowing Love to make decisions at the line of scrimmage.
Fast forward to on the road against Dallas, a top-10 defense, with a zero pressure on. Love calmly spots it, changes the protection, and even though the Packers should have it blocked it up, Love sees the free rusher in his face, doesn't panic even as he has to hold the ball an extra split second so Dontavysion Wicks can clear Stephon Gilmore, and then he lays a perfect ball right over the top as the blitzing Cowboys defender lands in his lap.
It's pre-snap processing, decision-making, poise and pure uncut arm talent all in one play. It's why he can be an elite QB for years to come.
Andy Herman, Pack A Day Podcast
Touchdown throw to Dontayvion Wicks against the Dallas Cowboys
There's absolutely zero question for me that the play I'll remember most is Love's throw to Dontayvion Wicks in the wild-card game against the Cowboys.
Love has had his share of highlight-reel throws and moments throughout the course of the season, but what I loved about this throw is that it took every aspect of his training to put this together.
Breaking the huddle with around 15 seconds on the play clock, he used his cadence to identify the blitz, checked to a max protection, got everyone set up front, never panicked, dropped back to a depth he could still get the pass off knowing the rush was coming, avoided the hands of Markquese Bell, threaded the ball through a tight window, took the hit, and placed the ball exactly where Dontayvion Wicks needed it to be. Touchdown Packers.
To me, this play encapsulated everything that is special about Jordan Love and he put everything perfectly on display in one beautiful touchdown pass.
Zach Kruse, Managing editor and writer at The Packers Wire
Touchdown throw to Jayden Reed against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I'm going to cheat and pick two. The first was the off-schedule touchdown pass to Jayden Reed while moving to his right against the Bucs. It was a truly elite play, and I think it sparked to life a really impressive stretch for Love making plays off schedule, which is something all elite quarterbacks must do in the NFL. He proved he can.
The second is the touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks in Dallas. Elite quarterbacks have to be able to analyze information and make decisions pre- and post-snap. Love used his cadence to get information, changed the protection and then made a fadeaway throw for a touchdown on third down in a playoff game. Huge.
He pushed his ceiling as a quarterback even higher over the final month of the season.
Jacob Morley, Staff Writer at Packer Report
Second touchdown pass to Christian Watson against the Kansas City Chiefs
The play that stood out the most to me (was a stretch of play), but it was capped off by the second touchdown pass to Christian Watson versus KC. The Packers coming out of the gates hot versus Detroit on national TV was the first time a national audience saw him play well.
As people who follow the team, we knew he had been playing well for a few weeks, but that was when he exploded. The following week in KC was a bit of a "do it again" type of game. He went toe to toe with the best player in the world in Patrick Mahomes and even outdueled him.
The touchdown pass to Watson in the back of the endzone was his "I'm here to stay" moment, and is one that I will always remember.
Tyler Brooke, Editorial Director at FanBuzz
Touchdown throw to Jayden Reed against the Minnesota Vikings
I don't have a good reason for it, but that deep shot over the middle to Jayden Reed against the Vikings immediately stands out. Mechanically, it shouldn't have worked, but Love's core strength and follow through on the throw led to one of the prettiest passes he threw all year.
It was that moment that I realized what Jordan Love can become when he's playing with 100% confidence.
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