The NFL preseason is underway and, on the heels of the Packers' first preseason game in Santa Clara, so is dialogue around whether third-year quarterback Jordan Love deserves to be on waivers or already in Canton.
The Positives from Preseason Week 1
Whether you're on the Love Train or not, it's hard to dispute that Love has made strides early in his third season as a pro.
The off-balance, fluttering throws we regularly saw last year have transformed into decisive, tight-spiraled passes made in rhythm. It appears that the mastery of basic QB mechanics - paired with a "let it rip" mentality infused by head coach Matt LaFleur - have generally helped up-level Love's confidence in the passing game.
Though Love continued to lean heavily on sideline and underneath passes against the Niners, we finally began to see a few solid throws downfield. Love hooked up with his rookie wide receivers to move the chains multiple times, including a beautiful, first quarter touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs. There were also several near-completions where it looked like unanticipated contact with the defensive back may have been the difference in Love's intended target not being where the ball was thrown.
The Negatives from Preseason Week 1
For perhaps the first time since being drafted, Love's in-game performance gave fans with reasons to be optimistic. However, where Love continues to look like a first-year quarterback is lacking touch on routine throws that he should be able to execute in his sleep by now.
On several short-range throws to running backs against SF, his ball placement was low or on the incorrect shoulder, leading to an incompletion or adjustment by the intended receiver that prevented positive yardage after the catch. While Love has been touted for his size and arm strength over short-range accuracy, the ability to make swing passes, execute screens and hit outlets in the flat is amongst the most basic expectations for a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Where the Outlook Remains Foggy
One would hope that more reps - and, eventually, snaps alongside actual offensive starters - will improve chemistry between Love and his supporting cast and help him clean up the fundamentals. But, even if that happens, there remains one other crucial gap in Love's game that must be addressed before he becomes a viable replacement for Aaron Rodgers: the willingness to make dangerous throws.
In between plenty of ugly during Rodgers' first several preseasons, the future Hall of Famer still refrained from errant decision-making, happily taking a sack over forcing a throw. On the contrary, Love has not played the position with nearly the same discipline in just over two seasons, choosing to scramble or heave desperation jump balls just to avoid a sack.
The goal on this front should be educating Love on how games at the pro level are often won: coming out on top in the turnover battle. Love was already more of a risk-taker than Rodgers and, hopefully, LaFleur's "let it rip" guidance simply keeps Love from being overly-mechanic rather than catalyzing high-risk behavior.
As was the case with Rodgers in his third season, we can't forget that Love is still just 23 years old: the same age as many of this coming draft's top prospects (including Kentucky's Will Levis). However, the Packers' timetable for determining whether he's the next "guy" is dwindling: they must decide between picking up the former first round pick's fifth-year option - expected to be worth close to $19 million - by next May.
Right now, they would be hard-pressed to commit that kind of money to what's still clearly still a work in progress.
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