Jordan Love Leads Green Bay Packers Into NFC Playoffs

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GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A distinct smell -- and some smoke -- hung over the home locker room at Lambeau Field early Sunday evening. It came from the victory cigars. Welcome to the playoffs, Jordan Love.

Love pulled off something that neither Brett Favre nor Aaron Rodgers could manage: He led the Packers to a playoff berth in his first season as the full-time starting quarterback. It wasn't until Year 2 as the starter that Favre and Rodgers led the Packers to the playoffs.

"He's just resilient," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Love. "Those are things you cannot coach. You can sit there and talk about it till you're blue in the face. However, that's something he possesses, and I admire him for that, his ability to stay even keel, to battle through adversity, to lead our team."

This from a quarterback who before this season had started exactly one NFL game -- and it was two years ago. Halfway through the season there were questions about whether Love would even be the quarterback of his team next season.

Sunday's game epitomized the Packers' offense. With Christian Watson out (hamstring) and Romeo Doubs suffering a chest injury in the first half, rookie fifth-round pick Dontayvion Wicks caught two touchdown passes, which gave the Packers 31 receiving touchdowns by first- and second-year players, which is tied with the 1960 New York Titans for second most such scores in NFL history, trailing only the 1961 Oilers (44), according to Elias Sports Bureau.

The Packers got into the postseason with running back Aaron Jones (22 carries for 111 yards) on a run of three straight 100-yard games.

Rookie Anders Carlson missed a 41-yard field goal in the first quarter. The Packers then botched the last drive of the first half, running out of time deep in Bears territory before they could kick a field goal in what was a 7-6 game. Then, Love fumbled on a scramble near midfield late in the third quarter of a 14-6 game.

However, the Bears could manage only another field goal off that turnover to make it 14-9 with 13:03 remaining. Then, after a 59-yard catch-and-run by rookie Jayden Reed (who had four catches for 112 yards), the Packers had to settle for another field goal and a 17-9 lead with 10:54 left.

The 2023 NFL playoffs:

AFC:
1. Ravens
2. Bills vs. 7. Steelers
3. Chiefs vs. 6. Dolphins
4. Texans vs. 5. Browns

NFC:
1. 49ers
2. Cowboys vs. 7. Packers
3. Lions vs. 6. Rams
4. Buccaneers vs. 5. Eagles