Jordan Love’s strained groin leaves his status uncertain for Packers’ showdown with Lions

Jordan Love’s status is up in the air heading into the Green Bay Packers’ showdown with the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions, a matchup between the NFC’s two hottest teams.

Love left the Packers’ 30-27 victory at Jacksonville on Sunday in the third quarter with a groin issue. A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that the quarterback has a groin strain.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Packers haven’t offered details on Love’s injury. NFL Network first reported the results of Love’s MRI.

“If he can go, he’ll go,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Monday. “So we’ll see where he’s at by the end of the week. But if we feel like he can’t protect himself, then we certainly wouldn’t put him in that position.”

LaFleur said Love initially got hurt during the first series of the game. Love continued to play until he dropped to the ground near the sideline after completing a second-down pass to Josh Jacobs early in the third quarter.

“I just thought it was a tough, gritty performance,” LaFleur said.

If Love is unable to play Sunday, the Packers still have reason to feel good about their chances with backup Malik Willis.

Willis already has started two games this season and led the Packers to victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans while Love recovered from an injured left medial collateral ligament.

He delivered again Sunday when Green Bay got the ball on its own 30 with 1:48 left in a tie game. Willis connected with Jayden Reed on a 51-yard completion that got the Packers in field-goal range. Brandon McManus won the game by making a 24-yard field goal as time expired.

Willis’ track record didn’t suggest he was capable of this when the Packers gave up a seventh-round pick to acquire him from the Titans just before the season. The 2022 third-round pick from Liberty had made three starts for Tennessee – all as a rookie – and hadn’t thrown for as many as 100 yards in any of them. He went 35 of 66 with the Titans with three interceptions and no touchdown passes.

He has completed 74.4% of his passes with the Packers for 380 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also has rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

“I’m so impressed by his ability to go in there mid-game,” LaFleur said. “The moment’s not too big for him. I don’t think that’s the case for everybody. It seems like his heartbeat, it just stays pretty consistent. There were some big-time plays he made in that game, obviously, and I also think the belief that the team has in him and his ability to lead us, I think it’s pretty evident when you watch us play.”

What’s working

The Packers have rushed for at least 163 yards in five of their eight games. They had 170 yards on 39 carries Sunday. … They forced two more turnovers to increase their NFL-leading takeaways total to 19. The turnovers came at Jacksonville’s 28- and 5-yard lines, leading to short touchdown drives.

What needs work

Green Bay blew a 10-point lead in the final six minutes because Jacksonville had two scoring series that sandwiched a three-and-out from the Packers. The Jaguars tied it on an eight-play, 87-yard drive that culminated with Trevor Lawrence’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram with 1:48 left. This marked the second straight game in which Green Bay squandered a lead in the last two minutes, though the Packers have rallied to win on a field goal as time expired both times.

Stock up

Jacobs rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns. … S Xavier McKinney had his NFL-leading sixth interception. … TE Tucker Kraft had three catches for 78 yards, including a career-best 67-yarder. He also scored on a 3-yard reception, giving him five touchdowns over his last five games. … LB Edgerrin Cooper recorded eight tackles, forced a fumble and had a sack. The rookie second-round pick has three tackles for loss over his last two games. … McManus has hit a winning field goal on the final play of each of his two games with the Packers.

Stock down

WR Dontayvion Wicks had just two catches for 11 yards to continue his up-and-down season. Although Wicks has four touchdowns, he has accumulated 11 yards receiving or fewer in four of the Packers’ eight games.

Injuries

Aside from Love’s situation, S Evan Williams left with a hamstring issue. CB Jaire Alexander also could be seen hopping in pain as Engram made the tying touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter. LaFleur didn’t have an update on either player Monday.

Key numbers

6 — McKinney is the fifth player since 2000 to intercept a pass in six of his team’s first eight games in a given season. The others were Carolina’s Doug Evans (2001), Minnesota teammates Brian Russell (2003) and Corey Chavous (2003) and Dallas’ Trevon Diggs (2021)

Next steps

The Packers (6-2) and Lions (6-1) both will put winning streaks on the line Sunday at Lambeau Field. The Lions have reeled off five straight victories, while the Packers have won four in a row.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL