Jordan Love’s development wasn’t some smooth ride sitting safely behind a legend for two years, just picking up tips and avoiding the pass-rush. Forget that entire narrative. His true turning point, the moment he *actually* became an NFL quarterback, was a Week 9 catastrophe in 2021. As a rookie starter with Aaron Rodgers sidelined, the Kansas City Chiefs absolutely overwhelmed him. They hit Love with the most predictable rookie killer: the all-out blitz. They came at him hard, blitzing on a staggering 54% of his dropbacks and pressuring him on 46%. It was brutal. Love only completed 55.9% of his passes, threw an interception, and the Packers lost an ugly 13-7 game. It was a brutal wake-up call, and it’s precisely what forged him into the NFL’s best against the blitz.
That Week 9 Disaster Was The Wake-Up Call He Needed
“I didn’t have answers where I could change the play at the line of scrimmage and feel comfortable enough to do that stuff in that game,” Love admitted during training camp, looking back at that Chiefs game. He was right; the Chiefs kept coming because he didn’t have the counter. It felt like a total letdown, he said, watching it back. But that’s the beauty of failure, isn’t it? As he put it, “For me watching it back, there was just so much good stuff to learn from and grow from. A team in the NFL , if you’re not able to beat whatever they’re giving you, they’re gonna keep coming with it, and that’s what they did.” This wasn’t some gentle classroom experience. This was a trial by fire, a moment of playing and failing that taught him more than any sideline watch ever could. He’s even glad it happened.
From Blitzed Rookie To Blitz Master, Tying The MVP
Fast forward two years, and when Love returned to the starting lineup, he was a completely different quarterback. That humbling experience became his mission statement. He wasn’t just *ready* for the blitz; he made it his absolute focus to have full command at the line of scrimmage. He learned to set his offensive line’s protection, to audible to a “kill” call, and to change individual receiver routes on the fly. And the results? They speak for themselves, loud and clear. Last season, Love wasn’t just good against the blitz, he was *the best*, tied with the reigning MVP, Rams QB Matthew Stafford. Both guys posted an insane .30 expected points added per dropback against the blitz, according to Next Gen Stats. Love was generating explosive plays on a huge 21.3% of his dropbacks against the blitz, and completed 6.2% of his passes over expected. Get this: he did all that without a clear, undisputed WR2 like Stafford had, with Davante Adams ranking above his 2025 receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. This dude went from getting utterly steamrolled to being quietly one of the NFL’s most underrated players, all because he now owns the blitz. “That’s where I’ve grown the most,” Love said, acknowledging that Aaron Rodgers’ specialty at the line was something he had to “grow into.”
This isn’t just some cool stat; it’s a fundamental shift in who Jordan Love is as a quarterback. When a defense sends the house, when they try to rattle him with pressure and bring the heat, Love now has all the answers. That ability to not just survive, but absolutely thrive, against the blitz has quietly made him a seriously dangerous quarterback. It’s going to be absolutely wild watching him continue to carve up defenses who try that old, predictable trick this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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