Thursday Cheese Curds: Packers continue tough stretch with top offenses, QBs

Herbert, Goff, and Mahomes are the next three QBs on the Packers’ schedule, and that will put some heavy pressure on Jordan Love to step up.

Last week, the Green Bay Packers had a tough matchup, but the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense and running game — not their quarterback — were the most challenging matchups. Over the next three weeks, however, the Packers will face three top passing offenses, all featuring very good quarterbacks.

The Packers’ next two opponents just played a thriller last Sunday, when the Los Angeles Chargers lost to the Detroit Lions 41-38. Following games against those two teams, the Packers will then host the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.

With the Packers’ defense still dealing with injuries in the secondary, those teams are likely to put up some solid point totals in the upcoming games, and that puts more pressure on Jordan Love and the offense to respond. There were a number of positive signs last week in Pittsburgh, and Love will need to turn those signs into a trend over these next few games if the Packers want to avoid another 4-game losing streak and a 3-9 record when this stretch wraps up.

If that’s how it goes, fans could be looking at a final five-game stretch that’s focused heavily on evaluating the roster rather than trying to win games. Let’s look at all of those factors with today’s curds.

Can Improving Packers’ QB Jordan Love Win Shootout vs. Herbert, Goff, Mahomes? – Sports Illustrated
With matchups against the Chargers, Lions, and Chiefs looming, the Packers’ young quarterback will need to lead the offense to bigger numbers to earn victories, since each of those three teams feature excellent offenses (and QBs).

Packers QB Jordan Love posts career-best 5 ‘big-time throws’ vs. Steelers | Packers Wire
PFF liked Love’s most recent game, however, and hopefully he will create a trend in the next few weeks with similarly positive performances.

Five Packers who could see more playing time over veterans if slide continues – The Athletic ($)
On the other hand, a skid of multiple losses in the next three weeks should lead to the team prioritizing evaluation in December, and in that case players like Lukas Van Ness and Emanuel Wilson should get more reps.

Knowledge, mentality, trust add up to big-play prowess for Jayden Reed | Packers.com
One of Love’s more consistent playmakers in recent weeks has been the second-round rookie, whose hard work in learning the playbook has given him more catches of 30-plus yards from a Packers rookie receiver this millennium.

Packers QB Jordan Love urges WR Christian Watson to stay confident – ESPN
While Reed is impressing, Watson is not. But Love is still expressing faith and trust in the second-year receiver, something that bears out with the fact that Love continues to target Watson consistently.

Plane forced to return to JFK Airport after horse on board gets loose – ABC News
JFK has plenty of issues, but this is a new one for me.