Here’s How Packers’ Star QB Jordan Love Can Win The MVP

The Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts are the only franchise in the Super Bowl-era to have had four quarterbacks win MVP awards.

Johnny Unitas (1967) and Earl Morrall (1968) won MVP’s in back-to-back years for the Baltimore Colts. Bert Jones won the MVP with Baltimore in 1976, and Peyton Manning won four MVP awards after Robert Irsay moved the Colts’ franchise to Indianapolis.

The Green Bay Packers have had three quarterbacks win MVP awards in the Super Bowl-era: Bart Starr in 1966, Brett Favre from 1995-’97 and Aaron Rodgers in 2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021.

Jordan Love could become the fourth Green Bay quarterback to win an MVP and vault the Packers into a tie with the Colts for the first place on that list.

Love currently has the third-best odds to win MVP at DraftKings.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is the heavy favorite at -180, followed by New England’s Drake Maye at +200 and Love at +1000.

While Love’s odds are long, he could rally down the stretch. Here’s how:

1. Stay red hot

Much like the 2023 campaign, Love is on a heater.

That season, Love had a stretch late in the season where he threw 23 touchdowns and had just one interception.

The numbers aren’t quite as eye-popping this time around, but Love has thrown nine touchdowns and just one interception during Green Bay’s current four-game winning streak. Love also has a passer rating of 112.1 during that time.

“Yeah, he’s playing really good football right now,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said. “That’s obviously important and it’s going to important moving forward.”

Love is currently fourth in the NFL in quarterback rating at 105.4. He’s tied for fifth in touchdown passes with 22 and he’s thrown just four interceptions — the fewest among quarterbacks that have started all 13 games.

His completion percentage of 67.1% ranks seventh among full-time starters. And he ranks ninth in the league with 3,028 passing yards.

Love will have a chance to make a move the next two weeks with high-profile games against AFC power Denver (11-2) and divisional rival Chicago (9-4).

If Love can continue at this clip — or even better it — his numbers will rival almost anyone.

“I would say just the consistency that he’s had has been great and the big part is taking the plays, even when they’re not there, just the checkdowns and things like that to make sure our offense is being productive and being efficient,” Green Bay offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “Those are huge. He’s always been really good at throwing the ball down the field and making those plays. So, just being a consistent, efficient quarterback is one thing that I’ve been really pleased with.”

2. Pass the Rams

There are two things that impress MVP voters more than anything.

Individual greatness and team success.

Right now, Stafford is ahead in both categories.

Stafford not only leads the NFL with 35 touchdown passes, he’s running away with that title as runner-up Dak Prescott of Dallas has 26. Stafford is also first in passer rating (113.1), fourth in passing yards (3,354) and has thrown just four interceptions.

Perhaps even more important, the Rams hold the NFC’s No. 1 seed with a 10-3 record, ½-game ahead of No. 2 seed Green Bay (9-3-1).

Los Angeles has extremely tough games each of the next two weeks, though: home with Detroit (8-5) on Sunday and at Seattle (10-3) on Dec. 18.

If the Seahawks win the NFC West instead of the Rams, that would be a blow to Stafford’s MVP chances. And if Green Bay could jump into the No. 1 seed in the conference — which would likely require a 4-0 finish — Love’s odds would undoubtedly improve.

“I definitely think he deserves recognition,” Packers defensive end Micah Parsons said of Love as an MVP candidate. “If you go off strength of schedule, how he’s played and with him missing half his receivers, I think that goes unnoticed, too.

“Some of the things he did without (Christian Watson) early in the year, then (Jayden Reed), so this guy was missing two of his starting receivers majority of the year and they’re just now getting back in these last eight weeks of the stretch, so I definitely think he deserves a lot more credit and I’m just happy I’m able to be a part of this journey with him.”

3. Have the Patriots slip

New England’s Drake Maye is in the middle of a sensational second season and is ahead of Love in most projections.

The Patriots are 11-2, the No. 2 seed in the AFC and arguably the most-improved team in football. Maye is second in the league in quarterback rating (111.9), second in passing yards (3,412) and fourth in passing touchdowns (23). Like Love and Stafford, Maye’s interception total (six) is also extremely low.

Maye and the Patriots host Buffalo (9-4) in Week 15 and travel to Baltimore (6-7) in Week 16 in what figures to be two extremely tough games.

Green Bay’s schedule the next two weeks is even more challenging: at Denver (11-2) Sunday and at Chicago (9-4) on Dec. 20.

If Love and the Packers can win those two road games — and Maye struggles against either the Bills or Ravens — Love could pass the Patriots’ star.

And that could put Love in position to win the award over the final two weeks.

“These are the most important games of the season, with obviously a lot of things come down to with playoff seeding and the division race, so this is the important football,” Love said. “I think it’s everybody, we keep stacking and keep getting better and better throughout the season and learn from the mistakes we make and overcome some of the obstacles. Just keep stacking and trying to find ways to get better every day is something that’s been helping us.”

And could make the MVP race awfully interesting.