Packers improve to 6-2 despite quarterback Jordan Love's groin injury

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida sun was still shining on the Green Bay Packers as they left the field at EverBank Stadium, although a dark cloud was gathering in the blue medical tent on their sideline.

Had they not done what good teams do — make just enough critical plays to tip the outcome their way — the Packers would have felt only darkness heading into a cramped visitors' locker room.

Not only would their quarterback, Jordan Love, be questionable for this week's showdown with the Detroit Lions after suffering a groin injury, they would also sit third in the NFC North at 5-3, trailing the first-place Lions (6-3 ) lose ground. 1).

Instead, they used a handful of timely plays from different corners of the locker room to win for the fourth straight time and secure at least a share of the second-best record in the NFC by midseason.

“It wasn't our cleanest game, I would say, but I just thought about the ability to find a way to finish it,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “And that’s ultimately what it’s all about.”

The next task is to find out how badly Love injured his groin. He appeared to land awkwardly on his left leg as he threw across his body to running back Josh Jacobs on the first series of the game.

He left in the third quarter after a second visit to the blue tent, then spent the rest of the game on the sideline, eventually watching backup Malik Willis engineer a seven-play, 64-yard drive to complete Brandon McManus' 24- Prepare yard lead. Yard field goal, his second walk-off winner in two weeks.

According to a league source, there was no injury to Love's left knee – the same one he suffered in the season opener against Philadelphia – as was revealed when he left the field with a slight limp after that early throw to Jacobs.

It was the groin injury that slowed him down and then forced him out of the game early in the third quarter. The early diagnosis, according to the source, is that it's not a serious injury, but the Packers didn't want to take any chances, especially since Love couldn't move the way he's used to.

“Obviously there's always a lot of concern when someone's in there,” LaFleur said. “He nailed it right at the start of that first drive. I think everyone could see how he was having difficulty moving. It got to a point where we and he didn't feel like he could protect himself. So we went with Malik.”

Love will undergo an MRI on Monday, the source said. Then the severity of the injury will become more apparent and the Packers may have a better idea of whether he can play against the Lions. They need to be careful as he is susceptible to further injury due to the lower body stress required when playing quarterback.

Love played one more series before heading to the blue tent to be judged. He returned to the bench and prepared for the next series.

He wasn't particularly sharp and failed to fire a ball down the sideline enough for rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones to jump the route for an interception. But he pressed on.

“I had no idea,” tight end Tucker Kraft said of Love’s injury.

When Love escaped the pressure, went into scramble mode and threw a ball to Kraft, it didn't look like he was unfit to play. Kraft converted the play into a 67-yard catch-and-run, although the Packers settled for a field goal despite a first-and-goal at the 9-yard line.

It wasn't until the start of the third quarter, when the Jaguars' Travon Walker collided with Love, causing him to grimace in pain and then be surrounded by medical personnel as he got to the sideline, that it looked as if his day might be over.

He finished the day 14 of 22 for 196 yards with one interception (73.2 rating). He ran for 1 yard once.

Whether it was because Love wasn't 100%, the offense couldn't get the ball far enough into the end zone to turn the game into a blowout. The Packers had four consecutive series inside the red zone and ended the game in order with an interception, a touchdown and two field goals.

“Definitely a good team win,” said Kraft. “I’m happy to be part of what we just did. But we have to take responsibility for what happens in our offense right from the start of the half.

“It’s just not like us. We have to find out early on what we need to do to be more successful. We need to start holding each other accountable.”

It wasn't until Willis came in that the running game got going. In the second half, Jacobs ran 14 times for 91 yards and a touchdown and Willis ran four times for 23 yards.

The difference in the game was the Packers' big plays on both sides of the ball.

Pete Dougherty: Without preparation, Malik Willis makes another play to help the Packers win

Safety Xavier McKinney set up Jacobs' first touchdown, a 3-yard run, with his sixth interception of the year. Kraft made it 10-0 with his brilliant 67-yard catch-and-run in which he cut down the field and stayed half a step ahead of safety Andre Cisco until he was finally tackled at the Jacksonville 9.

The Jaguars repeatedly attacked the Packers' defense and briefly took the lead in the third quarter. After Jacobs scored with 21 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Packers the lead back, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt combined to make one of two crucial defensive plays in the fourth quarter.

Cooper darted down the middle and hugged quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who immediately spit the ball out. It was a race between Wyatt and tight end Evan Engram for the ball and Wyatt made a heads-up play to get the ball.

He threw a hip check to Engram as the two raced for the ball, sending Engram flying and clearing the path for him to recover.

“It was between me and him,” Wyatt said. “It should be mine.”

The sack-and-fumble recovery set up a 3-yard touchdown reception by Kraft, making the score 27-17.

On the next series, Cooper was at the line of scrimmage and faked a blitz on 3rd-and-11 at the Jacksonville 29. At the snap, he jumped out and went to cover the deep middle zone, but on the way there he saw receiver Christian Kirk running wide open.

Kirk caught the ball in Packers territory, but Cooper came flying in after the catch.

“I did it,” Cooper said. “I ran a long way, saw it and just jumped at it.”

Kirk couldn't hold on and the Jaguars had to punt.

When the Jaguars tied the game, it was Jayden Reed who helped the Packers finish them off. When he made a play that required him to be blocked by the Packers the first time, he was able to get it released the second time.

“This piece was for me to open up,” Reed said. “It was single-high coverage and the safety was on the other side of the hash.”

Reed ran wide open down the opposite sideline and Willis hit him for a 51-yard gain, setting up the game-winning score.

The Packers emerged victorious. Now they'll wait to see how bad Love's injury is and whether the sun will shine on them again this week.

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