Packers' Jordan Love caps first drive with TD

ByRob Demovsky ESPN logo
Sunday, September 10, 2023

CHICAGO --Jordan Love to Romeo Doubs. Could that be the new connection for the Green Bay Packers?



It was on Love's first drive of his first start as the Packers' full-time quarterback on Sunday against theChicago Bears. With exceptional pass protection, Love double-pumped, giving Doubs room to come open against safety Eddie Jackson for an 8-yard touchdown to put the Packers up 7-0 with 6:08 left in the first quarter.




In his first game asAaron Rodgers' replacement, Love did something in his first game that Rodgers did only once all last year -- lead an opening-drive touchdown.



In fact, the Packers had just 10 points combined in their previous two season openers.



Doubs, who came into the game questionable because of a hamstring injury, scored his fourth career touchdown. He had three last season as a rookie. Earlier in the drive, Love hit Doubs for a 13-yard completion on third-and-13 to keep the drive going after two straight negative-yardage plays to start the series.



Doubs is the first Packers player with two touchdown catches in a season opener since Davante Adams in 2020.




Aaron Jones widened the lead with a pair of second-half touchdowns, a 1-yard run that made it 17-6 and then a 35-yard catch on a short route from the backfield on fourth-and-3 to make it 24-6.



To that point, Jones had 13 touches, 127 yards and two touchdowns. Jones also had 85 yards after the catch on his two receptions, per ESPN Stats & Information -- third most of his career. He had seven catches in each of the games when he had more YAC.



The Packers' defense got into the act as well, when linebacker Quay Walker picked off Justin Fields and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Walker, a 2022 first-round pick, became the second Packers' defender to have a pick-six against Fields. Rasul Douglas had one in 2021.

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