Franchise quarterbacks in the NFL are expected to be elevators of the players around them. But sometimes, they are forced to be the duct tape holding all the broken pieces together.
Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers can't elevate teammates when those same teammates are consistently letting him down, and Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions was the perfect encapsulation of what's been going on around the quarterback position in Green Bay this season.
Following the defeat, ESPN Insights provided a collection of stats that perfectly highlight how the Packers are letting down their quarterback through seven games in 2026. Per ESPN, the Packers rank last in Pass Block Win Rate (31%), average a league-low 59.9 rushing yards per game, lead the NFL with 18 drops and are tied for the NFL lead with seven missed field goals and extra points.
Can't block. Can't run. Can't catch. Can't make field goals.
During Sunday's loss to the Lions, Love was under pressure on 40 percent of his dropbacks (per PFF), got only 60 rushing yards from the run game, saw Josh Jacobs drop a perfectly thrown pass for what should have been the go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and lost six points on a pair of missed field goals from Trey Smack inside 40 yards.
Who can consistently win in these conditions?
The Packers have an unreliable offensive line, a run game that has little hope of coming alive even with Jacobs back, a festering problem with drops in big moments and a rookie kicker who might already be down to his last lifeline.
Love is one of the only reasons why the Packers have a winning record and remain in the playoff hunt. His ability to operate under pressure and in a one-dimensional offense lacking a run threat has kept this season from going off the rails.
The Packers are letting down their quarterback in almost every way, and the only way this season rights itself is if the players around Love elevate their own performance. It's that simple. A quarterback can only do so much. Can the Packers start blocking, running, catching and kicking, or will Love's duct tape job eventually fail?
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: The Packers are letting down QB Jordan Love