GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love was playing at less than full strength and lacking his usual starting center.

That combination proved costly for the Packers. 24-14 defeat to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

A week after a groin strain caused him to leave in the third quarter of a 30-27 victory In Jacksonville, Love went back in time to face the NFC North-leading Lions. But he wasn’t as effective as usual, throwing a pick-6 in the final minute of the second quarter that helped Detroit (7-1) take control.

Love said on multiple occasions after the game that the injury did not affect his play.

“No, it felt good,” Love said.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is pressured by Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston (41) during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 3 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Matt Ludtke

Love was 23 of 39 for 273 yards with no touchdown passes. His receivers dropped several passes on a rainy afternoon.

Love’s biggest mistake came just before halftime.

The Packers (6-3) trailed 10-3 and were facing second-and-2 from their own 38-yard line when Love rolled to his right while under pressure. He threw a short pass intended for Josh Jacobs, but Lions safety Kerby Joseph intercepted it and ran 27 yards to the end zone with 32 seconds left before halftime.

Love said he didn’t see Joseph when he made the pitch.

“I saw (Jacobs) trying to get out and I was trying to get him to the ground,” Love said. “It was a control for him and the ball didn’t go where I wanted. “They made a good play.”

Love has thrown 10 interceptions in 240 pass attempts this season. As a first-year starter last season, Love was intercepted 11 times in 579 attempts.

“He’s fighting, he’s competing and we know we have to take care of the football,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “But I don’t question anything about what he’s trying to do. We just have to do better.”

The Packers ultimately fell behind 24-3 and were hampered by several failed plays as they attempted to rally. Elgton Jenkins, normally the starting left guard, played center because Josh Myers was out with a wrist injury.

After the Packers had a second-and-10 at Detroit’s 14-yard line in the third quarter, Love fumbled on consecutive plays. The Packers rallied both times but had to settle for Brandon McManus’ 38-yard field goal.

Love also fumbled on a play early in the fourth quarter after the Packers reached the Detroit 36. That drive ended when Jacobs was blocked on fourth-and-1 from the 9.

“There’s a lot of things we have to clean up,” Love said. “Fumbles come down to the ball being wet, rainy, and we have to do a better job of the exchange between me and Elgton. It sure happened too many times. And then the drops, it all comes down to making plays when the conditions aren’t perfect. “It was obviously wet and there were too many drops.”

Romeo Doubs, who had four catches on five targets for 28 yards, acknowledged the receivers needed to help Love more.

“Obviously catching footballs in the rain is not ideal for a receiver, but it’s not an excuse for all of us,” Doubs said. “But again, we’ll let this be a learning experience and watch the film properly, adjusting to whatever weather we have for the rest of this month and the course of this year.”

The Packers have a lot of things to correct heading into their bye week. They outgained the Lions 411 yards to 261, but couldn’t finish the drives. His four trips to the red zone resulted in two field goals and a touchdown.

Green Bay is competing for playoff position with every team in the NFC North, which appears to be the toughest division in football. Detroit and Minnesota won at Lambeau Field, and the Packers will have to play both on the road. They also have to play division rival Chicago twice.

For the Packers to produce a late-season surge similar to the one that took them to the playoffs last year, Love will have to stay healthy and reduce his mistakes.

“It’s definitely disappointing,” Love said. “(I’m) putting the ball in danger too many times and definitely (that’s) something I have to clean up.”

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