CLEVELAND– Jordan Love has never felt better about a three-and-out.
Love made the most of the limited playing time, throwing a 65-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks on the Green Bay Packers’ third play of the game, helping the Packers to a 23-10 exhibition game win over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.
Love, who signed a four-year, $220 million contract extension at the start of training camp last month, completed both of his series passes. Sean Clifford replaced the 25-year-old Love.
“I’m happy with it,” Love said of his brief appearance. “It ended with a touchdown. That was the goal.”
The Packers are counting on Love to follow in the footsteps of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers and continue the Green Bay Packers’ tradition of great quarterbacks. In his first year as a starter, he led the Packers to a 10-9 record last season.
On Green Bay’s first possession, Love waited until Wicks got behind safety Ronnie Hickman and then hit him on the run for a point with an easy, quick hit.
“We had a great play set up for that situation, one-on-one with Wicks and the safety a little behind him,” Love said. “He ran a great route, kind of lulled him to sleep up top and I was able to throw a pass to him.”
Wicks, a fifth-round pick out of Virginia last year, came on strong at the end of his rookie season, scoring four touchdowns in three games before coming up empty in the divisional playoff loss to San Francisco.
While the Packers gave Love some work, the Browns gave their starting quarterback Deshaun Watson a rest as he underwent surgery on his right shoulder.
Watson has thrown nearly every day in training camp and appears on track to start the season opener against Dallas on Sept. 8. But the Browns remain cautious with Watson, who was limited to just 12 games in his first two seasons with Cleveland.
Backup QB Jameis Winston started for the Browns and played just one series, completing 4 of 5 for 30 yards.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski left many of his regular players on the bench, including star defensive end Myles Garrett, the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year, wide receiver Amari Cooper and Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio.
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur took a different approach and decided to give many of his regular players at least some playing time.
“We just wanted to get them into it a little bit,” LaFleur said. “Knock off some rust. It’s always good to not only go out and play, but also mentally prepare for a game.”
THE OTHER QBS
Clifford may have cemented his place as the Green Bay Packers’ second quarterback by completing 10 of 19 passes for 111 yards. The former Penn State star attempted just one pass as a rookie in 2023.
Michael Pratt, selected in the seventh round, completed 5 of 7 passes for 46 yards.
One of Cleveland’s few bright spots was Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who completed 14 of 18 passes for 134 yards. Thompson-Robinson, who started three times as a rookie last season, is battling with Tyler Huntley for the third spot.
Side stand
The kicking competition between Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph in Green Bay remained hotly contested.
Carlson, who struggled at times as a rookie in 2023, made field goals of 46 and 33 yards and converted his only extra point attempt. Joseph kicked a 35-yard pass and made a PAT.
Dustin Hopkins will take over Cleveland’s kicking, but the 33-year-old did not play. Cade York, who was released by the Browns last season before they traded Hopkins, kicked a 55-yard field goal.
INJURIES
Packers: Rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd left with a hamstring injury. The third-round pick from USC had an 8-yard run. … CB Robert Rochell was treated in the medical tent in the second quarter for an apparent shoulder problem.
Browns: Luke Wypler, a second-year backup center, broke his right ankle and will undergo surgery, Stefanski said. … Hickman injured his back on the Wicks TD and did not return. … WR David Bell left with a quadriceps injury.
Next
Packers: At Denver on August 18th.
Browns: Host Minnesota for two practices this week before facing them in an exhibition game on August 17.
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