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Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans made some noteworthy comments about quarterback Jordan Love on Monday. As he previewed the Texans' Week 7 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Ryans emphasized that the outcome may largely depend on how well the Houston defense can contain Love.
“Going against Jordan Love this week, he will be the best quarterback we’ve seen this year,” the Texans head coach said. “It will be a really, really tough matchup.”
Ryans' assertion stands out as bold but carries weight. Love ranks second in the league with 12 passing touchdowns and an average of 282.7 yards per game, all while recovering from a knee injury he suffered at the end of Green Bay's Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.
Jordan Love gets huge praise from DeMeco Ryans
Love comes off a breakout 2023 season, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 32 touchdowns in his first year as the Packers' starter. While he still makes some costly mistakes, the Texans will look to exploit those vulnerabilities. Despite this, Ryans' viewpoint aligns with a growing consensus about the Green Bay quarterback's potential.
The second-year starter is fresh off his best performance of the season. Love passed for 258 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, completing 22 of his 32 attempts.
DeMeco Ryans' defense stifled former MVP favorite Josh Allen, limiting him to a career-low 30 percent completion rate during their Week 5 victory over the Buffalo Bills. In their subsequent game, the Texans intercepted 2024 No. 3 overall draft pick Drake Maye three times, dominating the New England Patriots with a 41-21 victory.
Ryans implied that Jordan Love may outperform Josh Allen in their upcoming matchup. Allen, widely regarded as one of the league's top quarterbacks, struggled during a recent game against the Texans.
Love, who hasn't played in every game this season, has shown promise, but suggesting he could surpass Allen's performance has sparked controversy and speculation among fans and analysts alike.
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Ryans putting Love over Josh Allen
Allen struggled against Houston, completing just 9 of 30 passes for a mere 131 yards and one touchdown. These statistics fall short of his usual performance levels.
According to ESPN stats analyst Alaina Getzenberg, Allen's 30% completion rate marks the lowest for any quarterback with 30 or more attempts in the last three decades.
Texans safety Calen Bullock, who caught Maye's first career interception, recognizes that they'll face a higher level of competition this week.
“Jordan Love is a talented, talented quarterback. I think everybody knows that. He’s in a good area with Green Bay. He has a good receiver corps that he believes in. A lot of passing out of those guys, and we know we got to be up for that challenge,” said Bullock via Sam Warren of Houston Chronicle.
Love has thrown 12 passing touchdowns in just four games this season, missing two games due to a sprained MCL. His total ties him for the second-most in the league alongside Joe Burrow and places him just three touchdowns behind NFL leader Baker Mayfield, who has 15. Love's touchdown count through his first four games mirrors some of the MVP seasons of both Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre.
The showdown between C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love is set to be one of the NFL's top quarterback battles this season, reinforcing Ryans' statement. The two squads will meet at Lambeau Field at 1 p.m. Eastern, with the game airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
