JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Green Bay Packers might have to play without quarterback Jordan Love again.
This time, it could be longer.
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Love injured his left groin on the opening possession against Jacksonville, left the game for good in the third quarter and then had a front-row seat as backup Malik Willis rallied the Packers to a 30-27 victory.
Coach Matt LaFleur said he had a “high level of concern” for Love's latest injury. Love missed two games in September with a sprained left knee.
With Love watching from the sideline Sunday, Willis completed a 51-yard pass to Jayden Reed that set up Brandon McManus' second winning kick in as many weeks. Willis completed 4 of 5 passes for 56 yards, with a touchdown and the biggest completion of the day.
“The moment’s never too big for him and he made a lot of big-time plays in this game, not only with his arm,” LaFleur said.
Willis found Reed wide open down the left sideline after safety Andre Cisco cramped up and fell down.
“I already knew I was going to be open before the play was even called,” Reed said.
It was all the Packers (6-2) needed to rebound from Trevor Lawrence's perfectly placed, 14-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram that helped tie the game.
Engram caught the ball between three defenders and gave the Jaguars (2-6) all the momentum. But LaFleur dialed up a gut-punch on second down that was the difference.
Jacksonville tried to let the Packers score, but Chris Brooks dropped to the ground to help set up McManus' 24-yarder.
Josh Jacobs ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns for Green Bay, including a 38-yard run in which he juked defenders Ventrell Miller and De'Antre Prince.
“He’s a stud isn’t he?" LaFleur said. "The physicality that he runs with. ... He is a pro’s pro. I can’t say enough great things about him. We’re lucky to have a guy like that, the way he comes in and communicates and works and demands it of himself but demands it of others as well.”
Lawrence rallied Jacksonville from a 10-point deficit in the fourth and tied the game at 27 with his pass to Engram. But the Jags might not have needed a comeback had Lawrence and his teammates not made so many mistakes.
Lawrence fumbled at the 5-yard line and threw an interception. The Jaguars also kept two Green Bay drives alive with penalties.
“We've got to play cleaner,” said Lawrence, who completed 21 of 32 passes for 308 yards.
Jaguars lose six players to injuries
The Jaguars lost all three of their starting receivers: Brian Thomas Jr. (chest), Christian Kirk (shoulder) and Gabe Davis (shoulder). Kirk was quickly ruled out after he injured his left shoulder trying to make a diving catch.
Jacksonville also lost cornerback Ronald Darby (hip), right guard Brandon Scherff (knee) and left guard Ezra Cleveland (ankle). Scherff was the only one able to return.
Jacksonville can’t seem to cover tight ends
Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft became the latest tight end to hurt the Jaguars. Kraft had a 67-yard reception in the second quarter in which he broke one tackle and stiff-armed another defender to set up a field goal. He added a 3-yard touchdown catch in the fourth.
Kraft’s performance was no surprise considering how many of his colleagues have made similar big plays against Jacksonville in recent weeks: New England’s Hunter Henry (8 catches for 92 yards), Chicago’s Cole Kmet (5 for 70, 2 TDs) and Indianapolis’ Mo Alie-Cox (2 for 37, TD).
McManus returns to beat former team
McManus returned to the place where he played last season and delivered three field goals in the victory.
McManus was with the Jaguars in 2023 and signed with Washington in the offseason before two women sued him and the Jaguars in civil court alleging he sexually assaulted them when they were working as flight attendants on the Jaguars’ trip to London.
The NFL later said it didn’t find sufficient evidence that McManus violated the personal conduct policy, and the lawsuit was resolved. McManus signed with Green Bay last week and kicked a 45-yard field goal in the final play of the Packers’ 24-22 victory over the Houston Texans last Sunday.
Other key injuries
The Packers lost rookie safety Evan Williams to a hamstring injury.
Up next
The Packers host NFC North rival Detroit next Sunday.
The Jaguars play at Philadelphia, with coach Doug Pederson returning to face his former franchise for the second time in three seasons.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl