In a late-August preseason game against Arizona, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love stepped into an unfamiliar role — play-caller — and guided his team from an 11-point deficit to a 42-38 victory in the final minutes. The moment was unplanned, offered on impulse by head coach Matt LaFleur, yet Love's composure never faltered. It was a quiet revelation about the nature of leadership: that some people are simply ready before the moment arrives.
Packers QB Jordan Love calls plays in preseason, orchestrates stunning comeback
calm, cool and collected throughout the entire game
Mark
So LaFleur just walked up to Love before the game and asked him to call plays? That seems risky for a preseason game.
Mimi
It does, but LaFleur said it wasn't a formal setup—he just asked on the spot. Love said yes, and then he had to deliver in real time with no prep.
Luke
Wait, did Love actually call the plays, or did he relay them from LaFleur? The reporting says Love "called" them, but I want to be clear on what that means operationally.
Mimi
The source says Love called the plays in the second half. LaFleur praised his demeanor on the headset and his decision-making during critical moments, which suggests Love was making the actual calls.
Mark
And the Packers came back from 11 down in 3 and a half minutes. That's a pretty dramatic turnaround.
Mimi
Yes, and LaFleur specifically credited Love's poise during those critical moments. He said it matched what he sees from Love on the field as a player.
Luke
But we should note—this was a preseason game. The Cardinals were also resting their starters, presumably. It's not the same pressure as a regular season game.
Mimi
That's fair. It's still meaningful as a demonstration of Love's composure and football intelligence, but you're right that the context matters.
Mark
What about McCord? He threw four touchdowns. Does that make his case for the roster?
Luke
Four touchdowns in a preseason game is solid, but McCord himself said it's out of his control now. One game rarely determines a roster spot, even a good one.
Mimi
True, but the reporting suggests his performance was strong enough to at least give him a real shot. He's competing for a practice squad or reserve role, and this game showed he can execute when given the opportunity.
Der Puls
- With 3.5 minutes left and the Packers trailing by 11, Love took the headset for the first time in his career — no preparation, no rehearsal, just the game on the line.
- The offense responded immediately, scoring twice in a blink to steal a 42-38 win and turn a forgettable preseason night into something worth remembering.
- LaFleur listened through the headset and heard exactly what he sees on the field: a voice that doesn't waver when the moment gets heavy.
- Third-string QB Kyle McCord threw four touchdowns in his roster audition, his performance buoyed by the calm rhythm Love established from the sideline.
- McCord now waits on a roster decision he admits is out of his hands, having done everything asked of him — and perhaps a little more.
In a late-August preseason game against Arizona, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love stepped into an unfamiliar role — play-caller — and guided his team from an 11-point deficit to a 42-38 victory in the final minutes. The moment was unplanned, offered on impulse by head coach Matt LaFleur, yet Love's composure never faltered. It was a quiet revelation about the nature of leadership: that some people are simply ready before the moment arrives.
Jordan Love called plays for the Green Bay Packers on Friday night — something he had never done before. It wasn't planned. Head coach Matt LaFleur approached him on the sideline before the Arizona game and offered him the offense for the second half. Love accepted, and what followed said something real about who he is under pressure.
The Packers were trailing by 11 with 3.5 minutes left when Love took the headset. They scored twice and won 42-38. LaFleur, listening through the communication line, heard a voice that never wavered — calm, methodical, certain. "That's not a surprise to me," the coach said afterward, "because that's what we see on the field, too." Given no preparation time, Love had delivered anyway.
While Love and backup Tyrod Taylor rested, third-string quarterback Kyle McCord played the full game. The 2025 sixth-round pick — coming off a season on Philadelphia's practice squad — completed 22 of 35 passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns, making his case for a spot on the final 53-man roster. Love's steady hand on the offense created a rhythm that made McCord's job easier, and McCord rose to meet it.
When asked if he'd done enough to make the team, McCord was honest about the limits of his control. "I did everything that I could've to make a case for myself," he said. "Now we just wait and see." The numbers were strong, but in the NFL, one preseason game rarely decides anything. What was clear was that two players — one established, one still proving himself — had each shown something worth watching as the real season draws near.
Jordan Love spent Friday night doing something he'd never done before: calling plays for the Green Bay Packers. It wasn't planned. Head coach Matt LaFleur approached him on the sideline before the game against Arizona and asked if he wanted to take over the offense in the second half. Love said yes. What followed was a masterclass in composure under pressure.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich had run the first half, and the Packers were losing. They trailed the Cardinals by 11 points as the fourth quarter wound down, with just 3 and a half minutes remaining. Then Love took the headset. The Packers scored twice in that span and won 42-38, erasing the deficit in what amounted to a blink. It was the kind of finish that gets remembered, and it happened under the direction of a quarterback making real-time decisions for the first time.
LaFleur was struck by what he heard coming through the headset. Love's voice never wavered. He was calm, collected, methodical—exactly the kind of presence a coach wants when everything is on the line. "That's not a surprise to me," LaFleur said afterward, "because that's what we see on the field, too." The head coach had given Love the assignment on impulse, with no preparation time, and Love had delivered. It was a small window into something larger: the kind of quarterback who doesn't panic when the moment gets big.
Third-string quarterback Kyle McCord played the entire game while Love and backup Tyrod Taylor rested. McCord completed 22 of 35 passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns. He was a sixth-round pick in 2025 who had spent the previous season on Philadelphia's practice squad, and this preseason game was his audition for a spot on the final 53-man roster. With Love orchestrating the offense and the Packers mounting their comeback, McCord had the kind of stage that matters for a player fighting for his job.
When asked if his performance would be enough to make the roster, McCord was measured. "It's out of my control at this point," he said. "I did everything that I could've to make a case for myself. And so now we just wait and see." The numbers he put up—four touchdowns, 226 yards—suggested he'd done more than enough. But in the NFL, a single preseason game, even a good one, is rarely the deciding factor. What was clear was that Love's calm hand on the offense had created the kind of rhythm that made McCord's job easier, and that both men had shown something worth watching as the regular season approaches.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I just went up to him. It's not like he had time to prep. I was just like, 'Hey, you want to call the second half?' He said, 'Sure. Yeah, I'll do it.' And he did it and he did an outstanding job.— Matt LaFleur, Packers head coach
It's out of my control at this point. I did everything that I could've to make a case for myself. And so now we just wait and see.— Kyle McCord, third-string quarterback
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