Jordan Love channeled his inner-Aaron Rodgers and overruled Matt LaFleur vs. Lions

The Green Bay Packers wanted to make a statement against the Detroit Lions.

They elected to receive the ball after winning the coin toss. Most teams opt to defer. But the Packers wanted to start fast and put points on the board early. And did they ever.

On the first play from scrimmage, Love took a deep shot to Christian Watson off of play-action, and the two connected on a 53-yard pass. Four plays later, Love hit Jayden Reed for a touchdown. The Packers had the lead and never gave it up.

The Packers were playing with house money in this game. Nobody gave them a shot to take down the red-hot Lions, especially with an injury list featuring Aaron Jones, Luke Musgrave, Jaire Alexander, and several other key starters on both sides of the ball.

The Love-to-Watson connection on the opening play set the tone, but it almost didn't happen.

Jordan Love convinced Matt LaFleur to take deep shot on opening play in Packers win

The Packers had planned to kick off the game with a deep shot earlier in the week, but head coach Matt LaFleur had second thoughts on Thursday morning.

Fortunately, Love was having none of it. He convinced LaFleur to stick with it, and he delivered with the strike to Watson.

Aaron Rodgers had a massive influence on the offense during his time in Green Bay. LaFleur trusted Rodgers to change plays and make adjustments. It's great to see Love have the confidence to go with what he feels is right.

Love easily could've agreed with LaFleur and gone for a more conservative play, but he believed a deep shot on the first play could set the tone for the game. And that's exactly what happened.

Love has grown in confidence throughout the season. Three weeks in a row, he has put together a career-best performance. Thursday was no different. Love dominated the Lions' defense, throwing for 268 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Packers to a memorable victory.

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