Sunday return ‘realistic’ for Jordan Love – Madison.com

But the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback was asked Wednesday if he had the strength to make an even tougher decision: no play this Sunday in the decisive NFC North matchup with the Detroit Lions and let Malik Willis start in his place?

“Yes. (I) try to push him as much as I can throughout the week, but if it’s not ready, if it’s not time to go, (I) definitely don’t try to push (to play),” Love said after sitting out practice on Wednesday as the Packers (6-2) prepared for their matchup with the Lions (6-1) at Lambeau Field. “Because, as we always say, the season is long. (I) definitely want to be available until the end of the season.”

Love certainly hasn’t ruled out playing against the Lions, calling it “realistic” to play and stressing that the groin he injured on third down against the Jaguars “definitely feels better.”

Asked if he was comfortable going into Sunday’s game without practicing all week, Love said, “Obviously not practicing during the week is not the ideal format to try to play, (but) if that’s the scenario, I know I’ll be fine . But it’s definitely not the ideal scenario going into a big week.”

Love’s injury gradually worsened during last week’s game, and he finally admitted enough was enough on the Packers’ first offensive drive of the second half.

Head coach Matt LaFleur, who has never tipped an opponent, said the plan this week with Love was to “just take it one day at a time and see where he’s at by the end of the week.”

LaFleur did not say whether he expects Love to participate in Thursday’s practice, which is usually the most important of the week.

“He’s moving better. “We’ll see,” Lafleur said. “Sure, we’ll push the envelope. I know he wants to play. But we’ll see where he is by the end of the week.”

Also as a factor in the calculation of whether love should play? The growing confidence of players and coaches in Willis, who led the team to back-to-back wins in September when Love was sidelined with a left knee injury.

Asked how much more comfortable he is playing Willis now compared to Week 2, LaFleur said, “A lot more. He has a good understanding of what we are trying to achieve, the techniques and the fundamentals. So, I would say a lot more confident.”

LaFleur pointed to the fact that against the Jaguars, he didn’t shy away from calling some of the offensive plays that were meant for Love after Willis took over.

“I feel like it’s a different time, a different situation,” Willis said of how far he’s come. “I just try to take it one day at a time, keep trying to get better.”

There’s also this: Not only has Willis shown he can be effective, but with next week’s bye, Love will have three full weeks to recover from the injury.

If Love doesn’t play against the Lions, it will be 20 days since he collapsed outside the Packers’ sideline last Sunday while trying to leave the game — “My leg just locked up, so I just went down,” he said — and a kickoff for the game the Packers on Nov. 17 with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

On the other hand, a matchup with the Lions, who have won five straight and put up an astounding 172 points in their last four games, will go a long way in determining who wins the NFC North, which looks like the most competitive division in football.

And while he insisted he would make the smart decision, Love also admitted the possibility of needing to score plenty of points to beat the high-flying Lions – and the inherent importance of the game – was also on his mind.

“I think there’s (a factor),” Love said. “But at the same time, no matter who we played, with any injury, I’ll try to get back as soon as possible. I want to be there for the boys and my team.

“So I think whoever it was, I would definitely try to get back as quickly as possible, even if it was a bye next week. (But) it’s obviously a big opponent in the division, so I’m going to do everything I can to try to come back.”