Jordan Love grew up in Bakersfield, located two hours north of Los Angeles. He left California for college in 2016, the same year the Rams returned to LA after a 21-year absence.
This Sunday, Love will experience what feels like an NFL homecoming when his Green Bay Packers (2-2) face the Rams (1-3), whose struggling defense has allowed every opposing quarterback to thrive this season.
“It’ll be fun,” Love said. “I’m excited about it. It’s my first time playing at SoFi, and it’s the closest game to my hometown, so I have a lot of family in the area, and I’m looking forward to playing in front of them.”
Packers fans will finally fill the stands at Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s impressive stadium this weekend, marking the Packers’ first visit since SoFi opened. The last time they played in Southern California was a year before the stadium debuted.
On the field, the Packers aim to rebound from last week’s loss to Minnesota, where they fell behind 28-0 before making a late comeback that fell short. Love returned from a two-game knee injury absence, throwing for a career-high 389 yards and four touchdowns, though he also had three interceptions during the rally.
With the Packers’ third-ranked offense, they could pose a challenge for the Rams, who have the NFL’s second-worst defense, allowing 385.3 yards per game.
This decline was anticipated with Aaron Donald’s retirement and coordinator Raheem Morris’s departure, but Los Angeles is struggling, giving up 28.8 points per game—also the second-worst in the league.
“(Donald) is one of a kind,” said Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur, who was the Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2017. “Not many players can impact a game like he does.
However, I’ve been impressed with the Rams’ young front. They execute their pick plays well, and their effort stands out across the board.”