With Love on the sideline, the Packers beat the Jaguars 30–27 for their fourth straight win.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers may have to play without quarterback Jordan Love again.

This time it could be longer.

Love injured his left groin on the first possession against Jacksonville, left the game for good in the third quarter and then took a front-row seat as backup to Malik Willis, who rallied the Packers to a 30-27 victory.

Coach Matt LaFleur said he was “very concerned” about Love’s latest injury. Love missed two games in September with a sprained left knee.

Love watched from the sidelines on Sunday Willis completed a 51-yard pass to Jaden Reed for Brandon McManus’ second game-winning kick in as many weeks.. Willis completed 4 of 5 passes for 56 yards with a touchdown for the biggest completion of the day.

“The moments were never too difficult for him and he made a lot of big plays in this game, not just with his arm,” LaFleur said.

Willis found Reed wide open on the left sideline after cornerback Andre Cisco cramped and went down.

“I already knew I was going to be open before the play was even announced,” Reed said.

That was all the Packers (6-2) needed to pull back. Trevor Lawrence’s perfect 14-yard pass to Evan Engram tied the game..

Engram caught the ball between three defenders and gave the Jaguars (2-6) all the momentum. But LaFleur delivered a gut punch, trailing by second, and that was the difference.

Jacksonville tried to allow the Packers to score, but Chris Brooks went to the ground to help McManus set up the 24-yard punt.

Josh Jacobs rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns for Green Bay, including a 38-yard run in which he beat backs Ventrell Miller and De’Antre Prince.

“He’s a stud, isn’t he?” LaFleur said. “The physicality with which he runs. … He’s a thorough professional. I can’t say enough good things about him. We’re lucky to have a guy like him, the way he comes in and communicates and works and demands it of himself, but demands it of others as well.”

Lawrence pulled Jacksonville out of 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 if Lawrence and his teammates hadn’t made so many mistakes.

Lawrence fumbled at the 5-yard line and intercepted the ball. The Jaguars also saved two trips to Green Bay thanks to penalties.

“We have to play cleaner,” said Lawrence, who completed 21 of 32 passes for 308 yards.

The Jaguars lost six players to injury.

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 of the game after he injured his left shoulder while attempting a diving catch.

Jacksonville also lost guard Ronald Darby (hip), right guard Brandon Scherff (knee) and left guard Ezra Cleveland (ankle). Scherff was the only one who made it back.

Jacksonville can’t seem to hide its tough moments.

Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft became the latest player to cause damage for the Jaguars. In the second quarter, Kraft had a 67-yard reception in which he broke one tackle and armed another defender for a field goal. He added a 3-yard touchdown catch in the fourth.

Kraft’s play wasn’t a surprise considering how many of his peers 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-of-70, 2 TDs) and Mo Ali of Indianapolis. -Cox (2 of 37, TD).

McManus returns to beat former team

McManus returned to the spot where he played last season and made three game-winning field goals.

McManus played for 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 while they worked as flight attendants during Jaguars’ trip to London.

The NFL later said it did not find sufficient evidence that McManus violated its personal conduct policy and the lawsuit was allowed. McManus signed with Green Bay last week and kicked a 45-yard field goal on the final play of the Packers’ 24-22 win over the Houston Texans last Sunday.

Other key injuries

The Packers lost rookie cornerback Evan Williams to a hamstring injury.

Next

The Packers host NFC North rival Detroit next Sunday.

The Jaguars play in Philadelphia and coach Doug Pederson returns to face his former team for the second time in three seasons.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl