The arrival of the playoffs welcomes the return of the age-old debate between rest versus rust.
Which is more significant? Is rust -- a term used to describe a lack of rhythm caused by an extended absence -- real, or just a myth?
Entering their Wild Card Weekend showdown with the rival Bears, Packers quarterback Jordan Love doesn't see it as a cause for concern.
"No, it doesn't really," Love said Wednesday of the two weeks he's missed due to a combination of injury and strategic rest, via ESPN. "I think still just practicing all week, staying locked in. Obviously suited up last week, was ready to go. But yeah, you know, it's been a couple weeks, but no, it doesn't feel like that, just staying with it in practice."
Love was forced out of Green Bay's last dance with Chicago in the first half due to a concussion, requiring backup Malik Willis to enter and finish a game that included a thrilling conclusion in favor of the Bears. He missed the following week, then spent the regular-season finale in full uniform on the sideline, making for 10 quarters of possible football participation missed over the last three weeks.
Coach Matt LaFleur doesn't seem to be worried about the time off for Love, a quarterback who seemed to be hitting his stride before the concussion.
"He looked good," coach Matt LaFleur said of Love's recent showings in practice. "He had, I would say, a pretty normal workload, so he looked good."
Rest can arrive at a perfect time for a team needing it. Packers running back Josh Jacobs certainly embraced the opportunity after playing through a nagging knee issue over the last six weeks.
"My body coming into this game is the best I've felt probably in the last six weeks," Jacobs said. "So, it's pretty good. Pretty good situation to be in."
For players like Jacobs, rust isn't a concern, not when the value of time off outweighs the possibility of losing his mojo. We'll see if the same is true for Love when he and the Packers return to the hostile confines of Soldier Field on Saturday.
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