How limited will Jordan Love look if he returns this week (and how can the offense help)?

Jordan Love seems likely to return from his knee injury on Sunday, but he'll have to play at less than 100%. How can the Packers help lift their still-healing quarterback?

Whether the Green Bay Packers genuinely believed that Jordan Love would play in a football game a week or two after suffering an MCL sprain or intentionally engaged in subterfuge to mislead opponents, that conversation no longer matters. With over a full week of practice under his belt, Love seems set to return this Sunday when the team hosts the division-rival Minnesota Vikings.

"We're building it up for sure," Love said Wednesday of his on-field work. "Every day is a little bit better, and it's kind of just based on how I'm feeling and kind of just basing off of practice."

Initially, Love's injury appeared to deal Green Bay a significant blow even in a best-case scenario. However, head coach Matt LaFleur and his staff expertly guided the team through not just one, but two contests with Malik Willis under center, an impressive accomplishment in any context. Now, with the Packers positioned at 2-1 following victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans and Love nearing a return, their season miraculously revived.

Though the team hasn't publicly committed to Love playing this week, all signs point to the signal-caller spending the game in uniform. Shortly before Green Bay's first practice of the week, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said, "It does seem like the Packers will have their quarterback back" before doubling down in the evening, stating, "My sense is Jordan Love has a very, very real shot to play this week." ESPN's Adam Schefter echoed those sentiments, sharing, "I think, frankly, it would be a surprise if he didn't start against the Vikings."

Of course, the Packers will use the week's three practices to further test Love's knee and see how it responds. But barring a setback, it seems almost a fait accompli that he will play this Sunday against the Vikings.

"As far as my injury's concerned, I'm trying to push it," Love said. "I've been trying to get back as fast as I can no matter who the opponent was. But definitely, you look at this week and NFC North opponent, a 3-0 team, really good team. It would definitely mean a lot to be able to get back and push myself to get back for this game."

At this stage of the process, the focus has largely shifted from whether Love will return to the degree of his limitations when he does. Because while Love has recovered quickly from a significant knee injury, he hasn't and won't reach 100% before kickoff. Just as the Packers reworked their offense around Willis' strengths and weaknesses over the past two weeks, so too much they build a different game plan for Love in his current state.

What can the Packers expect from Love upon his return?

During his first year as a full-time starting quarterback, Love played the position like a pocket passer with the physical ability to extend plays without necessarily going off schedule. Consider all the throws he made -- particularly those from late last season and in the playoffs -- after drifting backward to buy a little extra time before pulling the trigger off his back foot.

This particular skill serves as a sort of superpower for Love, but he might not have it in his quiver this weekend. While not strictly a matter of mobility, those throws require a considerable amount of torque from his lower body and leave Love more exposed if a defender crashes into him. Considering too that he will not have attempted one of these passes in game-like conditions in at least three weeks, the Packers should work to avoid placing him in that situation.

And while Love did move relatively fluidly during the open portions of practice and last Sunday's pregame warm-up in Tennessee, the team probably can't expect him to handle as much under-center work right out of the gate as he typically does. Each of those plays, whether resulting in a handoff or a dropback, places additional strain on a still-healing knee. This might only hinder Love for a few more weeks, but the team must manage the situation in the short term.

(via @TDavenport_NFL)

How can the coaches help Love?