Packers' QB Love dominates Cards with full complement of receivers

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Packers quarterback Jordan Love showed Sunday just what he’s capable of accomplishing when he has his full complement of receivers.

Whether that receiving group will remain at full strength moving forward remains uncertain.

Dontayvion Wicks left the Packers' 34-13 triumph over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday with a shoulder injury. Packers coach Matt LaFleur didn't have a definitive update Monday on Wicks' status.

“We’ll give him through the week and see where he’s at,” LaFleur said. "I just know it’s always a concern when you have a player that can’t go back in the game.”

Love had his best game of the season Sunday as he capitalized on Romeo Doubs returning from a suspension and Christian Watson coming back from an ankle injury. Neither Doubs nor Watson had been available for the Packers' 24-19 victory over the Los Angeles Rams a week earlier.

After throwing eight touchdown passes and five interceptions in his first three starts of the season, Love threw four touchdown passes and was picked off only once against the Arizona Cardinals. He also completed 68.8% of his passes, the first time this season he’s been at 60% or better.

“I think we’ve just got to keep building upon it, you know?” Love said after the game. “Build off this win, this performance, go back, handle business this week throughout practice, and we’ve got a really good team (the Houston Texans) coming in here next week."

Two of Love’s touchdown passes went to Doubs, whose suspension resulted from missing two practices leading up to the Rams game. Love also had a 44-yard touchdown connection with Watson.

Love wasn’t really to blame for his lone interception.

With rain falling for much of the first half, intended receiver Bo Melton slipped on a route late in the second quarter. With Melton on the ground, Love’s pass went to Arizona’s Sean Murphy-Bunting.

Love otherwise avoided turnovers, which had been an issue.

After missing two games with an injury to his left medial collateral ligament, Love got picked off three times in a 31-29 loss to Minnesota and threw his first career pick-6 against the Rams.

His performance Sunday was reminiscent of his late-season surge last season, when he threw 21 touchdown passes and only one interception in a nine-game stretch that culminated with a wild-card playoff victory at Dallas.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence,” LaFleur said Sunday.

The Packers continue producing plenty of takeaways. Xavier McKinney didn’t intercept a pass for the first time all season, but the Packers still recovered three fumbles. They have 17 takeaways — four more than anyone else. … The Packers outrushed the Cardinals 179-89. They're averaging 167.2 yards rushing per game, second in the NFL to Baltimore’s 205.3. Green Bay has rushed for 1,003 yards this year, its most in the first six games of a season since 1963. … The Packers punted just once all day. ... Love wasn't sacked.

For the second straight week, the Packers had a key turnover late in the second quarter that enabled the opponent to grab momentum. Murphy-Bunting’s interception came a week after Love threw a pick-6 in the closing minutes of the first half against the Rams. The Packers are getting outscored 54-43 in the second quarter; they’re outscoring teams 119-67 in the other three quarters. … The defense did a nice job of neutralizing Arizona’s rushing attack but didn’t have any sacks.

Doubs scored his first two touchdowns of the season. … RB Emanuel Wilson rushed for 54 yards on just seven attempts and is averaging 5 yards per carry as he cements his status as a solid No. 2 running back alongside Josh Jacobs. … S Evan Williams continued his outstanding rookie season by by forcing a fumble and getting a tackle for loss. ... Rookie LB Edgerrin Cooper played 65.5% of the defensive snaps, the first time he'd been on the field for as many as 40% of the defensive plays.

CB Eric Stokes was on the field for just 16 defensive snaps Sunday. He had played at least 53 snaps in four of the Packers’ first five games. … K Brayden Narveson made two field goals but also missed one from 44 yards. Narveson has missed five field-goal attempts this season — more than any other kicker — and that’s without any tries from beyond 49 yards.

DL Devonte Wyatt missed a second straight game with an ankle injury.

17/18 — Green Bay’s season is barely one-third of the way over, yet the Packers already are on the verge of surpassing their takeaway total from a year ago. The Packers have 17 takeaways through their first six games after forcing just 18 turnovers all of last season.

The Packers (4-2) stay home to face the AFC South-leading Texans (5-1).

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) and quarterback Jordan Love (10) run to the bench after Watson's 44-yard reception for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) throws over the defense of Arizona Cardinals defensive end L.J. Collier (91) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is chased by Arizona Cardinals linebacker Krys Barnes (51) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love passes during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is chased by Arizona Cardinals linebacker Krys Barnes (51) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drones blasted apartment buildings and the power grid in the southern Ukraine city of Odesa in an overnight attack that injured six people, including a toddler and two other children, officials said Wednesday.

Four apartment buildings were damaged in the bombardment, according to regional military administration head Oleh Kiper. Power company DTEK said two of its energy facilities suffered significant damage. The company said that 10 substations that distribute electricity in the Odesa region were damaged in December alone.

Russia has this year escalated its long-range attacks on urban areas of Ukraine. In recent months, as Russia’s invasion of its neighbor approaches its four-year milestone in February, it has also intensified its targeting of energy infrastructure, seeking to deny Ukrainians heat and running water in the bitter winter months.

From January to November this year, more than 2,300 Ukrainian civilians were killed and more than 11,000 were injured, the United Nations said earlier this month. That was 26% higher than in the same period in 2024 and 70% higher than in 2023, it said.

Russia’s sustained drone and missile attacks have taken place against backdrop of renewed diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting.

U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday and announced that a settlement is “closer than ever before." The Ukrainian leader is due to hold talks next week with the heads of European governments supporting his efforts to secure acceptable terms.

The ongoing attacks, meantime, are inflaming tensions.

The overnight Odesa strikes “are further evidence of the enemy’s terror tactics, which deliberately target civilian infrastructure,” Kiper, the regional head, said.

Moscow has alleged that Ukraine attempted to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence in northwestern Russia with 91 long-range drones late Sunday and early Monday. Ukrainian officials deny the claim and say it’s a ruse to derail progress in the peace negotiations.

Maj. Gen. Alexander Romanenkov of the Russian air force claimed Wednesday that the drones took off from Ukraine’s Sumy and Chernihiv regions.

At a briefing where no questions were allowed, he presented a map showing the drone flight routes before they were downed by Russian air defenses over the Bryansk, Tver, Smolensk and Novgorod regions.

It was not possible to independently verify the reports.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, on Wednesday called the Russian allegations “a deliberate distraction” from the peace talks.

“No one should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor who has indiscriminately targeted Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilians since the start of the war,” Kallas posted on X.

Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Romania and Croatia are the latest countries to join a fund that buys weapons for Ukraine from the United States. The financial arrangement, known as the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, pools contributions from NATO members, except the United States, to purchase American weapons, munitions and equipment.

Since it was established in August, 24 countries are now contributing to the fund, according to Zelenskyy. The fund has so far received $4.3 billion, with almost $1.5 billion coming in December alone, he said on social media.

Ukraine’s air force said Wednesday that Russia fired 127 drones at the country during the night, with 101 of them intercepted by air defenses.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that 86 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over Russian regions, the Black Sea and the illegally annexed Crimea peninsula.

The Ukrainian attack started a fire at an oil refinery in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, but it was quickly put out, local authorities said.

This story has corrected the day of the alleged Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian president’s residence to late Sunday and early Monday.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this image made from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, a Russian Army soldier fires from D-30 howitzer towards Ukrainian positions in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)