Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, second from left, greets Minnesota Vikings fullback C.J. Ham, second from right, during the coin toss before their game on Sunday in Minneapolis. (AP photo)

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has done a great job of avoiding interceptions throughout this season.

However, he hasn’t been nearly as effective in that regard during his playoff career.

The Packers’ chances of extending their season beyond this weekend depend in part on how well Love can protect the ball against the Chicago Bears, who had an NFL-leading 23 interceptions and 33 total takeaways during the regular season.

Love was picked off on just six of his 439 passes this season, but he has thrown five interceptions in his past six postseason quarters. Love will try to change that recent playoff trajectory when the Packers (9-7-1) visit the NFC North champion Bears (11-6) in a Saturday night wild-card matchup.

“Every play is something to learn from and grow from,” Love said Wednesday. “That’s the mindset I’ve always taken. I think, like I mentioned going into the playoffs having to win and then having a couple tough losses, it all shapes you going into the offseason.”

Love’s three previous playoff starts have run the gamut.

He made his playoff debut two years ago and went 16 of 21 for 272 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions in a 48-32 wild-card victory at Dallas. Love threw for two more touchdowns to give Green Bay a lead at San Francisco the following week before getting intercepted late in the third quarter and again in the closing minutes of a 24-21 loss.

Last season, Love threw three interceptions without a touchdown pass in a 22-10 wild-card loss at Philadelphia while many of his top options got injured either before or during the game.

“You look at the way the 49ers game ended, throwing a pick to end it, it’s a tough way to go out,” Love said. “And I think in that situation, there’s so much good stuff to learn from in a two-minute situation, understanding what the situation is, how much time is left, what the down and distance is, how much we need. And trying not to force the ball right there and make that play. And then, you look at the Eagles game, I had a (few) turnovers in that game.

“So I think it just always comes down to taking care of the ball, playing your best as a quarterback, and then putting the team in the best position.”

Love completed 66.3% of his passes this season for 3,381 yards with 23 touchdowns. He threw multiple interceptions just once, when he got picked off twice in a 34-26 loss at Denver that started Green Bay’s four-game skid to close the regular season.

Saturday will mark the first time Love has played since absorbing a helmet-to-helmet hit from Bears defensive end Austin Booker in the second quarter of the Packers’ 22-16 overtime loss at Chicago on Dec. 20.

Although he missed Green Bay’s final two regular-season games, Love doesn’t expect rust to be an issue Saturday.

Love practiced fully throughout last week after getting cleared from concussion protocol, though the Packers chose to rest him for their 16-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

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