Jordan Love isn't overly concerned about how teams will defend him this year, even with a full season of film to study. It's not that Love doesn't anticipate teams countering what made him successful last season. He and his coaches have their own designs on where he can take his game as he enters Year 2 as the starter.
Facing Defensive Adjustments
The Philadelphia Eagles and other teams will undoubtedly study Love's 19 starts from the previous season. Love recognizes that defenses will have a better feel for what he and the Packers did well last year. However, Love has faith in his coaching staff, whom he believes will put him and the team in the best possible positions.
Coaching and Development
Tom Clements, the Packers' quarterbacks coach, is well-equipped to help Love hone the skills needed to combat evolving defensive strategies. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has also made adjustments in practice to aid Love’s development. LaFleur added a 7-on-7 period to offseason practices, despite previously disliking it due to the lack of game-like conditions. This adjustment highlights the coaching staff's commitment to Love's growth.
Clements and the Packers' offensive staff have taken time to anticipate what defenses might try to do to neutralize Love's strengths. Their proactive approach aims to ensure that Love is prepared for any scenario.
Performance Under Pressure
Last season, Love struggled somewhat when pressured, ranking 27th and 26th among NFL quarterbacks in relevant metrics. His tendency was to throw deep away from coverage, a strategy that resulted in only one interception when under pressure. Acknowledging these challenges, Love has been working on his pocket awareness and movements. By refining these aspects of his game, the young quarterback aims to improve his performance under duress.
Adapting to Change
Love has shown growth in his ability to adapt and make plays on the run. Clements observed some of that development late last season, noting Love's ability to make plays on the move rather than simply taking off and running. This evolution in his game has been a positive sign for his development.
As Jordan Love enters his second year as the Packers' starting quarterback, he remains focused on refining his skills and preparing for the defensive adjustments that are sure to come. With the support of a seasoned coaching staff and a commitment to continual improvement, Love is poised to build on his experiences from last season and lead the Packers to new heights.
Season Preparation
"We know going into this year teams are going to have a better feel for what we do and what we did well," Love said. "That's their job—to try to figure out how to stop that. That's the fun part about the NFL. At the end of the day, we've got a very good coaching staff that's going to put us in the best position. We'll also be able to adjust to what defenses might be doing and taking away from us, and we'll learn on the fly."
Clements stressed the importance of fundamentals. "It's just more fundamental things," he said. "Footwork and how he moves in the pocket, and we're working on the drills, working on throwing a lot of routes on air." LaFleur echoed this sentiment. "What we're making a big emphasis on is having perfect feet," LaFleur noted. "Making sure the guys go through their progressions with perfect feet. When they're not, they hear about it."
Clements added, "You might anticipate a defense bringing a little more pressure, disguising more, making it more difficult to see where to go. If that happens, you have to have a lot of film study and be able to react."
"The biggest thing for me is just staying poised in the pocket," Love said. "Being able to stay balanced in the pocket. Sometimes I get out of whack with my feet, and I might start drifting in the pocket too much. Just pocket awareness, making smaller moves and understanding when I've got to get out of there. Also, throwing on the run, being able to escape the pocket and make those off-schedule plays is something I worked a good amount on."
Clements noticed a shift in Love's approach late in the season. "Early in the season, when Jordan scrambled, I'd say 95 percent of the time he ran the ball. In the second half of the year, that maybe flipped—not 95 percent, but a larger percentage of the time he was moving around, looking to throw the ball downfield," Clements recalled. "That's what you want to do because you can get a lot of big plays in the scramble phase of the game. Rather than just taking off and running, he's looking and trying to make a play, and that's where good things can happen. So that's one illustration."
With Love showing noticeable progress in these areas and a determined coaching staff guiding his development, the Packers' quarterback appears ready to face the challenges of the upcoming season. Love's growth and resiliency could very well lead Green Bay to a successful campaign.