Jordan Love isn't overly concerned about how teams will defend him this season, even with a full year of film for opponents to study.
It's not that Love doesn't anticipate teams countering what made him successful last year. Rather, he and his coaches have their own designs on where he can take his game as he enters Year 2 as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.
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, he has faith in his coaching staff, who he believes will put him and the team in the best possible positions to succeed.
Coaching and Development
Tom Clements, the quarterbacks coach, is well-equipped to help Love hone the skills needed to combat defensive strategies. Head coach Matt LaFleur has made adjustments in practice to aid Love’s development, including the addition of a 7-on-7 period to offseason practices – something LaFleur had previously avoided due to its lack of game-like conditions.
Clements and the Packers' offensive staff have taken time to anticipate what defenses might try to do to defend Love better. This proactive approach aims to give Love the upper hand in adapting to new defensive schemes.
Performance Under Pressure
Last season, Love struggled somewhat when pressured. His numbers in such situations ranked 27th and 26th among NFL quarterbacks, respectively. Love's tendency was to throw deep away from coverage, a strategy that resulted in only one interception when under pressure. Nonetheless, he has been diligently working on his pocket awareness and movements to improve in this crucial area.
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 that Love increasingly looked to make plays through the air rather than taking off and running. This shift in approach is a positive sign for his overall development.
As Jordan Love enters his second year as the starting quarterback for the Packers, 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.
"We know going into this year teams are going to have a better feel for what we do, what we did well," Love said. "That's their job -- to try to figure out how to stop that."
Love added, "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 emphasized the importance of fundamentals in Love's development. "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 also highlighted the emphasis on footwork. "What we're making a big emphasis on is having perfect feet," he noted. "Making sure the guys go through their progressions, having perfect feet. When they're not, they hear about it."
Clements explained that defenses might bring more pressure and use more disguises to make it difficult for Love to see where to go with the ball. "If that happens, you have to have a lot of film study and be able to react," he said.
For Love, staying poised in the pocket is a critical focus. "The biggest thing for me is just staying poised in the pocket, being able to stay balanced," he said. "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."
Love has also been working on throwing on the run and making off-schedule plays. "Early in the season, when Jordan scrambled, I'd say 95 percent of the time he ran the ball," Clements recalled. "In the second half of the year, that flipped. He was moving around, looking to throw the ball downfield rather than just taking off and running. That's what you want to do because you can get a lot of big plays in the scramble phase of the game."
By becoming more adept at making plays while on the move, Love is showing signs of significant progression. "Rather than just taking off and running, he's looking and trying to make a play, and that's where good things can happen," Clements said.
As the Packers look forward to the upcoming season, the continued development of Jordan Love will be a key factor in their success. With hard work and focus on the fundamentals, Love is ready to face the challenges ahead and lead his team with confidence.