As Jordan Love gears up for his second season as the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback, he remains untroubled by the prospect of facing defenses that have a full season of film to study his gameplay. Love acknowledges the inevitability of defensive adjustments but expresses confidence in his own growth and his coaching staff's strategic prowess.
Facing Defensive Adjustments
The Philadelphia Eagles and other teams are expected to scrutinize Love's 19 starts from the previous season meticulously. Love understands that defenses will have a sharper insight into the Packers' successful tactics. "We know going into this year teams are going to have a better feel of what we do, what we did good," Love said. "That's their job -- to try to figure out how to stop that. That's the fun part about the NFL."
Despite this, Love trusts his coaching staff to adapt and keep the team competitive. "At the end of the day, we've got a very good coaching staff that's going to put us in the best position," he stated. "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."
Coaching and Development
Led by offensive coordinator Tom Clements and head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers' coaching staff has been instrumental in preparing Love for the upcoming challenges. Clements, in particular, focuses on sharpening the skills necessary for Love to counter defensive strategies. "What we're making a big emphasis on is [having] perfect feet," LaFleur noted. "Making sure the guys go through their progressions, having perfect feet. When they're not, they hear about it."
LaFleur has even added a 7-on-7 period to offseason practices, a change he previously avoided due to the lack of game-like conditions. The strategy aims to enhance Love’s development in a controlled setting, allowing him to practice precision and decision-making under simulated pressure.
Performance Under Pressure
Last season, Love struggled when faced with pressure, ranking 27th and 26th among NFL quarterbacks in key metrics. Yet, despite the challenges, he managed to limit his interceptions to just one while under pressure, often opting to throw deep away from coverage. This reflects a cautious yet potentially exploitable tendency.
To address this, Love has been diligently working on his pocket awareness and movements. "The biggest thing for me is just staying poised in the pocket," Love 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."
Adapting to Change
Love's growth in making plays on the run rather than taking off and running has been a crucial aspect of his development. Clements noticed significant improvement in this area late last season. "Early in the season, when Jordan scrambled, I'd say 95 percent of the time he ran the ball," Clements recalled. "Second half of the year, that maybe flipped -- maybe not 95 percent but a larger percentage he was moving around, looking to throw the ball downfield." This shift in behavior suggests an increased maturity in Love's game, focusing on creating opportunities rather than simply evading pressure.
Clements emphasized the importance of this development. "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."
As the new season approaches, Love remains committed to refining his skills and staying adaptable in the face of defensive strategies designed to counter his success. With the solid backing of a seasoned coaching staff, and a focus on continual improvement, he appears poised to guide the Packers to new heights. Whether it's perfecting footwork, mastering pocket movements, or executing off-schedule plays, Jordan Love is dedicated to elevating his game and overcoming the challenges that lie ahead.