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. "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."
However, Love's confidence in his coaching staff remains unshaken. He believes they will put him and the team in the best possible positions to succeed. "At the end of the day, we've got a very good coaching staff that's going to put us in the best position," Love stated. This faith could be crucial as he navigates the challenges that come with defensive adjustments.
Coaching and Development
Tom Clements is well-equipped to help Love hone the skills needed to combat 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. Clements and the Packers' offensive staff have taken time to anticipate what defenses might try to do to defend Love better.
The tactical decisions by the coaching staff come as no surprise, considering Love's performance under pressure last season. When pressured, he struggled somewhat, with numbers ranking 27th and 26th among NFL quarterbacks, respectively. Despite this, Love showed resilience by throwing deep away from coverage, a strategy that resulted in only one interception when under pressure.
Performance Under Pressure
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. "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."
His development has been noticeable. "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."
Adapting to Change
Love has shown growth in his ability to adapt and make plays on the run. "Just pocket awareness, making smaller moves and understanding when I've got to get out of there," Love explained. "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 observed some of that development late last season. "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. "So that's one illustration." Love's ability to make plays on the run instead of taking off and running has been a positive sign for his 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'll also be able to adjust to what defenses might be doing and taking away from us, and we'll learn on the fly," Love added. Indeed, these are the attributes that could define his success in the upcoming season.