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. Despite this, Love has faith in his coaching staff, who 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 defensive strategies. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has also made adjustments in practice to aid Love’s development. Notably, 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.
Performance Under Pressure
Last season, Love struggled somewhat when pressured, ranking 27th and 26th among NFL quarterbacks respectively in relevant metrics. His tendency was to throw deep away from coverage, a strategy that resulted in only one interception when under pressure. However, Love has been working diligently on his pocket awareness and movements to improve these aspects of his game.
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. 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 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. 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 added, "It's just more fundamental things: footwork and how he moves in the pocket. We're working on the drills, working on throwing a lot of routes on air. What we're making a big emphasis on is having 'perfect feet,' making sure the guys go through their progressions. When they're not, they hear about it."
Expecting More Pressure
In anticipation of defensive adjustments, Clements explained, "You might anticipate a defense maybe bringing a little more pressure, disguising a little bit 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."
Love echoed these sentiments, "The biggest thing for me is just staying poised in the pocket, 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."
Love has also worked on throwing on the run, enhancing his ability to escape the pocket and make off-schedule plays. "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. 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," Clements concluded.
As defenses, including the Eagles, prepare to counter what made Jordan Love successful last season, Love's growth, and adaptability, combined with an experienced coaching staff, set the stage for an intriguing Year 2 for the Packers' starting quarterback.