Jordan Love isn't overly concerned about how teams will defend him this year, even with a full season of film to study. As he enters his second season as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Love remains confident in his own abilities and the support of his coaching staff.
Facing Defensive Adjustments
The Philadelphia Eagles and other teams will undoubtedly study Love's 19 starts from the previous season to gain any advantage they can. Love recognizes that defenses will have a better feel for what he and the Packers did well last year, but he's not worried. "We know going into this year teams are going to have a better feel of what we do, what we did good," Love stated. "That's their job—to try to figure out how to stop that."
He acknowledges the challenge but views it as an exciting part of the game. "That's the fun part about the NFL," 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."
Coaching and Development
Tom Clements, the Packers' quarterbacks coach, is tasked with honing Love's skills to combat these defensive strategies. Working closely alongside head coach Matt LaFleur, the coaching staff has implemented new adjustments in practice aimed at Love's continuous improvement. Notably, LaFleur has introduced a 7-on-7 period to offseason practices, an exercise he previously avoided due to its lack of game-like conditions.
According to LaFleur, the primary focus is on fundamentals. "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 has also taken time to anticipate potential defensive schemes. "You might anticipate a defense maybe bringing a little more pressure," Clements explained. "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."
Performance Under Pressure
Last season, Love had his share of struggles when facing pressure, ranking 27th and 26th among NFL quarterbacks in key metrics under duress. Despite these challenges, he managed to limit his mistakes, throwing only one interception when under pressure. However, Love understands the need for improvement in this area and has been working diligently on his pocket awareness and movements.
"The biggest thing for me is just staying poised in the pocket," Love emphasized. "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."
Adapting to Change
Encouragingly, Love has shown growth in his ability to adapt and make plays on the run. Clements observed some of this development late last season and has noted a shift in Love's approach when scrambling. "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 evolution is critical for Love's continued success as a quarterback. "That's what you want to do because you can get a lot of big plays in the scramble phase of the game," Clements explained. "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 Jordan Love prepares for another season with the Packers, his focus remains on refining his skills and readying himself for the inevitable defensive adjustments. With a seasoned coaching staff backing him and a commitment to continual improvement, Love is poised to leverage his experiences from last season and lead the Packers to new heights.