Jordan Love isn't overly concerned about how teams will defend him this year, even with a full season of film to study. As the Green Bay Packers' quarterback enters his second year as a starter, he is well aware that defenses will adjust to counter what made him successful last season. However, Love and his coaching staff have their own plans to stay ahead of the game.
Facing Defensive Adjustments
The Philadelphia Eagles and other NFL teams will undoubtedly study Love's 19 starts from the previous season to understand and mitigate his effectiveness. Love acknowledges that defenses will have a better feel for his strengths and weaknesses, yet he remains unfazed. "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."
This recognition of defensive adjustments is part of the NFL's challenge that Love finds exciting. "That's the fun part about the NFL," he added. His faith in the Packers' coaching staff is unwavering, believing they will put the team in the best possible positions. "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. "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
Under the tutelage of Tom Clements, Love is honing the skills necessary to combat defensive strategies. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has also made adjustments in practice to aid Love’s development, including the introduction of a 7-on-7 period to offseason practices, despite his previous reservations about its lack of game-like conditions.
Clements and the Packers' offensive staff have been proactive in anticipating defensive maneuvers. "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."
LaFleur emphasized the importance of fundamentals in Love's development. "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."
Performance Under Pressure
Last season, Love struggled somewhat when pressured, which directly impacted his overall performance rankings among NFL quarterbacks. Love's common strategy of throwing deep away from coverage yielded only one interception when under pressure, a testament to his selective risk-taking. However, improving his pocket awareness and movements remains a key focus area.
Adapting to Change
Love has shown significant growth in his ability to make plays on the run, which was particularly evident late last season. Clements noticed this progression, emphasizing that Love's ability to make plays on the run rather than taking off and running is a positive sign. "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."
With the NFL season approaching, Love remains focused on refining his skills, showing a diligent commitment to improving his pocket presence and decision-making under pressure. "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. Just pocket awareness, making smaller moves and understanding when I've got to get out of there."
Love's dedication to growth and adaptability doesn't go unnoticed by his coaches. He has been working extensively on pocket movement and throwing on the run, which Clements believes will be crucial in creating big plays during the scramble phase of the game. "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 enters his second year as the starting quarterback for the Packers, his focus on continual improvement and preparedness for defensive adjustments speaks volumes about his commitment to leading the team to new heights. With a seasoned coaching staff backing him and a relentless drive to refine his game, Love is poised to build on his experiences from last season and face the challenges ahead with confidence.