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 for the Green Bay Packers.
Facing Defensive Adjustments
With the Philadelphia Eagles and other teams undoubtedly studying Love's 19 starts from the previous season, the quarterback recognizes that defenses will have a better feel for what he and the Packers did well last year. Love has faith in his coaching staff, who he believes will put him and the team in the best possible positions to succeed.
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. One significant change has been the addition of a 7-on-7 period to offseason practices, a drill LaFleur previously disliked due to its lack of game-like conditions.
Clements and the offensive staff have taken time to anticipate what defenses might try to do to defend Love better. Their meticulous approach aims to ensure Love is prepared for various defensive schemes he will face throughout the season.
Performance Under Pressure
Last season, Love struggled somewhat when pressured, ranking 27th and 26th among NFL quarterbacks in relevant categories. His tendency was to throw deep away from coverage, a strategy that interestingly resulted in only one interception when under pressure. However, Love has been working diligently on his pocket awareness and movements to improve his performance in these situations.
Adapting to Change
Love has shown significant growth in his ability to adapt and make plays on the run, an area of his game that Clements noticed improving late last season. Instead of simply taking off and running, Love has become more adept at making plays on the run, signaling positive development in his quarterbacking skills.
As he enters his second year as the Packers' starting quarterback, Love remains focused on refining his techniques and preparing for the defensive adjustments that are on the horizon. With the support of a seasoned coaching staff committed to continual improvement, Love is poised to build on his experiences from last season and lead the Packers to new heights.
Love's Commitment to Improvement
"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."
Love emphasized his belief in his coaching staff, stating, "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."
Focus on Fundamentals
Tom Clements highlighted the importance of fundamental skills in Love's development. "It's just more fundamental things," Clements said. "Footwork and how he moves in the pocket, and we're working on the drills, working on throwing a lot of routes on air."
LaFleur also stressed the importance of footwork, noting, "What we're making a big emphasis on is having perfect feet. Making sure the guys go through their progressions, having perfect feet. When they're not, they hear about it."
Anticipating Defensive Tactics
"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."
For Love, maintaining composure in the pocket is crucial. "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."
Improving Off-Schedule Plays
Another area of focus has been Love's ability to execute off-schedule plays. "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," Love stated.
Clements recalled the progress Love made in this area over the course of last season. "Early in the season, when Jordan scrambled, I'd say 95 percent of the time he ran the ball. 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."
Clements sees this as a major positive 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," Clements said. "So that's one illustration."
As Jordan Love embarks on his second year as the Packers' starting quarterback, his focus on continual improvement, combined with the support of a capable coaching staff, positions him well to face the challenges ahead and lead his team to new successes.