Jordan Love isn't overly concerned about how teams will defend him this year, even with a full season of film to study. The Green Bay Packers' quarterback remains confident as he prepares for his second year as the starter, aware that defenses will be making adjustments but reassured by the support and strategies from his coaching staff.
Facing Defensive Adjustments
As the Philadelphia Eagles and other teams study Love's 19 starts from the previous season, they will undoubtedly have a better understanding of his strengths and the Packers' successful plays. Nevertheless, Love 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. 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."
Love's confidence is anchored by his faith in his coaches, who are meticulously preparing for the defensive strategies that opponents might deploy. Love added, "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 well-equipped to help Love sharpen the necessary skills to combat defensive tactics. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has also made significant alterations to practice routines to support Love's development. One notable change includes adding a 7-on-7 period to offseason practices, despite previously disliking it due to the lack of game-like conditions. The coaching staff's anticipation of defensive maneuvers is preparing Love to face and overcome these additional challenges.
Clements stressed the importance of fundamental skills: "It's just more fundamental things. 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 echoed this sentiment, saying, "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."
Performance Under Pressure
Last season, Love's performance under pressure was a concern, as his stats ranked 27th and 26th among NFL quarterbacks in certain categories. Love tended to throw deep away from coverage, a strategy that minimized interceptions but limited opportunities. Recognizing this area for improvement, Love has been diligently working on his pocket awareness and movements.
"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."
Love acknowledged the need to enhance his poise in the pocket: "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."
Adapting to Change
Love has demonstrated growth in his ability to adapt and make plays on the run, a development highlighted late last season. Instead of resorting to running when scrambling, Love has been more focused on keeping plays alive with his arm.
Clements observed, "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. 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."
As Jordan Love enters his second season as the Packers' starting quarterback, 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.
In summary, the upcoming season for Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers will be marked by tighter scrutiny from defenses but also by a well-prepared approach to overcoming these challenges. With an elaborate focus on fundamentals and an increased ability to make dynamic plays, Love's journey as an NFL quarterback continues to evolve promisingly.