The illusion of complexity makes Matt LaFleur’s system special. Teams whose systems derive from the Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay trees use pre- and post-snap moves to make different plays look similar, which makes the offense relatively easy to learn. However, it is difficult for a defensive player to identify which play the offense is running during the game. However, Aaron Rodgers was not exactly a fan of some of those concepts. That’s why The Athletic‘s New York Jets beat reporter Zack Rosenblatt mentioned ways the Jets’ offense might look different in 2023:
There will be concepts Rodgers likes from other offenses — like some things the Chargers used to run with Philip Rivers — and less pre-snap motion. Rodgers mentioned multiple times in interviews over the last few years that he wished Green Bay throttled back on that motion, a staple of Matt LaFleur’s offense. So don’t expect to see too much of that in 2023.
Rodgers was not a fan of that strategy with so much pre-snap movement. As Peyton Manning used to do back in the mid-2010s when adjusting his style to Gary Kubiak‘s system, the former Packers quarterback prefers static looks so he can read what the defense intends to execute. Moreover, there’s an inherent offensive issue, according to Rodgers.
“When you have so much motion, it’s hard to get the tempo going,” Rodgers said before his last season in Green Bay. “You always have to make sure you’re set, and you have a motion, or a double motion, or a jet off of it.”
But it’s not a coincidence that the Packers’ offense was so much better because they motioned more in the Matt LaFleur era. During Mike McCarthy’s final year in Green Bay, the Packers’ offense was 30th in the league in pre-snap motion rate, at 30.2%. That number increased to 52% (10th) and 55% (sixth) in 2020 and 2021, seasons when Rodgers ended up being the league’s MVP.
“In this offense, it does put a lot of stress on the defense,” Rodgers admitted. “You have a motion, you have an outside zone look, you have a guy sealing the backside. Off that, we have a run, we have a screen, we have a keeper, we have an action pass, we have so different looks off the same stuff. That’s why it works.”
And while Rodgers is a historically talented passer who elevated everyone around him, he has to play at an extremely high level to justify his quarterback-centric style. It happened many times during his career, but not last year. However, he had a down season for multiple reasons — new receiving corps, thumb and rib injuries, and a banged-up offensive line. Now the Packers’ offensive coaching staff is free to plan whatever they want, and they’ll certainly put a more faithful version of the original system on the field.
This nicely aligns with Jordan Love’s NFL experience so far. He spent the first three years of his career learning this offense, so he knows the ins and outs of the structure. But LaFleur’s offensive philosophy is difficult to learn, and the calls have a large number of words and codes. That’s why it generally takes two years to master it, even for experienced and smart players like Rodgers.
“[Love] is probably getting to the point where the game has slowed down for him,” Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements said in December. “When that happens, you kind of see things in slow motion. You see where guys are moving, you see where guys should go, and you’re able to react quickly.”
At the same time, Love is a first-year full-time starter, so he doesn’t have anything close to Rodgers’ authority to change so many plays or to affect what LaFleur wants to execute. So, after three limited years, the head coach will finally have the opportunity to run the system he wants without the necessity to adapt to what Rodgers liked. And in terms of physical talent, the coaching staff feels comfortable that Jordan Love can run anything they want him to.
“Obviously, he doesn’t have the playing experience that Aaron had,” Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said during OTAs. “But from a playbook standpoint, I think pretty much all of it’s on the table. He’s been around for three years and has really attacked it. Even last year, you could see him come into his own and felt a lot more comfortable. This year, he’s really hitting it on all cylinders, so I’m really excited to see what he’s going to bring.”
It’ll be a transitional year, so it’s unfair to expect that Jordan Love will be perfect, with a linear growth, or that he will elevate everyone around him. However, Matt LaFleur is a smart and underrated offensive mind, and he will finally have full control of the offense to make things easier for the young quarterback.
