In 2022, Tom Clements came out of retirement to rejoin the Green Bay Packers as their quarterback coach under Matt LaFleur. Clements had previously worked with the Packers from 2006 to 2016 and returned to work with Aaron Rodgers for one final season. Following Rodgers’ trade to the New York Jets in the 2023 offseason, Clements remained with the team to mentor first-year starter Jordan Love.
Under Clements’ tutelage, Love threw for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns in 17 starts. Additionally, Love passed for 272 yards and three touchdowns in Green Bay’s Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys, achieving a 157.2 passer rating.
While it’s fair to argue that defensive coordinators had a limited sample of tape on Jordan Love at the pro level, it’s important to note that the Packers still ranked as a top-six aerial offense. Green Bay succeeded despite revamping their wide receiver and tight end rooms, and Aaron Jones missed six games.
Despite a challenging stretch in the first half of 2023, Love had some success in the first eight games of the season. In the first three weeks, he passed for 655 yards, seven touchdowns, and just one interception, maintaining a 94.7 passer rating. However, he and the rest of the offense found their rhythm later in the year. Green Bay’s improvement is reflected in Love’s passing grade, which rose from 60.9 in Weeks 1 through 8 to 78.3 in Weeks 9 through 18.
Judging Love’s first start against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 is unfair. Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID only four days before the game, leaving Love little time to prepare. However, to be considered an NFL-caliber quarterback, Love needed to improve his pocket awareness and ability to handle blitzes at the line of scrimmage. That day, Steve Spagnuolo blitzed Love on 53.8% of his dropbacks, and Green Bay’s offensive line allowed 28 pressures. Love had no answers, and the Chiefs beat Green Bay 13-7 at Arrowhead.
Fast-forward two seasons, and Love has demonstrated his ability to handle these aspects of the game at a high level. In Week 13 against Kansas City, he threw a touchdown pass to Christian Watson, one of his most underrated plays last year. Love’s most impressive trait was his ability to return to his throwing stance while moving up in the pocket.
Love had his most memorable play of 2023 against the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card game this year. It was third-and-seven from Dallas’ 20-yard line. Love was alone in the backfield and used a hard count to identify the Cowboys’ double linebacker pressure from the A-gap. He adjusted the protection, assigning Tucker Kraft as a blocker. Love took the snap, stepped back to buy time, and threw a dart to Dontayvion Wicks in the end zone.
Love improved in those aspects of the game and led the league in big-time throws when blitzed, with 15. Moreover, he ranked among the top-four quarterbacks in big-time throws under pressure, tying with Josh Allen and ranking just below NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Clements noted some areas where Love could improve in his second year as the starting quarterback in May. “It’s just more fundamental things. Footwork and how he moves in the pocket,” he said. “When to move, when not to move. Things like that.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Love ranked fifth in the NFL in passer rating when releasing the ball in under 2.5 seconds. However, his passer rating dropped by over 10 points when he held the ball longer than 2.5 seconds, and his turnover-worthy play percentage was nearly four times higher.
Although Love needs to improve in this area, he wasn’t ineffective. He had 27 big-time throws while holding the ball past 2.5 seconds, tied for second in the NFL. However, he also threw 11 interceptions, the third most, and completed less than 60% of his passes.
Comparing Love’s two starts against the Chiefs reveals a markedly different player. Despite Tom Clements’ advice that Love still needs to work on fundamentals, Love has a solid grasp on those aspects of the game. He has consistently evolved and adjusted throughout his young career. Given his trajectory, there’s no reason to believe this trend will change.
