A chance to sit behind Aaron Rodgers should give Green Bay Packers first-round pick Jordan Love an opportunity to improve an area of his game he knows needs the most development.
Love, who threw 17 interceptions during his junior season at Utah State, understands he must get better with the entire decision-making process.
“The difference, for me, obviously, the interceptions went up,” Love told reporters during a conference call when asked about the change between his 2018 and 2019 season. “I was just trying force balls and trying to do too much, trying to make plays when plays didn’t need to be needed. Just forcing a lot of bad throws, bad decisions and trying to force those balls in those tight windows when I could have just been checking it down and living to fight another day.”
Love threw just six interceptions during a breakout season in 2018. When his head coach and offensive coordinator left and several of his top receivers departed ahead of the 2019 season, the entire offense changed and Love developed some bad habits that manifested into some ugly turnovers on the field.
Love admitted he has “a lot to learn.” GM Brian Gutekunst said there’s a “rawness” to Love’s game, and the Packers know he needs to sit and develop before he’s ready to play, but they hope they can iron out some of the wrinkles and maximize Love’s incredible foundation of talent.
Cutting down on turnovers – and the reasons for the massive uptick in interceptions – will be key.
A review of Love’s 17 interceptions from the 2019 season shows a young quarterback being punished for locking onto one target, throwing late or missing a defender in the middle of the field. Several times, he attempted to throw to the perimeter but was either late with the throw or inaccurate to the inside, providing easy interception opportunities. Other times, he felt pressure and tried to attack downfield, throwing carelessly into heavy traffic. There were also times when he simply missed an intermediate defender and threw it right to him.
Love said he was pressing. The offense struggled with the transition in 2019 and he took upon himself to make things happen with his talented arm, occasionally with detrimental side effects.
Love threw three interceptions each in games against Wake Forest, LSU and BYU. He tossed three pick-sixes, one more than the entire total Aaron Rodgers has thrown in his NFL career (two). Several other interceptions thrown by Love were near pick-sixes. Throwing late and inside at the NFL level will lead to more touchdowns going the other way.
In general, giving the ball away is a good way to get glued to the bench. Rodgers, the NFL’s master at avoiding turnovers, will give Love a first-hand look at how the very best protect the football.
Fixing the bad habits Love developed during a tough final season will be a top priority for Packers coach Matt LaFleur. To be an elite quarterback, Love will have to read coverages better, throw more accurately and take less careless chances down the field. Developing better decision-making skills is a long process with many factors. The Packers, with Rodgers still entrenched as the starter, will have a chance to let the process play out over several years, which is exactly what Love needs after his interception-filled 2019 season.