Cory's Corner: There's Nothing Wrong With Checkdown Charlie
Jordan Love has the same number of interceptions through eight games as compared to 17 last year.
The Packers are 10 games in and the offense is still trying to find its sea legs.
One of the biggest reasons is due to the play of Jordan Love. On July 26, Love signed a four-year, $220 million contract — after starting his first full season in the NFL.
Coming into this season I figured it would be tough. He was supposed to be the next great quarterback in Green Bay and now he had the imposing weight of $55 million per year that he had to live up to.
The Packers had no choice but to give Love that contract and it’s good that they did. If they waited, the price would’ve gone up.
However, Love’s decision making has been a problem this year. He has played in eight games and he has thrown at least one pick in each game. He’s got 11 picks this year, compared to 11 picks in 17 games in 2023. He had an interception percentage of 1.9 last year and now it’s more than doubled to 4.3.
In the last four games, Love is 74-for-111 with 950 passing yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. He has a passer rating of 86.54 in that span.
“We know that we’ve got to take care of the football, but I don’t question anything about what he’s trying to do,” said Matt LaFleur after losing to the Lions at home on Nov. 3. “We just got to do it better.”
That doesn’t solve anything. Love’s throw the following week at Chicago still sailed over Tucker Kraft’s head in the red zone and it gave the Bears confidence they haven’t felt in a long time.
Love has had a tendency to make a lot of 50-50 throws — and what’s even more confusing, is that he doesn’t have to make them. In the fourth quarter at Chicago, Love was rolling to his right and he heaved a deep ball to Christian Watson, who was double teamed. The ball somehow shoehorned its way into the waiting arms of Watson for a 48-yard gain but Kraft was open and ignored on that first down play.
The biggest thing for Love to know and understand is that it’s OK to be Checkdown Charlie every now and again. Before Patrick Mahomes was throwing to DeAndre Hopkins, he made plenty of checkdown throws and the Chiefs started out the year 9-0.
Obviously, checkdown throws aren’t sexy and don’t get put into highlight packages, but those throws that keep drives alive and more often than not, they move the chains.
Love has plenty of weapons. Josh Jacobs (230), Kraft (266) and Jayden Reed (300) lead the team in yards after the catch and Bo Melton (14.6), Reed (16.9) and Watson (19.2) are averaging at least 14 yards per reception and seven are averaging double digit yards per reception.
This team has dynamic playmakers. Love just has to let the game come to him. Make sure the ball comes out on time and to the right person.
But most of all, I want to see Love have the foresight to tuck it and go if nothing is there. He’s a nimble runner and the moment he starts getting first downs on third-and-6 is the moment he’s going to find more openings downfield.
Love is putting a lot of pressure on himself right now and he doesn’t have to do that.
BIG mistake from Jordan Love in the last few minutes of the 1H when the Packers would’ve been nearly guaranteed points
He’s now thrown picks in each of his last 8 games, Bears look to take the lead before halftime
pic.twitter.com/AV6U9m9wq9— Overdue Sports (@OverdueSports) November 17, 2024
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (15)
ricky
November 23, 2024 at 06:52 am
There is also the fact of the injury that he got in the first game. That limited his ability to step into his passes, and definitely limited his ability to scramble/run when given the chance. Maybe Willis should have played against the Lions, giving Love an extra week to heal. I'm sure Love pushed very hard to be on the field, sometimes the coach has to overrule emotion, and do what he knows is best. Also, someone needs to convince Love that he doesn't have to play "hero ball" so often. As noted, going for the probable first down, rather than going for a big chunk of yardage is better.
stockholder
November 23, 2024 at 08:07 am
Truthfully, I don't believe he's earned that contract yet.
Most would say I'm just such a Rodger's Fan.
But it's got nothing to do with being a fan of
a certain QB. Or Rodgers.
Every time I see an article about Love.
I think it's just excuses; because he's average.
And the brain farts suggest you can't fix stupid.
Like most of Gute's picks, IMO- it's athleticism.
Thats what you're seeing and falling in Love with.
While his accuracy is improving.
The problem is still in the red Zone.
Most blame MLf calls and Not Love.
While that might be true to some degree.
Love isn't a finished product.
He's in command.
Doing the difficult, may be in his head too much.
Being the toast of GB, will only depend on the help.
And believing in it.
LLCHESTY
November 23, 2024 at 09:50 am
He's in command.
Doing the difficult, my be in his head too much.
Being the toast of GB, will only depend on the help.
And believing in it.
You've had some great word salads in the past but this is right up there. Wakey Bakey this morning?
Leatherhead
November 23, 2024 at 08:12 am
We didn't draft a checkdown QB, we didn't draft checkdown receivers. This team is designed to hurt you deep. Dance with the girl you brought to the dance, for better or worse. You might be surprised.
LambeauPlain
November 23, 2024 at 08:57 am
Exactly, well said. Matt is not a check down offensive coach either.
Even Rodgers threw for chunk plays...a lot. Except most of his chuck pass attempts went to the perimeter.
Love uses all his real estate...because he has the weapons to do so.
That's not going to change.
Guam
November 23, 2024 at 09:10 am
Well said LH and spot on.
LambeauPlain
November 23, 2024 at 08:27 am
Perhaps Cory should take his own advice and "check down" to a different article the week after Love had his best game of the year.
13/17 for 261 yards. 1 TD, 1 Int. Only 42 snaps all day. 6 total drives. 5 into the Redzone. 3 TDs. Some good scrambles after reading coverage.
His day would have been even better, but the defense could not get off the field. 65 snaps wore them out.
But the Offense and STs held up their end. Love led an incredibly efficient Offense. And just effective enough to earn the win. The Int was a good "read" decision as Kraft was wide open, but he sailed the pass. It happens.
Otherwise Jordan looked really good.
Try some RPO yourself Cory. Probably should not run article but "passed" on it this week.
dobber
November 23, 2024 at 08:31 am
This is a league that's about chunk plays.
Are we moving out of the era of the safe, high pct. dump off?
Are defenses catching up?
Are we seeing teams push the ball downfield more and take more risks?
10 is not the uber risk-averse 12.
"Before Patrick Mahomes was throwing to DeAndre Hopkins, he made plenty of checkdown throws and the Chiefs started out the year 9-0."
Hopkins has had only one big, high-target game.
Mahomes is tied for the league lead with 11 INTs.
Four QBs have double digit INTs and their combined team records are 29-11.
For serious--did a bot write this banal, cliche-ridden article?
LLCHESTY
November 23, 2024 at 10:03 am
I read an article this off-season that said almost half the passes thrown last year traveled two yards or less. Maybe more OCs are moving back to a more vertical approach. Hafley said earlier this year that the largest growth in explosive plays were coming from screens though so who knows.
Teams have been running the ball more the last couple of years. A few years ago every other article in PFF was about running the ball was waste of time and I always thought that was dumb. Being one dimensional is waste of time because you just made the defenses job easier. It kind of reminds me how baseball went from just get on base Moneyball to it's all about the HRs and launch angles over the last 10-15 years.
PeteK
November 23, 2024 at 09:55 am
I believe balance is needed. We are 13th in the league in TOP at 30.41 minutes, which should be better with a top RB & TE. Tire out their D with runs and check downs and then go for the big play.
Tundraboy
November 23, 2024 at 10:18 am
Exactly and when you do ,situational strategic football, then those chunk plays to follow are what put the game away. Usually. At least give your defense a chance to rest. And perhaps avoid a lot of the 4th quarter drama
LLCHESTY
November 23, 2024 at 10:13 am
The problem with trying to be a check down team is the team is young and not very disciplined. If you want to have long drawn out drives you can't shoot yourself in the foot with penalties and they were doing quite a bit of that early in the season.
A lot also depends on the team you're playing as well. Is their offense more explosive than your offense or more ball control? Explosives win games and you can trade a turnover for three or four explosive plays. Of course it's harder if your a crappy red zone team.
GregC
November 23, 2024 at 12:08 pm
Cory, with the bye, you had two weeks to write an article like this. You are a little late to the party writing it after Love goes 13 for 17 and averages 15 yards per attempt against the Bears. Your hero, Checkdown Charlie, quite possibly would've lost that game.
I've never heard so many complaints about a 48-yard completion as I have about the one that Love threw to Watson last Sunday.
lou
November 23, 2024 at 01:18 pm
Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, the team won early with a check down and running QB (Fields) but he recognized that to get the best seating in the playoffs and to win in the playoffs he needed a QB that could make explosive plays down field and that is why he went to Wilson and that surprised many so called experts.
The issue with ball security with Love is a combination of things, first not playing in the pre-season, next being injured multiple times and lastly trying to do too much. Other than the pick six just before the end of the half he has had poor throws into coverage and some tipped passes intercepted. It must be noted when throwing to receivers that are covered by multiple DB's last year and this year our receivers have been able to win jump balls (Doubs & Watson) so that is understandable. RELAX.
PackersNightingale
November 23, 2024 at 08:49 pm
Cory’s right of course.
See Nex Gen Stats passing charts showing Jordan’s air yards for the Bears game and earlier games.
Against the Bears just 1 of Jordan’s 17 throws – 5.9% of Jordan’s 17 pass attempts (by far the lowest % of the season) - was for more than 20 air yards and on that 1 pass to Watson, Watson saved what would have been an interception and another loss with Jordan as QB. Of the other 16 passes, 5 were behind the line of scrimmage, 5 were less than 10 yards in front of the line of scrimmage and the remaining 6 were greater than 10 yards but less than 20 yards from the line of scrimmage.
Lafleur is being smart and doing what he did in the second half of the year after Lafleur recognized Jordan’s lack of accuracy and weakness on long balls.
Lafleur started running the ball more and having Jordan check it down more.
Lafleur recognizes that:
Jordan is not on time on his passes – Jordan get away with this some time on passes to receivers/backs behind the line of scrimmage, up to 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage and even 10 to 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
Jordan is inaccurate.
That stats for completion percentage and interception percentage do not lie.
If you ever were at Lambeau field for summer practices this outcome would not surprise you. You may remember when Rodgers, Love and Benkert would throw from 40 and 50 yards away from their target – a net with a small opening - attempting to land the passes into the narrow net opening. Rodgers would consistently land the ball in the net and Benkert would get 1 or 2 and Jordan couldn’t get any in the net!
I am sure you can find videos of these passing sessions somewhere on the internet.
Lafleur is just adjusting to the QB that he has to work with - Love is not nearly as accurate as Rodgers was on any pass, especially those 20 yards and more from the line of scimmage..