Former Green Bay Packers starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers is/was very good at many of the finer points of the position. That is why he won four NFL MVP Awards during his time with Packers: his commitment to excellence. In 2022, though, that commitment seemed to have waned. Indeed, Rodgers had his worst statistical season since 2008, his first year as a starter, and seemed to deviate from the things that once made him one of the most feared quarterbacks in the NFL.
One of the things that he has done over the last few seasons is let the play clock hit zero before snapping the ball. This has been the source of endless frustration among fans and (I assume) Matt LaFleur. Countless timeouts were wasted as Rodgers let the play clock wind down, all the while trying a hard count that would draw the defense offsides and give himself and the Packers a free play.
Of course, Rodgers was once famous for his ability to draw a defense offsides with a hard count, giving the Packers a free play. Over the last few years, though, defenses have not bitten as much because of how long Rodgers waits to snap the ball. Why bite if he’s just going to take a timeout anyway once the clock hits zero? It’s been frustrating to say the least.
Can New Green Bay Packers Starting Quarterback Jordan Love Be Better at the Hard Count than Aaron Rodgers?
Apc Packtrainingcamp 0810221015djp
As hinted at before, why would defenses bite on a hard count if they know the quarterback is just going to take a timeout unless he gets a free play? That is what Rodgers was doing over the last few seasons. If he could not get a defense offsides with a hard count by the time the play clock hit zero, he took a timeout. That is why Jordan Love can be better at this than Rodgers.
In an article posted on PackersWire, Paul Bretl writes about his observations of Love and the hard count at Packers’ OTA’s:
“During the red zone drills specifically is when Love was using the hard count frequently and oftentimes on multiple plays in a row. He was quite effective with it as well. Although there weren’t any plays where the defense fully jumped offsides, there were a few instances where the hard count tipped the defense’s hand, which included identifying blitzers along with some late movement by the defense as well. However, there were also two plays where the offensive line jumped offsides on the hard count.
“Following Tuesday’s practice, I asked Love if there was an added emphasis that day on using the hard count.
“’It’s definitely been an emphasis that I’ve been trying to just build and keep working,’ said Love. ‘I think it’s good for everybody on the defense being able to hear the different cadences. The more we can be on the same page, because we have some mistakes, we jump offsides because maybe my cadence might not be perfect how I want it. At the same time, we are trying to work that, trying to see if the defense is jumping offsides, and see if my cadence is good enough at this time. This is the time we want to work it. Keep building on the different cadences. It’s definitely an emphasis right now.'”
So far in the offseason, the hard count has been a work in progress. However, when it gets time to play meaningful games, it will be better due to the emphasis that Love and the coaches are putting on getting it down perfectly now. When this has been done, Love and the offense will have a weapon at their disposal that made Rodgers so dangerous for so long: the ability to draw a defense offsides with just the sound of his voice.
In order for it to work, though, Love cannot wait for the play clock to wind down to zero like Rodgers did. If he falls into that habit, it will never work. But if he does not wait, he can be better at the hard count than Rodgers was, at least over the last few years. It will take him a while to gain a reputation like the one Rodgers had, but it will not be difficult to be better than he was over the last few seasons in this regard.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
