Reading Defenses

Reading defenses and decision making sound similar and are similar, but there is a difference. While Jordan Love struggles with decision making and often throws the ball into tight coverage even though he recognizes tight coverage, he also struggles with reading defenses and the coverage concepts being thrown at them

Reading defenses compared to decision making, has to do with recognizing what types of coverage shells and blitz packages. Recognizing different coverage shells like Cover 0, Cover 2, Cover 3, or any different coverage shell seems easy on paper, but when you’re a QB on the field, and defenses are disguising their plays, it can be difficult.

Loves biggest struggle with reading defenses in college was reading and recognizing linebackers. There will be simple plays over the middle of the field in which Love should recognize the linebacker, but far to often Love simply does not see him and either gets his throws knocked down, or picked off

While at Utah State, Love occasionally struggled with reading simple defensive concepts, but in the NFL, it’s going to be even harder. Defensive coordinators will throw different coverage shells, different blitz packages, and disguise them in ways that Love has never seen before.

Love has all the talent in the world from an arm and athletic perspective, but the same cant be said for his ability to read defenses. Loves ability to adjust and read NFL defenses will likely be the biggest struggle and adjustment for him, but if he can develop this aspect of his game, it will greatly help him reach is full potential.