Packers QB Sean Clifford Has Surprised a Lot of People in Camp This Year

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Packers QB Sean Clifford Has Surprised a Lot of People in Camp This Year

Aug 26, 2023

The Green Bay Packers started training camp with a lot of questions at the quarterback position. But after training camp and two preseason games, some of those questions have been answered. Jordan Love has showed he’s capable of starting while rookie Sean Clifford at least looks ready to be the backup signal caller for the Packers.

When the Pack drafted Clifford, many experts were skeptical the Penn State alum had what it takes to succeed in the NFL. The big issue, according to scouts, was whether Clifford had the arm strength to compete in the pros. While the Packers picked him in the fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft, many scouts thought he would be drafted in the seventh round or be a priority free agent because of his lack of his arm strength.

Through the first two preseason games, Clifford has showed he can get the job done. He may not have a plus arm by NFL standards, but he’s smart, resilient and knows the offense extremely well. He also believes in himself.

It didn’t take long for Clifford to become confident he could compete at the NFL level. “Probably halfway through OTAs, I started to feel like I can make all the throws that are necessary to be in this league,” Clifford said. “And then I would say, probably the second week of this camp, I started to really feel comfortable in and out of the huddle. That’s probably when I was like, ‘OK, now I’m feeling pretty good.’”

In the first preseason game, he got a chance to show what he could do. Clifford completed 20-of-26 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown. He also showed the ability to remain confident after making a mistake. He threw two interceptions in the game including a pick-six that was returned 43 yards for a touchdown.

But he came back and led the Packers to 29 points including a five-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Davis.

He followed that up with another solid performance against the Patriots. In that game, he completed 13-of-19 passes for 137 yards and did not throw an interception.

Combined, Clifford has completed 33-of-45 passes for 345 yards and one touchdown.

After the first two preseason games, head coach Matt LaFleur felt confident enough in Clifford to name him the team’s backup quarterback behind Love.

“I think it’s safe to say Sean is our No. 2 quarterback,” LaFleur said. “A lot of it is just his mental makeup. You saw it in the Cincinnati game in terms of his ability to rebound. The game’s not too big for him.”

The Packers starter is also impressed with the way his rookie backup has played this summer. “He’s picked up the offense really fast,” Love said. “I was just telling him the other day he picked up the offense so much faster than I did my rookie year.”

One thing that has impressed the coaching staff is the way Clifford has handled two-minute drills and clutch situations. He relishes those opportunities to come through with the game on the line.

“As much as you hate to say it, when two-minute [drill] comes around, everyone has an even more intense focus because you’re focusing on the hardest situation in football,” Clifford told reporters. “You’re dealing with time; you’re dealing with how many timeouts you have. Sometimes, defenses bring different looks in two-minute specifically, so remembering that. So, I think it’s an enhanced focus in this offense. Everybody’s so dialed in and always prepared for those opportunities. I think it’s a culmination of a lot of hard work by our offense putting that together.”

Clifford still has a lot to prove. Being successful against second and third string defenses in a preseason game is nice but it’s not the same level as regular season football. Once the games count, the talent on defense is better and the formations and strategies employed are more complex.

But the good news is, Clifford has shown his leadership ability, his resilience, and his football intelligence. That has been enough to win him the backup job for the Green Bay Packers to start the 2023 season and to get his NFL career jump started.

You can follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers

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