Check out ESPN's Year of the QuarterbackAh, if only playing quarterback in the NFL was that easy. Instead of pumping his fist or showing any outward sign of pleasure, the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens simply walked away from the line of scrimmage and awaited another opportunity.
“I’m just moving onto the next play. The last thing I’m thinking about is the play I just completed,” Flacco said. “This is a new offense for me, and I’m worried about the next play and making sure I know what to do.”
Flacco endured a steady rain during his first day on the job at the team’s mandatory minicamp Friday. Wearing a red jersey with the No. 5, the 6-foot-6 rookie from the University of Delaware set out to prove he’s worthy of the 18th overall pick in the NFL draft and capable of starting in his first season.
The first hurdle Flacco encountered was getting over the sense of awe that comes with being alongside some of the finest players in his profession.
“There’s guys out there I’ve been watching on TV for who knows how many years now, and they’re getting after it,” he said. “This is football at a high level. You know that coming in, but you don’t know what level it is. To go out there, get the first practice out of the way and really find out what it’s about was really fun.”
It might take a while before Flacco becomes entirely comfortable being around one of the most intimidating players in the league, a standout linebacker who makes a living chasing down quarterbacks.
“Yeah, it’s definitely different to see Ray Lewis come into the locker room and be on your team. I’ll get used to that, but I don’t know if I am right now,” Flacco said. “… He was just joking around with me, telling me he was going to get a pick off of me, all those kind of things. We’ll see.”
The competition between Flacco, Kyle Boller and Troy Smith will begin in earnest during training camp this summer. Now, all three are merely trying to get comfortable with a new head coach, John Harbaugh, a new offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, and an unfamiliar playbook.
Flacco showed surprising poise when he lined up behind center. On one play, he quickly rolled to his right after being flushed from the pocket and tossed a harmless incompletion out of bounds.
“He never changes his expression, I don’t think. He seemed calm,” Harbaugh said. “He had done a nice job the last couple of weeks getting in the notebook, getting with (quarterbacks coach) Hue Jackson every evening and every morning. So, he was prepared.”
When the Ravens drafted Flacco, general manager Ozzie Newsome called him “the guy to lead our football team into the future.” For years now, Baltimore has been looking for stability at the quarterback position. There are no guarantees that Flacco is that person, but he did at least make a good first impression.
“The one pass he threw to Mark, I think it was 50 yards down the field in the air, and he put it on target,” wide receiver Derrick Mason said. “The way he commanded the huddle, I think that speaks volumes for him. He’s got to continue to do that. I think the more and more he’s out there, the more and more he’s around the guys, he’ll get used to everybody and be more confident.”
Clayton isn’t playing favorites. Four of his seven career touchdown passes have come from Boller, and he got along well with Smith, who was a rookie last season. Clayton also likes what he saw in Flacco on Friday.
“He looked comfortable out there,” Clayton said. “From my standpoint, we have three really good quarterbacks that can make all the throws. Long, short, touch, medium, power, they’re all capable. I’m happy we have those three guys competing for the starting job here.”
At this point, Flacco doesn’t consider Boller or Smith to be competition. The main competition for Joe Flacco is, well, Joe Flacco.
“I’m not worried about anybody else. I don’t think, through a competition even, you’re not worried about what the other guys are doing. You’re worried about going out there and playing your best football,” he said. “You let things take care of themselves.”
Notes
DE Terrell Suggs and OT Jonathan Ogden were the only veterans not in camp. Suggs has the franchise tag and Ogden is considering retirement. … TE Quinn Sypniewski underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee and is likely out for the season. “It looks like now we’re not going to have him back,” Harbaugh said.
by John Fennelly (Senior Writer)Don't listen to these draft pundits. I keep telling you. Joe Montana didn't have the size and the arm. Tom Brady was backup material. Phil Simms would never make it. Dan Marino would wash out in Miami. Tony Eason was the best of the Class of '83. Jeff Garcia and Tony Romo weren't even drafted, and Andre Ware and Akili Smith were labeled as "can't miss."
On draft day, the 6'5" Kentucky QB Andre Woodson got no love from NFL teams. He had a great senior season playing against some of the nation's best defenses.
He had a 154.5 QB rating while passing for 3515 yards with 31 TDs and 7 INTs. He threw six touchdownss against Tennessee, five versus Florida, four versus Louisville, four versus FSU and three against National Champion LSU. In addition, he had respectable numbers in games against defensive powers Georgia and Vanderbilt.
But that wasn't enough to sell scouts and NFL executives on Woodson. Let me remind you that many of these teams adhere to what the pundits are saying players rather than doing the heavy lifting themselves. That is whay so many franchises in the NFL can't get out of their own way.
Because Woodson had so-so Senior Bowl, his stock fell. That doesn't mean anything to me. And didn't mean anything to one of the games' best GMs—Jerry Reese of the New York Football Giants, who adroitly snatched Woodson up in the 6th round.Woodson is possibly as good a prospect as last year's #1 overall pick, LSU's JaMarcus Russell. The only difference is Russell is being asked to turn the Raiders around. Woodson will be asked to hold a clipboard, take in the tutelage of Kevin Gilbride and Chris Palmer and watch Eli Manning take snaps until 2010.
The Giants did not gloat about the pick, however. Its not something they do. In fact, the words used to describe Woodson have all been said before about him, but the tone was a very positive one.
"This was just too good a pick for us to pass up," Head Coach Tom Coughlin said about Woodson. "This is a guy that was rated highly on our board. We found ourselves in a position where we felt like he was a guy we wanted to bring in as a young quarterback who could work in our system and be a guy who we could develop as we went forward."
Should something befall Eli or should the Giants not want to re-sign him, they will have Woodson waiting in the wings.
"For years we have talked about bringing in a young quarterback and developing him in our system. Let him grow up here," Reese said. "This guy has got a strong skill set. We like a lot of things about him. He is very productive playing for Kentucky. He has a lot of production over his years there as a quarterback. He has the arm to make all of the throws. He is a pretty good athlete for that position. So there are a lot of positive things about him down there in the draft room. We are going to bring him along and see if he can challenge for some of our backup quarterback spots."There you have it.
Published from bloggingthegiants.blogspot.com
GREEN BAY -- The irony didn't escape Brian Brohm. As an avowed "big Brett Favre fan," Brohm would've liked nothing better than to play on the same team. But he also knows that if Favre was still with the Packers, Brohm probably wouldn't be.
"That is kind of funny," said Brohm, whose new locker is just two down from Favre's vacant locker. "When I saw him retire I was disappointed. You never want to see a legend go out and stop playing. It never crossed my mind when he was retiring that I might end up in his roster spot, so to speak."
With Favre's retirement, however, the Packers were in the market for a quarterback and used one of their second round picks in last week's NFL draft to select Brohm. He's among the class of rookies here this weekend to begin the pro football careers.
And before he even thinks about following in the footsteps of Favre, Brohm wants to prove he's capable of backing up starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
"I just want to get the offense down and show the coaches what I can do and let them make all the judgments," said Brohm, a three-year starter at Louisville. "My goal right now is to be ready so that if I'm called upon I can go out there and execute the offense."
Brohm finished his career at Louisville with a Big East Conference record 10,775 passing yards and led the Cardinals to a 24-9 record as a starter. As a senior he completed 308 of 473 passes for 4,024 yards and 30 touchdowns.
However, it proved to be a costly season for Brohm, as many draft analysts figured he would've been an early first round pick had he entered the draft after his junior season. Instead, the Packers got him with the 56th pick.
But the Louisville native whose father and two older brothers all played football at Louisville, doesn't regret his decision.
"I just wanted to go back for my senior year," he said. "I loved playing for the University of Louisville. You only get one senior year and I wanted to go back and see what I could make happen. It obviously didn't go the way I wanted it to, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
"Nobody knows where I would've been taken if I had come out a year earlier. It's all speculation."
After leading Louisville to a 12-1 record in 2006, the Cardinals finished a disappointing 6-6 in Brohm's senior year. Along the way, scouts began to second guess their once glowing reports on the quarterback. They called him "robotic" and knocked his arm strength, mobility, durability and leadership skills. Still, he was projected by many to go late in the first round or early in the second.
Through it all, Brohm tried to ignore the scrutiny as much as possible.
"I really didn't listen to a whole lot of that," he said. "I just went out and tried to show teams what I had and I tried not to pay too much attention to the talk. I knew that was going to happen. They pick apart every player, trying to find holes in everybody.
"Once you get drafted it's all about playing football. All those other things the 40 yard dash times and whatever you can throw them out the window."
As for Brohm's leadership skills, at least one of his new teammates can dispel any doubts. That would be one of his old teammates, offensive tackle Breno Giacomini, who played with Brohm throughout his career at Louisville.
"Brian is a quiet leader," said Giacomini. "But all he has to do is step in the huddle and you zone in and listen to what he has to say. He's a great quarterback."
While Brohm is excited about being at Lambeau Field and starting his new career, there's a part of him that would like to be at another of America's sporting shrines -- Louisville's Churchill Downs.
"I'd rather be here, of course," he said. "But missing the Kentucky Derby is tough. I've gone every year for as long as I can remember. It's a big deal and a great tradition, but there's no place I'd rather be than here."
Even if one of his heroes is no longer around.
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Each day at 7 a.m. sharp, 14-year-old Chad Henne showed up ready to make himself into a better quarterback.
For 45 minutes, while classmates scrambled to finish their homework, Henne fine-tuned his footwork and throwing mechanics. While older teammates roamed the halls in their letter jackets, the freshman, who would lead them on the field, finished up wind sprints.
"I joke with him once in awhile - I might not have been his favorite person some days," said Jim Cantafio, Henne's coach at Wilson Senior High School in West Lawn, Pa. "But the great ones are special and they will make a special commitment to be good." It didn't take long for people to realize Henne was special. But Henne, who took every snap during four record-setting high school seasons, was never satisfied. Even when he had established himself as the best quarterback in a state that had produced Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly, Henne didn't skip his Monday-Thursday morning sessions with Cantafio. Henne's deep-rooted passion for football made him an easy choice for Bill Parcells when it was time for the Dolphins to make the No. 57 selection in last weekend's NFL Draft. If Parcells, the team's head of football operations, was going to use his first Dolphins' draft to solve the franchise's long-standing quarterback woes, Henne fit the profile. "He's perfect for Bill Parcells," Cantafio said. "He's a no BS guy. He's a tough guy who'll work his buns off. "Once he gets there, he'll have his nose in the playbook." Henne, a 6-foot-2, 225-pounder who also started for four seasons at Michigan, will begin studying the Dolphins' system today with the opening of a weekend rookie mini-camp. Henne, 22, is expected to compete with second-year pro John Beck and journeyman Josh McCown for the starting job. General Manager Jeff Ireland said last weekend the quarterback job is wide-open and Henne's place in the pecking order "is up to him." Given Henne's history, Beck, 26, and McCown, 28, had better be ready. Henne isn't easily intimidated. In 2004, Henne became the first true freshman to start at quarterback for the Wolverines since Rick Leach in 1975. By the end of the season, he had tied the school record with 25 touchdown passes. "We talked about how this kid is going to have to line up in front of 110,000 people, with millions watching at home," recalled Terry Malone, the Wolverines' offensive coordinator during Henne's first two seasons. "The way he practiced and went about his work, I made the comment either he's not bright enough to understand what he's about to get into or he's as tough a guy as we've had here. "After that season, we decided he was tough enough to be a great quarterback." Before he worked with Henne, Malone coached Brian Griese, Drew Henson and Tom Brady at Michigan. Henne has as much talent and as many intangibles as any of them, Malone said. Unlike a lot of quarterbacks entering the NFL, Henne also has been groomed for this moment. While many college quarterbacks are playing in the spread offense, Henne learned a pro-style passing offense at Michigan. "I've always thought Chad would make a better pro quarterback than he was a college quarterback," said Malone, now the tight ends coach with the New Orleans Saints. "Chad is really trained to be a thrower." But Henne, who is second in Big Ten history with 87 touchdown passes, still has a lot to prove. His senior season was supposed to include a national championship run and a Heisman race, but ended with only 17 touchdown passes and a career-low 58.3 completion percentage. Henne's injuries made for a tough year. He hurt his knee and ankle in Week 2 during a 39-7 loss to Oregon. He needed a painkiller injection in his throwing shoulder to even play against Ohio State - a 14-3 loss that dropped Henne's record to 0-4 against the Buckeyes. "He had to deal with a lot of injuries, but he stayed positive, he never gave up, he never quit," said Michigan lineman Adam Kraus, who signed a free-agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens. Henne eventually redeemed himself with three touchdown passes to earn MVP honors in Michigan's 42-35 win in the Capital One Bowl against defending national champion Florida. "He's all the things you look for in a passer," said Gators coach Urban Meyer, who coached '07 Heisman winner Tim Tebow. "He gets the ball out quickly and he's accurate." Two more touchdown passes and a strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl strengthened Henne's case for a high draft pick. But Henne had to sweat it out on draft day, with ESPN cameras checking in throughout the day as he continued to slip in the order until late in the second round. While Henne suffered, ESPN's draft analysts reviewed his shortcomings, including a long windup delivery and limited mobility. The Dolphins, meanwhile, like Henne's size, strong arm and competitiveness, including his nine fourth-quarter wins at Michigan. "In the NFL, you study someone so much that sooner or later you're going to say, 'What's wrong with him?''" said longtime college coach Gerry DiNardo, who's now an analyst for the Big Ten Network. "In college, he had all the tools that gave him a chance to be a winning quarterback. He also did all the things you want a leader to do. "That's why I think things are going to work out with the Dolphins. It's the round peg in the round hole."
The Redskins went into the NFL draft expecting to take a quarterback in the later rounds. Team officials followed through--but were able to draft a quarterback some had projected to go in early rounds. The Redskins drafted Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan with their final sixth-round pick, at No. 186 overall.
Brennan was regarded as among the top quarterbacks in the draft and had a record-setting season last year, but he fell due to a poor performance in the Sugar Bowl and injury concerns.
Brennan is the owner of 21 NCAA records. Last year, he set a record with his 34th consecutive game of throwing for at least 200 yards. His 20 games with at least 400 yards in total offense also set an all-time mark.
His average of 387.8 yards per game in total offense and a pass completion percentage of .712 are just some of the other notable national marks he set at Hawaii.
Brennan ran the classic run-and-shoot offense, a pass-happy scheme devised by former Hawaii head coach June Jones.
Brennan was a third-team All-American choice last year. He completed 359-of-510 passes--a 70.4 completion percentage--for 4,343 yards, 38 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
His junior season was even better. Brennan completed 406-of-559 passes--a career-high 72.6 completion percentage--for 5,549 yards, 58 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Brennan, who grew up in Irvine, Calif., expects to make a quick transition to the West Coast offense run by Jim Zorn.
"It's what I grew up in our here in southern California," he said. "I have some background in it. I really can't wait to get back in it. I know I can run it. I'm just grateful for the opportunity."
Brennan decided to undergo hip surgery this offseason, so he might not be available to work with the team in mini-camp and OTAs.
Asked about his health, Brennan said: "I'm doing great. The doctor said that I'm on the path to full recovery. The surgery was a complete success. I'm about six weeks to being 100 percent.
"Basically, I can't wait to get out there and let their doctors and staff get me through the rehab process."
He expects to be fully healthy ready for training camp.
Brennan was ecstatic when he learned he was drafted.
"To be honest, as the day was progressing I was really thinking, 'Maybe I'm a free agent guy, maybe I'm a seventh-round pick,'" he said. "When I got the phone call, I couldn't have been more excited. I'm just so excited to be a Washington Redskin."
It doesn't really matter if Matt Ryan turns out to be the next Peyton Manning or the second coming of David Carr. He's already done a lot for the Atlanta Falcons.
When's the last time you saw an Atlanta quarterback smile? When's the last time you saw anybody with the Falcons smile?
"It's exciting to be a Falcon,'' Ryan said. "I was pumped up when I received the phone call and I just can't wait to get to Atlanta.'' It's hard to find precise records, but it's believed those exact words have been uttered only once before in history -- by Steve Bartkowski, 33 years ago. This franchise never has had a lot of good days, but the past year has been particularly brutal. Franchise quarterback Michael Vick went to prison on dogfighting charges. Coach Bobby Petrino jumped to Arkansas in the middle of the night without telling his players. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall talked his way out of town, and running back Warrick Dunn and tight end Alge Crumpler -- about the only two remaining Falcons who would be recognized in an Atlanta mall -- were part of an offseason salary purge.But this choice wasn't just about taking a passer who broke some of Doug Flutie's records and won a bunch of games.
This was also about erasing the bitter memories of Vick and Petrino. Anyone who thought Vick might return to the Falcons after he's released from a federal penitentiary now can forget it. As a highly drafted quarterback, Ryan's going to face big expectations, although he's probably going to get a pretty significant grace period. But most importantly, Ryan's going to start with a clean slate. So are the Falcons.Within minutes after the selection, the Falcons were selling Ryan jerseys on their Web site (No. 8 for $78.50). They'll sell some tickets down the road, too, and that had to factor heavily into that decision.
"To get a quarterback and a left tackle, I'm sure they're excited in Atlanta,'' Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden said. "They should be.'' This spring, excitement -- instead of indictment -- is the buzzword suddenly surrounding the Falcons. You've got to believe that's what Falcons owner Arthur Blank wanted, and needed, more than anything. Throughout the hiring of Smith and new general manager Thomas Dimitroff, it repeatedly was made clear the new tandem would have final say over football decisions, and that's a wonderful thing. It never came close to reaching the Daniel Snyder or Jerry Jones level, but Blank had been accused of getting too involved in football matters in the past. Drafting Ryan was a decision Smith, who has a defensive background, and Dimitroff, who was part of a New England front office that got franchise quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round, had a huge say in. Smith and Dimitroff knew what they were getting into when they took their jobs. They knew they had to get better football players. They knew they'd have to win some games and they knew they'd have to win back their fans. They knew football and business decisions would go hand in hand. Forget about final say for a second. The first big decision Smith and Dimitroff made really was the only one that made sense.
NEW YORK — Joe Flacco was at the center of a more memorable draft-day drama than most. And that wasn't pre-draft smoke the Flacco family and the neighbors were sniffing. A surprise trade up by the Baltimore Ravens to select the strong-armed Delaware passer with the 18th overall pick wasn't the only excitement.
Hundreds of friends and relatives packed the Flacco household in Audubon, N.J. Then, a morning fire broke out in the nearby elementary school where Flacco and agents Joe Linta and Tom Kleine had scheduled a press conference after the player's selection.
Eight fire trucks responded and firefighters wielding axes had to break down doors and walls, according to Linta. It looked like the fire would cause the news conference to be moved to the Flacco front yard. But then firefighters found one big room unscathed so things went according to near plan — with a couple of wild twists.
After the Atlanta Falcons selected Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan third overall, the Ravens traded down from No. 8 overall to acquire Jacksonville's No. 26 pick and two third-rounders. They then leveraged a third- and sixth-round selection to trade up with Houston for the 18th overall pick to select the strong-armed former Blue Hen whose arm and game have been compared favorably with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Denver's Jay Cutler.
"It was just crazy," Flacco said of the fire. "It made the day more interesting."
Flacco talked to Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron on the phone.
"They said, 'Are you ready to come be a Raven and be the quarterback we want you to be and you can be?'
"Being picked by Baltimore is a great situation," he said. "I felt really comfortable with their coaches. It's a great organization and it's close for my family."
With incumbent and inconsistent Kyle Boller entering the final year of his contract and last year's fifth-rounder Troy Smith competing, Flacco won't have the burden of heavy expectations coming in.
Flacco threw for 23 touchdowns with five interceptions last year in leading Delaware to the Division I-AA championship game.
"I'm out to prove the Ravens made the right choice," Flacco said. "I want to go in there and compete for the job and show I'm ready to lead the Ravens organization into the future."
by Larry Beckish | Article Link
Decision-Making
The essence of a quarterback, whether an option or passing quarterback is his ability to make decisions. Teaching the quarterback a decision making process is essential for an offense, regardless of style to be successful. Indecision is a offense killer.
The key for a quarterback consistently making correct decisions in an option offense is for him to make one-way decisions. One-way are pre-determined in the huddle or at the line of scrimmage. This simple, logical, consistent process is easy for young quarterbacks to understand.
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
City College of San Francisco Football
2001 National Champions
http://www.compusportsmedia.com/main/articles.asp?StoryID=58
One of the most (if not the most) important individual on a football team is the Quarterback. Their overall health is often times of great concern and importance for the coaching staff. As a Strength and Conditioning Coach, you have to delicately and judiciously determine the commitment of the football program to having the quarterback participate within the in-season strength and conditioning curriculum. I am fortunate at City College of San Francisco that George Rush is a firm believer in 100% participation for all players in our season long strength and conditioning program. With that in mind, let me share with you my thoughts on the type of specialized program for the Quarterback during the season.
I have been a collegiate football coach since 1986 and have been coaching quarterbacks since 1991. During that entire period of time, I have never been at a place where we had our pick of the “blue chip” or top quarterbacks. Whether you are in the NFL, college, or high school, I feel that there are certain processes you must put your quarterback through daily in order to bring him to a point where he can help you compete for your conference championship. We all know that from Pop Warner to the pros, you must have a quarterback in order to have a chance to win championships.by Mark Lawrence
http://football.calsci.com/Positions4.html
When the quarterback steps up to the center and prepares to start the play, he has a lot of work to do. His first job is to look at which defensive players are on the field and where they are, and try to deduce what the defense is going to try to do. He may see signs that the defense is lined up perfectly to stop his play. In this case, the quarterback will call out an "audible." He will shout out code words that tell the other players on his team that he is changing the play. Most often there is a special code word, chosen that morning, to tell the players that the play is changing. Perhaps the code word will be "blue," so to change the play the quarterback might shout out "Blue 23, Blue 23, Blue 23." If the quarterback is not changing the play, he still wants to confuse the defense, so he might shout out "Green 17, Green 17, Green 17." The other offensive players hear "green" and know to ignore this, but the defense doesn't know the "hot" color and has to wonder.
Frequently, the quarterback has what is called an option play. He has effectively called two plays at the same time, and as he steps up to the center he will read the defense and decide which play has a better chance of working. The most common form of this is what is called a "play action pass." In this play, the quarterback will take the snap of the ball and step back three steps, where he will meet the running back. He will then put the ball in front of the running back. If the quarterback has determined that the defense is aligned to stop a pass, he will give the ball to the running back who will run with it. If the quarterback has determined that the defense is aligned to stop a run, the quarterback will fake giving the ball to the running back, then as the running back continues on as if he is running with the ball, the quarterback will pass the ball to a receiver. No one on either team knows in advance which the quarterback will choose.
Another popular trick of the quarterback is called the bootleg. In this play the quarterback fakes a hand off to a running back, then sprints out in the opposite direction, looking to run or pass. If the entire offensive line moves in the same direction as the running back, leaving the quarterback unprotected and with a completely unbroken view of the field, this is called a "naked bootleg."
Another important trick of the quarterback is called a "screen pass." If the defense is rushing with great success and causing him a lot of problems, the quarterback will use several screen passes to slow down the defensive rush. In the screen pass, a couple of the offensive linemen will pull away from the line and run out to one side of the field. This will often be the center and a guard. The running back will also run to that same side of the field, perhaps ten feet behind the offensive linemen. Because the two linemen pulled, there is an unprotected path to the quarterback and there will almost certainly be a couple of drooling and slathering defensive linemen running unabated at the quarterback, visions of ambulances dancing in their heads. The quarterback's job is to backpedal as quickly as he can, drawing these two linemen and hopefully a linebacker or two in his direction. Just a fraction of a second before they can hit him, the quarterback will toss the ball to the waiting running back, who can now lumber up the field with 700 pounds of offensive linemen in front of him to protect him. This play, if executed well, will often go for a 15 to 30 yard gain, which is a big black eye for the defense. After a couple of these plays, when the defensive linemen break through the offensive line they will hesitate and look to their sides to see if they are being tricked. So the screen pass is a useful tool to slow down the pass rush.
Different quarterbacks have different skills. Dan Marino was a pocket passer. He had a very strong and accurate arm, and an incredibly quick release - when he decided to throw the ball, it was gone that instant. However, he was not at all fast, so no one ever thought Dan would try to take off and run with the ball. Marino required very large and stout linemen to protect him. Steve Young and John Elway were very good passers, although perhaps not quite as accurate and quick as Marino. However, Young and Elway were also fast and powerful runners, so the defense always had to be wary of them taking off with the ball and running for five or ten or more yards. With Young or Elway as quarterback, the team could afford to use smaller, faster and more athletic linemen who were better at opening holes for the running game. If their pass blocking was less than perfect, Young or Elway could most likely evade a defensive player on their own. Finally, Kordell Stewart was a phenomenal runner, although not nearly as accurate a passer. Kordell could call what was effectively a play action run - his offensive line and running back would be all set up to run one direction, perhaps to the left. If Kordell saw that the defense was stacked heavily on the left, he would fake the hand off, keep the ball, and run himself to the right, perhaps throwing the ball after a second if the defense reacted well. If the defense was more evenly distributed, he would hand off.
If the play is a pass, the quarterback will take the snap of the football, and drop back a few steps. He drops back so that the receivers have a bit of time to get out into their running routes, and so that he has a bit of time to watch the defense develop. The quarterback will generally drop back either three, five, or seven steps. A three step drop back means the quarterback is going to throw the ball almost immediately, before the defense has a chance to figure out what is going on. He will attempt to find a receiver who has run out only about three to seven yards, and get the ball to him. If the quarterback takes five steps backwards, he's giving his receivers time to get ten to fifteen yards down the field, but he's also giving the defense more time to read his intentions. A seven step drop usually means there will be a couple of receivers streaking at top speed towards the end zone, and the quarterback hopes to complete a pass for twenty or more yards, gashing the defense for a big play. Whatever drop the quarterback uses, it's the job of his offensive linemen to keep him safe for as long as he needs.
Quarterbacks have their own book of tricks to use on the defense.
Quarterbacks have to be at least about 6'1" just so they can see over all these very tall linemen in front of them. It helps if the quarterback is a relatively big guy, perhaps 230 pounds or so, so that he can absorb a hit if the pass protection breaks down. And it's good if he's quick enough to outrun a defender for at least a few steps, buying time to complete the play. The quarterback is the only player on your team who will touch the ball on every single play. Because of this quarterbacks are often the highest paid player on the team, making as much as $15M per year.By Todd Krueger
http://ezinearticles.com/?Coaching-Quarterbacks&id=813082
#1. Coaches never want to second-guess them or make them look bad in front of their teammates. if you do it makes very difficult for them to be the leader in the huddle. It is vital for the qb to have huddle leadership!
#2. Even in bad situations, find things the quarterback does right. Such as made a good throw bad made a bad read.
#3. Encourage your quarterback to take chances and to force throws in practice. This tests there ability to get the ball into tight spaces. If he does not do it in practice he will never know if he can make that throw in a game. It does not matter if he throws an interception in practice, this is how he finds out what he can get away with as far as forcing the ball into tight spaces.
#4. In terms of dealing with the press, take the blame for a bad game as much as you can. You can say such things as " We didn't help our qb out very much. I could have called a better game for him.
#5. If the quarterback senses a lack of confidence by the coach he will play the way he feels! All coaches must show confidence in their qb or he will know it.
#6. You can never do enough quarterback footwork and vision drills.
#7. Always stress speed in setting up on the pass drops and the release of the football. The longer he holds the ball the more the pass rush will come.
#8. Make the quarterbacks write down their 5 favorite pass plays. Don't be afraid to use those plays. If you get in a key situation and your qb is struggling, you can call one of his favorite passes?
#9. It is hard to teach the quarterback to throw the before the receiver is open! Again have your qb try to do this in practice.
#10. The quarterback must think like his coach. If you are calling the passes and the plays, he must think like you. You and your QB must spend time in meetings and in the film room talking about football game situations so he can get a feel of how you call the plays.
What you do in your meetings and what you do on the field all tie in with these 10 points.
Good Luck and if you have any questions you can email me at playqb@cox.net
Todd Krueger is a former 8th round draft pick in 1980 with the Buffalo Bills and also played with the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Wranglers in the USFL. He runs a football coaching website at http://www.footballtools.com and offers football coaching products such as NFL Football Playbooks, Youth Football Practice DVDs, Quarterback Training DVDs, Football Scouting Software, Football Playbook Software, Free Quarterback Drills, Football Special Teams DVDs, Football Workout DVDs, Football Practice DVDs, and a free football newsletter at http://www.footballtools.com and http://www.playqb.com
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