What Makes A Great NFL Quarterback
You wanna know why Donovan McNabb got benched? Wanna know why Brett Favre has sucked for the last few years? Wanna know why Michael Vick has become a better passer? Wanna know why Tom Brady is the best QB in the league? It has nothing, I repeat, NOTHING to do with athletic ability.
Two things: DECISION-MAKING and ACCURACY. And in that order. Lots of people talk about these things but they get the order of priority wrong. DECISION first, then ACCURACY.
McNabb has a ton of athletic ability. Favre is a veteran with a cannon for an arm. Michael Vick is flat-out the best running QB in the league. Doesn't matter. The only things that matters in the NFL are decision-making and accuracy. Now, don't get me wrong, athleticism helps, as does what scouts like to call "escapability." But these things are secondary to the essential skills of a prime-time NFL passer. The best QB's in the league today (IMO Brady, Manning, Brees, Rivers and very soon, Matt Ryan) don't make their bones with their legs. Yeah, they know how to move around in the pocket, but it's not their speed or athletic ability that they rely on. What makes them the best is understanding defenses (decision-making), and hitting receivers in the hands (accuracy)
Andy Reid knew it, too. After years of seeing McNabb miss badly on easy routes, he saw that his decision-making sucked and his accuracy was terrible and he made one of the best trades in Eagles history. He's an athletic beast, but Donovan can't hit the broad side of a barn. He's pretty suspect on the decision side as well.
What about QB4 in Minnesota? Favre has the arm but his decision-making became horrific. More often than not, Favre believes his arm strength will beat coverage. Hey, Mr. Penis Pic, you're old and you're wrong. That's why you have more picks than any NFL QB will ever have. Mike Vick? Have you noticed that with age, he stays in the pocket more, understands coverages better and hits receivers in stride like he never has before? That's the NFL game, dude. Nice to see you studyin'. You're startin' to get it.
Finally, Brady. When he first took over for Bledsoe, Belichick had him throwing lots of safe, easy patterns. But one thing was noticeable right away - he hit backs out of the backfield (supposedly one of the toughest throws) in stride, every time. His accuracy was impeccable and his decision-making was superb. Do you think it's an abberation that the team is on a roll while he's setting records for consecutive passes without an INT? Nope.
Manning does the same thing. Study, study, study, then hit the correct matchup in stride. Do yourself a favor. Next time you're watching an NFL game, see how many times the QB hits his receiver in stride, allowing him big-time YAC (yardage after catch). If it happens on a consistent basis, you'll be looking at a QB who makes good decisions and then throws with accuracy. In short, a man with a future. Bang. Pay attention!
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