Is there a more demanding role in sport than than of the NFL starting quarterback? I think not.
Sometimes it’s easy to get blasé about the skills of the very best quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning and become overly critical of the quarterbacks at the bottom end of the NFL Spectrum.
Being a quarterback in the NFL is the ultimate test of skill and decision making. On a passing play, once the ball is snapped, the quarterback has, on average, just under three seconds to assess the field and make a decision on the correct course of action and execute the pass.
Consider the information that he has to process while his offensive line tries to protect him and from the opposition defensive line and linebackers, consider how hard it is to see over and around those behemoths, consider also the small target area he has to hit and the distance he has to throw the ball.
True some of those decisions made by quarterbacks are predetermined on set plays but just as often the quarterback calls an audible, works a no huddle offence or has to adjust based on what transpires after the snap.
The common side on view of the field that the television camera provides only a limited understanding of how difficult this task is. But when they drop the overhead suspension camera directly behind the quarterback you can put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself, could I do that?
Check out this video clip from week 11 featuring Josh Freeman from Tampa Bay and his wide receiver Vince Jackson (who himself completes a very difficult catch).
In particular, look at the third camera angle behind Freeman which gives you an idea of what he has to process, his small target window, limited time to assess and execute, and threat of physical contact he was under.
And then try to tell me that’s not an elite sports performance.
But Josh Freeman is not considered an elite quarterback. Makes you wonder just how good the elite really are.
If you watch enough college football you soon realise what a rare beast a first choice NFL Starting quarterback is. Even the “worst” ranked of the current first choice NFL Starters is superior in every way to the vast majority of college quarterbacks.
In College Ball it’s possible to have a successful team with an average quarterback but in the NFL that isn’t possible, only excellence in the quarterback position will put you in a position to make a genuine run at the Superbowl.
By any normal person’s standards all the 32 first choice starting quarterbacks are elite sportsmen even if some are clearly better than others. In much the same way that all the finalists of the Men’s 100m Sprint at the Olympics are all elite sprinters.
Some of the quarterback play this year has been outstanding. In particular it’s been fascinating to watch Peyton Manning’s success with his new club and the performances of Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck, last year’s first and second draft picks.
Peyton Manning has been . . . . . Peyton Manning. And he’s been outstanding. It would not surprise me if led Denver all the way to the Superbowl this year.
RG3 has been a revelation and impossible to defend against when he’s hot because he’s so unpredictable.
Andrew Luck has shown poise and confidence under pressure and he has a fantastic arm.
But I do think the media needs to be a bit more circumspect with these young stars. Last year’s wunderkind, Cam Newton, has struggled in his second year because opposition defensive strategists have more game tapes to watch and a better understanding of how to force him and his team into positions where he is less dangerous.
Luck and Griffin will face the same level scrutiny next year which will make it more difficult for them.
I believe it’s better to wait until the end of season three before giving proper assessment of their potential worth (Cam Newton knockers beware. . . .).
Being a fan of quarterback play there’s obviously others I admire and enjoy to watch – Brady, Brees, Rogers, Ryan, Rothlisberger all quickly spring to mind. And Michael Vick, in spite of his troubled season, and even more troubled past, is always fun to watch. As was Tim Tebow in the second half of last season.
The NFL Season is now more than half way through and the playoff picture is slowly becoming clearer. The best of the best will matched up against each other in January and while it’s true that defence wins championships it’s also true that you can’t win them in the NFL if your quarterback isn’t up to scratch.
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