Leverage
Old battleaxes like myself love to study college quarterback and test them from a mental standpoint. How are they at deciphering coverage? Can they diagnose when the defense spins their safeties? Can they make full-field reads? Can they work through progressions?
But this is fast becoming an outdated mode of thinking about how the position is played in today’s game. Take what Zac Taylor is doing with Burrow. In the Cincinnati offense, Burrow runs a lot of “half-field” reads that task him with answering this question: Man or zone? He does not need to differentiate between say Cover 1 or Cover 1 Robber, or the various iterations of Cover 3, he just needs to figure out man or zone.
Then, he either works the man-beater side of the field, or the zone-beater.
How does he then make his reads? Understanding the leverage of the nearest defender to his intended target is a big part of this.
So many route designs are based off the receiver reading that leverage and making a move off that defender. As such, the QB also needs to key into that positioning from the defender and throw his receiver to safety.
Take this throw from Herbert:
Herbert throws this slot fade route to the left side of the formation. His understanding of the leverage is what makes the completion possible. He sees that the defender is playing with inside technique, so he turns this into a back-shoulder throw, putting the ball to the outside and away from the inside-leveraged defender. The receiver makes a tremendous adjustment, and the Chargers again have a fresh set of downs.
The QB does not need to know if this is man or zone, he just has to read the leverage of the nearest defender, and throw away from him.
Then there is this audacious example from Burrow against the Tennessee Titans:
This is one of the more creative plays I have seen from a rookie quarterback in some time. After facing pressure off the edge – and flashing the necessary mobility to evade it – Burrow throws Tyler Boyd open in the middle of the field. How? By seeing the defender’s leverage and throwing away from that leverage. When Burrow lets this go, Boyd has yet to make a cut, but the rookie quarterback sees the leverage, trusts that his receiver will feel that leverage, and throws away from the defender. When Boyd does, he turns around to find the football almost to his chest.
An incredible, audacious and even cheeky throw to borrow a British word.
We will end with this throw from Tagovailoa. Bear in mind this comes late in the game, with the Dolphins trailing by seven and facing a third-and-long in their own territory:
Tagovailoa makes an anticipation throw on this curl route to the right side of the field. The timing and rhythm is impressive enough, but pay attention to the placement. Tagovailoa reads the leverage, and seeing the defender dive to the inside, he throws to the outside shoulder of the receiver. That puts the receiver in position to secure the reception, and prevents the defender from making a play on the football.
We spend so much time each draft cycle thinking about the things that matter for young quarterbacks at the next level. Mobility, and an understanding of leverage, might be the core building blocks for a successful start to a rookie quarterback’s career.
They might just be the non-negotiables.