Matt Waldman’s RSP NFL Lens shares an improvisational play by 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and discusses what makes this throw good and replicable.
The quarterback is one part baker, one part chef, and one part short-order cook. Like baking, some throws require following the recipe with exacting precision. Like cooking fine cuisine, other plays require technically-precise creativity. And like the slinging of dishes at an all-night diner, you sometimes have to come up with solutions that ain’t classically pretty, but they’re without a doubt tasty.
On this play, Garoppolo makes a tasty throw that resembles a cook from San Francisco’s Pinecrest Diner switching from Greek fare to Cincinnati chili like it ain’t nothing but a thang…
Like any good baker or chef, technical guidelines underpin Garoppolo’s movements. Although the footwork isn’t in a coach’s manual, Garoppolo moves the way he does so his feet are remaining within the width of his shoulders and he’s aligned to let the ball go. His upper torso and toes turn to the target at the same time and he uses his shoulder turn as a slingshot to propel the ball with the necessary velocity.
Yes, he crosses his feet as he’s moving to his left and throwing off his back foot. When you have a restaurant filled with drunk, and in some cases, “hangry” diners who, unbeknownst to you, just got thrown out of a club or dumped, you want to keep the bell ringing, the plates moving, and the tables turning.
Garoppolo definitely knows how to play like a short-order cook.