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The NFL Lens: Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and FBI
There’s the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. When it comes to quarterbacking, I want prospects who understand both. I want quarterbacks that make good decisions when things don’t go as planned. Apply pressure to that off-script moment and you’ll see who thinks clearly and creatively and who doesn’t. For quarterbacking,…
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Seeing Two Games In One: Projecting College Performance to the NFL
Effective personnel evaluation requires a little bit of time travel, seeing double, and a rich imagination. See below. I’m among the football writers you’ll read or listen to on a podcast explain that it’s important to know the difference between “college” accuracy and “pro” accuracy. When described, it often means tighter passing lanes against zone…
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Scouting QBs: Separating the Dark From the Dark
After spending an insane amount of time during the last decade studying players, talking with scouts, and paying attention to history, I have learned three things about evaluating football talent: Scouting and quarterbacking are about detail and nuance. Experience matters, but not like you think. Quarterback remains the untamed wilderness of football evaluation. These are…
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Walk on the Wild Side: The Immeasurable Measure of Greatness
“The single trait that separates great quarterbacks from good quarterbacks is the ability to make the great, spontaneous decision, especially at a crucial time. The clock is running down and your team is five points behind. The play that was called has broken down and 22 players are moving in almost unpredictable directions all over…