The biggest difference between the NFL and College Football is the amount of control coaches have and want to have. (Most) NFL Coaches don’t want to micromanage their QBs, they want a gameplan that works and to be on the same page. College coaches want to have their hand around the QBs throat at all times waiting for them to do a thing they didn’t ask for.
Shout out to my guy Reinhold who sent this to me. A little “mic’d up” action where Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs talk about a mistake that turned into a touchdown because he had the ability to recognize and adjust.
I definitely was expecting this to be by design, but their ability to adjust on the fly was glorious. Wrong formation. Wrong side. Wrong guy.
Touchdown.
That is what happens when you give QBs control and empower them to make plays. I had a good conversation with a friend, Quincy Avery about “check with me” and talked to former Illinois QB Eddie McGee about the same and it hamstrings QBs in two ways:
-Makes offense too easy because the coach makes the decisions or the decisions all come from the booth.
-Slows capable guys down and they can’t take advantage of the defense when things are SNAFU’d in their favor, if you will.
We hit on two things being true in this Trent Dilfer episode of the podcast, yes QBs are better but also, offense is easier. Offense being easier is a function of the rules, the skill level of QBs and WRs but also the control of the coaches.
Which isn’t always a good thing.
Take Justin Fields at Ohio State, title game and instead of letting Fields cook Bama in the second quarter because they are going tempo and got them confused, Ryan Day wants him to “check with me” which lets Alabama get lined up. The Tide fixed a mistake before Fields can attack them for the score. Field goal instead of 6.
Meanwhile, Andy Reid and Eric Bienemy let Mahomes suss it out.
You’re in charge, big dawg.
Touchdown.
This is very similar to a play we saw Alabama run against Auburn in 2021.
You can see the motion from the back and the safety busting his ass to outflank him. Metchie gives a quick outside to get inside and the corner is working to stop the slant. Metchie leaves him in the dust and that’s a touchdown for QB1 in this year’s draft.
And that is in press.
The Eagles weren’t in press. They traded or tango’d CB and S responsibilities from off coverage and the Chiefs, prior to the motion. The motion put them in a lock and then, in the words of my 4 year old, “got their ass” haha.
As a former defensive back, it is a nightmare in man. You’re supposed to outrun him to the other side of the field, but he can stop and go back the other way and now you’re completely out of position. A nightmare.
If you try to slow-play it that’s just a touchdown to the other side. No-win situation.
God, I love football, man. You can’t beat this shit with a stick.
And when you let your QB make decisions because they’re smart enough to handle it, and you trust them, that is what you get.
Touchdown.
Cheers.
Share this post