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Old 01-18-2017, 08:35 PM   #47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Superbowltrashcan View Post
I apologize for my ignorance on this but I don't fully understand the heightened concern about footwork as it relates to a quarterback that throws an accurate ball with adequate velocity. Is it because poor footwork leads to greater replication of a bad effort? Does it mean a greater chance of injury is in player's future? I mean if it gets to the target quickly and accurately why does it matter if his footwork sucks? When I watch Rodgers he seems to have a number of times when he doesn't "look the part" from the classical 5 step drop back standpoint. Educate me and don't be an arse... Thank you!
No problem. It is important for four reasons:

1. Accuracy- You gotta get your body balanced to throw an accurate pass. Throwing mechanics are built around the core of the body. It's the same in baseball and it all starts with the feet. If you don't have balance in your legs, you won't have balance in your core and you won't be at peak accuracy. The biggest difference between college and pro football is the speed and coverage of corner backs. If you aren't accurate, you can't play in the NFL. Check out Tom Brady. He has the greatest footwork of all time.

2. Throwing Power - If you are throwing off your back foot you are losing power and accuracy. Watson tends to do this on a lot of short routes. He basically takes one step back and throws as hard as he can off his back foot when he does this. His fundamentals are really raw in this area. When he does it, it reminds me of a shortstop back handing a hard grounder in the hole and desperately trying to get the runner at first. The difference is that Desean doesn't need to rush it and shouldn't be desperate. He's not even making a read when he does this and he has more time than he thinks. In the NFL he will get burned for relying on arm strength on short passes like that.

3. Pocket Awareness - This is another big difference between college and the pros. Footwork in the pocket is imparitive to protecting the ball. It is the first fundamental in this area. If you have poor footwork, you are more likely to fumble. In the NFL, the pass rush is coming much faster than in college. Again, good footwork and a good core are everything. If you have balance when you are creamed on your blindside, you are far more likely to hold onto the ball. See Blake Bortles if you want to see a QB with bad footwork.

4. Timing - Again, the cornerbacks are the biggest difference between college and the pros. Three, four, and five step drops help the QB time the routes and allow the play to set up. They also slow the pass rush and create more time in the pocket. Watson hasn't done much of this as he plays in a spread / read option type offense. You can't make it in the pros without being able to take snaps from under center and understand the footwork fundamentals.

This is a pretty basic summary and I hope this helps.
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