I keep hearing about how Russell is taking snaps from under center rather than the shotgun and that many people are excited by that. Can someone please explain to a former basketball / baseball player how that is advantageous? I can't see how it is any better for a quarterback to add a dropback to the process when you could just start back there.
Taking snaps from under center...
- Thread starter Faustdog
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Interesting. I can see the first part of your answer. The second part about catching the ball, I'm less sure of. To me, dropping back, taking the correct number of steps, etc., would take more concentration than catching a snap back. That would seem to be almost reflexive.
When you are in the shotgun, your eyes (right before the snap) are on the center. From the time of the snap to having it in the your hands you are looking down and not at the defense. Under center, you can keep your eyes down field during your pre-snap reads, through the dropback and, hopefully, completing the pass.
This might not seem like much time, but there are many defensive keys that are given away in the intial few seconds after the ball is snapped. It can be the difference between recognizing coverage quick enough to complete some of these timing routes and being a hair late on a throw. Not to mention you become more comfortable with your dropbacks and know where a receiver should be based on your step count. This also eliminates the need for some QB's to stare down a target...
This might not seem like much time, but there are many defensive keys that are given away in the intial few seconds after the ball is snapped. It can be the difference between recognizing coverage quick enough to complete some of these timing routes and being a hair late on a throw. Not to mention you become more comfortable with your dropbacks and know where a receiver should be based on your step count. This also eliminates the need for some QB's to stare down a target...
Having to look down to catch the ball is precisely why Bill Walsh did not use the shotgun. He wanted his QB's eyes up and reading.
I agree it helps qb with reads if the qb is comfortable with the drop back. I really hope TR isn't concentrating on his footwork while dropping back instead of reading the defense. Hopefully TR has gotten the drop back down so it's second nature
The Drop backs are not as hard as you'd think... besides being quick and consistent. To be honest, the biggest thing you have to worry about with your feet is making sure the center or guard doesn't step on your foot. Dropbacks are still used some out of the shotgun (timing routes and play fakes use footwork to help keep "time"), so I honestly don't think the footwork transition will be his biggest challenge.
It will help our running game and passing game.
Especially if we can put a FB or another TE in there..
We can run out of it early in the game then, TR can use that formation to open up the play action pass play.
Especially if we can put a FB or another TE in there..
We can run out of it early in the game then, TR can use that formation to open up the play action pass play.
I was watching a video of Dan teaching a statistics class (the real teacher asked him to come in a "sub", you know, shake things up I guess, and teach how stats are applicable to everything, even football). Anyways he said that when we had an H-back in the backfield with a tight end on the line, that 60% of our plays were efficient, or they gained 4 yards per play in that formation. The reason being the threat from TR to pass, even though we were in a run-heavy formation, kept the defense honest.
If TR hasn't gotten the footwork down after 4-6 months of working on it...
Then he is either incompetent at learning or has not been working on it at all. Neither of these appears to be an issue with TR, and he doesn't have a similar issue that Tebow had. Tebow's issue was more of arm slot and throwing motion. TR has neither of these issues so I do not see any reason he cannot effectively run our offense by opening game, from under center.
Having played QB in highschool, the 3-5 step drops really help well with timing of receivers. It becomes more of an instinct after you get the footwork down. You already know where each WR should be when you set to throw, you just have to have been reading defense while dropping back, and once set, pick which one to throw to. I like the move to under center, because it will keep the handoffs/playfakes closer to the line of scrimmage (LB's wont be able to see who has it as easily), the RB's will be running downhill on handoff (opposed to standing still like in shotgun), and it will force the defense to stay home longer.
Then he is either incompetent at learning or has not been working on it at all. Neither of these appears to be an issue with TR, and he doesn't have a similar issue that Tebow had. Tebow's issue was more of arm slot and throwing motion. TR has neither of these issues so I do not see any reason he cannot effectively run our offense by opening game, from under center.
Having played QB in highschool, the 3-5 step drops really help well with timing of receivers. It becomes more of an instinct after you get the footwork down. You already know where each WR should be when you set to throw, you just have to have been reading defense while dropping back, and once set, pick which one to throw to. I like the move to under center, because it will keep the handoffs/playfakes closer to the line of scrimmage (LB's wont be able to see who has it as easily), the RB's will be running downhill on handoff (opposed to standing still like in shotgun), and it will force the defense to stay home longer.