How would you guys grade this aspect of Eli's game? For his career and and in 2018.
IMO it's one of his biggest weaknesses at this point in his career and it's really noticeable when you compare him to some of the top QBs in the league. Our OL obviously needs to improve but Eli "needs" a clean pocket more than most QBs because he can't make "all arm" throws with consistent accuracy.
His bread and butter is the PA rollout. Eli is actually great out of the pocket on those and always looks really comfortable, but when it comes to little sidearm flips or tough angle throws like we've seen Mahomes, Rodgers, and Stafford master... that's definitely not Eli's forte.
That weird left handed attempt against Tennessee in 2010 kinda sums Eli up when it comes to that stuff.
It became crystal clear to me over the last couple of years just how important mobility is in a QB in today's NFL. OL play around the league has declined and college is not sending as many NFL ready OL to the NFL like it did back in the day.
I miss my grand daddy's NFL. ;)
However, he is often overwhelmed by the athleticism around him and when you compare him to young mobile quarterbacks who can also do what he does well, it demonstrates how much mobility adds to the position
However, he is often overwhelmed by the athleticism around him and when you compare him to young mobile quarterbacks who can also do what he does well, it demonstrates how much mobility adds to the position
Eli's not really making the side arm throws you see guys like Mahomes or Stafford are able to do. That's just in his game.
And agreed his best moving throw is the play action fake to the left, and rollout right to hit the WR on a comeback.
People talk about athleticism in terms of the forty, but there is something to being fluid and coordinated (i.e. Big Ben, Stafford...guys that couldn't crack 5.0 in the forty but are adept at avoidance skills)
That has declined over the years.
Another fallacy is the idea that this sort of QB can’t be successful or that you need to be a pure pocket passer. Eli in 2011 was both. Many elite QBs are.
When you can evade the rush, buy time and consisrently make plays, it slows down the defense—that gives you the clean pocket later in the game. When the opposite is true, the defense begins to pin their ears back.
This was NOT because of dump offs. His YPA this year was 7.5. Middle of the league. Other notable YPA - Roethlisberger, Brady and Mariota at 7.6 YPA - Prescott, Rogers and Trubiski at 7.4., Foles, Luck, Stafford, Newton, Carr and many others were further down the list. The best in the league (with 300+ passing attempts) was Mahomes at 8.8.
That was Eli's best YPA since 2011. In short, he is not declining in any significant way when it comes to accuracy. At least, not to my eyeballs or in numbers. His accuracy is a reflection of his protection.
Us old guys remember Fran Tarkenton used to try those type of throws to avoid a sack. The only problem is it usually had the same results and it wasn't good.
Yup. Biggest reason he's not a great fit in the WCO, and why hiring two WCO coordinators as head coaches have been mystifying decisions.
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If feet weren’t set he wasn’t consistent. Not very good throwing on the move to either side or from different angles.
Yup. Biggest reason he's not a great fit in the WCO, and why hiring two WCO coordinators as head coaches have been mystifying decisions.
Agree. That makes no sense to me.
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If feet weren’t set he wasn’t consistent. Not very good throwing on the move to either side or from different angles.
Yup. Biggest reason he's not a great fit in the WCO, and why hiring two WCO coordinators as head coaches have been mystifying decisions.
Spot on.