Go Deeper: Quarterback: The Toughest Job in Pro Sports

by Pat Kirwan, David Seigerman

Pat Kirwan’s best-selling Take Your Eye Off the Ball was a football fan’s undergraduate education. The Go Deeper series of books from Pat and Real Football Network is a master’s class in understanding the finer points of playing particular positions. We launch the series, of course, with the most important position in quarterback. Go Quarterback includes chapters • Understanding the utility of mobility (dispelling the myth of the dual-threat quarterback) • The most important tools and traits required to play the position • A look at the mechanics of throwing the football • How to read a defense pre- and post-snap and call plays designed to beat a particular coverage • How offenses evolve to maximize a quarterback’s matchups • Situational execution (two-minute drills, red zone) • How teams need to address all quarterbacks on the roster and the strategy behind finding the appropriate backup The book also includes exclusive play diagrams that will help fans understand their favorite game like never before!

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports

116 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2015

Reviews

[Mike Cheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pat Kirwan simultaneously glorifies and demystifies the most important position in all of sports. To survive in the NFL, a quarterback must have five attributes: (1) football intelligence (i.e., memorizing each and every play in the playbook, reading the coverage while knowing the strengths and weaknesses of everyone on the field, and staying cognizant of down & distance and the game clock); (2) timing and accuracy (e.g., knowing where to hit the receiver to maximize his momentum and speed); (3) pocket awareness and the ability to avoid being hit yet holding out long enough to give his receivers the space they need to maximize yards after catch; (4) arm strength; and (5) leadership, work ethic, and being both calm yet aggressive, which is especially important in clutch situations (e.g., the two minute drill and the no huddle). A good amount of the book is also devoted to breaking down fundamental plays that are part of every offense, such as the Smash Route for zone defenses and the 2x2 for man coverage. For me the most fun chapter was Chapter One, wherein Mr. Kirwan rejects the notion that the QB position is at an evolutionary crossroads with respect to winning with your arm vs. winning with your legs (i.e., the passer vs. the athlete). While Mr. Kirwan certainly acknowledges that mobility and quickness are important, winning from the pocket is necessary to success. One reason why run-first QBs are drafted so early is due to the pervasive use of the Spread Offense at the college level, where it is much easier for an explosive QB (e.g., Johnny Manziel) to have holes to run through and throw to rely on athletic and tall receivers (e.g., Mike Evans). NFL organizations who draft run-first QBs (often wrongly) believe that they can undo bad habits (e.g., scrambling at the first sight of trouble without making all the necessary reads) and have the best of both worlds. One example is Washington’s poor utilization and development of RG3 (and for thinking that he was comparable to Cam Newton despite their massive height and weight differential), and one counterexample is Russell Wilson whereby Seattle slowly loosened the reins and expanded the playbook to make Wilson a true dual threat.