Defenses salivate at QBs with bad habits

For this week’s NFList, we didn’t have a boiled-down, to-the-point poll question in mind for league insiders as much as we had a vision of a defensive coach grinning maniacally as he watched film of a struggling quarterback.

So we put together a panel of several NFL defensive assistant coaches, promised them anonymity for their candor and asked them what they most wanted to see out of a quarterback when they turned on the film. Not what scouts want to see — if you’re looking for a list of the league’s best spirals, look elsewhere.

No, what we were seeking is a list of quarterbacking red flags — clear signals a passer is on his way to a long day at the office, if you will.

So what tips off a coach that a QB is vulnerable? Here are some telltale signs:

Inaccurate passing — Entering Week Eight, 19 quarterbacks were completing at least 60 percent of their throws. A completion percentage much below that is usually a negative — too many wasted opportunities. A quarterback missing the mark on his passes can have a chilling effect on an offense.

Jerks his shoulders in the direction in which he’s throwing on short and intermediate routes — Ideally, a quarterback not only will get the ball out quickly and on a rope, but also with a minimum of wasted movement. Quarterbacks with strong arms, one AFC assistant coach observed, “don’t have to cock (their) shoulders (to) get that thing launched.” Excess “shoulder tilt,” as the assistant called it, can lead to defensive backs getting a jump on the ball.

Pats the ball  / holds on to the ball too long — We’ve all seen it — a quarterback clutches the ball for an instant too long with disastrous results. Defensive coaches love quarterbacks who do this. “You can kill them blitz-wise, coverage-wise and even four-man-rush-wise, because they hold on to the ball too long,” said one panelist. Patting the ball is just that — a quarterback tapping the ball with his non-throwing hand as he scans the field.

Pump-fakes nervously — Done with wisdom and confidence, the pump fake can be devastating; just look at what Brett Favre(notes) has done with it over the years. But when the pump fake is done out of fear and desperation, well, that’s another story altogether. One panelist compared it to “(putting) the brakes on. Sometimes it looks like it’s a lot of pumping going on, but it’s a lot of indecisiveness.”

Quickly flees the pocket when pressured — Every panelist agreed: Most quarterbacks who take off running are usually helping, not hurting, the defense. As one assistant pointed out, the majority of quarterbacks will only roll out to one side, which allows disciplined, well-prepared defenses to react accordingly. There are exceptions to this rule — the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger(notes), for instance, is outstanding when creating on the run. But Roethlisberger-type magicians are rare.

Stares down his primary receiver — It can be traced to any number of factors, but it’s the tendency that might most excite savvy defensive backs. One respondent, who coaches for an NFC team, noted that most young quarterbacks will lock in on a receiver, which really helps teams in zone coverage, for it allows them to break more quickly on the ball.

Unable to read coverages — “If a guy can’t read coverage, then you can scheme him,” said one AFC assistant. Said another respondent: “You collapse the pocket, and they’re not sure what they’re looking at, and the next thing you know, that’s collapsing on them.”

Unsettled by pressure — The cues can be easy to read, our panel said. “The first tip-off is how frantic he gets in the pocket,” said one respondent. “He’s either (a) trying to unload it quickly; (b) unload off the back foot; (c) get out of the pocket.” Noted another panelist: “Some quarterbacks, you don’t even have to hit them. You just have to get close.”

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