Schofield’s QB Camp: The five notable quarterback performances of week 11
It is time to be thankful.
As football fans, we can be thankful for the state of quarterback play in the NFL. Sure, there are some organizations that need help at the position, such as Jacksonville, Chicago and dare we saw Philadelphia? But other organizations are in great hands.
With the sport the way it is today, with passing as king, good quarterback play makes the games better and the sport better. For that we can all be truly thankful.
Here are the five most notable performances of Week 11, broken down.
Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
(Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
No more Mr. Nice Guy. I've been gentle about it in previous weeks, both in articles and videos as well as on social media, that you really should watch the Houston Texans despite their record because of what Deshaun Watson is doing. I'm no longer asking. Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the game. Period, full stop. That continued on Sunday when he threw almost at will against the New England Patriots. In this video you'll see how that came together: https://twitter.com/MarkSchofield/status/1330971268301135878
Cam Newton, New England Patriots
(Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)
Usually spots in the QB Camp are reserved for quarterbacks whose teams won the previous weekend. But we will carve out an exception this week (pun intended) for Cam Newton. Why? Because the New England Patriots might quietly be figuring out not just a passing game, but a downfield passing game. Newton flashed some impressive reads and throws in the loss to the Houston Texans, and it is a snapshot of what this offense could be going forward. And yes, count me in the "pro-Cam" camp: https://twitter.com/MarkSchofield/status/1330974401181921284
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
The Los Angeles Chargers rookie quarterback is becoming a mainstay here at QB Camp. He had another strong game against the New York Jets, throwing for 366 yards and three touchdowns in the Chargers' 34-28 victory. In this video, you'll see some manipulation from the young passer, his impressive arm talent on the move, and his ability to exploit leverage in the secondary: https://twitter.com/MarkSchofield/status/1330988624398196736
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Yes, big numbers are great and a good way to get an invitation to the weekly QB Camp. But we also value technique and execution, and that brings us to Ryan Tannehill. In the Tennessee Titans' comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens Tannehill completed 22 of 31 for 259 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with an interception. Solid, but unspectacular numbers. But what stood out watching Tannehill and the Titans offense from Sunday was the way play-action influences a defense, and how well Tannehill works to his second read when the first is taken away. Some fun stuff from Arthur Smith and the Tennessee QB: https://twitter.com/MarkSchofield/status/1331061966123708418
Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts
(Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports)
One of the most entertaining games of the weekend was the Indianapolis Colts' overtime win over the Green Bay Packers. In that victory, veteran passer Philip Rivers completed 24 of 36 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns, against one interception. In this breakdown you'll see Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni dialing up four verticals out of an empty 13 personnel formation, the Colts attacking Cover 4 - as highlighted last week before the game by Greg Cosell of ESPN - and Rivers throwing the corner route: https://twitter.com/MarkSchofield/status/1330990759500263430
