The running quarterback has been a fixation in college football for too long, and the focus needs to go back to passing the ball.
Every season it seems we hear about some quarterback who can “beat you with his legs”, typically drawing comparisons to the likes of Michael Vick or Cam Newton.
Scouting and recruiting analysts even have quarterbacks divided into categories, with one of them being the “dual-threat quarterback”, that is to say, a QB who has an equal chance of running the ball as he does throwing it.
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And while these quarterbacks who can rush the ball effectively are certainly fun and exciting to watch, and can improvise in a split second when needed, it’s time for the fixation on this type of quarterback to end.
Now, there is a difference between a “running quarterback” and a quarterback who can scramble or use his legs to extend plays or get out of trouble. Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Steve Young, Fran Tarkenton and Roger Staubach are all examples of the latter.
The position of quarterback boils down to this; can the player effectively make accurate pre-snap reads, drop back into the pocket, quickly go through his progressions, and make an accurate throw. Every one of the QBs mentioned above can or could do that.
Running the ball should be an extra bonus used when needed, not a regular part of a quarterback’s arsenal.
But college coaches are still enamored with the idea of having a quarterback who can run some version of an option offense, or who can — like Johnny Manziel — simply just run at a moment’s notice to make plays happen. It serves a purpose to them in a quest for wins, but doesn’t prepare the player for what many of them desire – a job playing professional football.
The problem is that we all get mesmerized by these guys who can run the ball like a tailback. They make some incredible plays, and when faced with an inferior defense, can become another running back. But when faced with a quality defense who knows how to contain a running quarterback, any deficiencies in the art of being a drop-back passer are quickly exposed.
In college football, these warts are much easier to cover, as the level of opponents can vary from inept to mediocre and the occasional superb. But that doesn’t prepare these kids for what they’ll face in the NFL, and too many of these dual-threat quarterbacks end up fizzling out faster than a fajita plate, sometimes even while still in college.
In the last five seasons, 10 different quarterbacks have been drafted who used their running game as a primary weapon in college, and were fairly successful at doing it. Of those ten, only Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick have seen any real success in the NFL, and both of them have had to take a step back to hone their skills as a passer.
On the flip side, guys like Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill, and Andy Dalton are already finding success, and are legitimate starting NFL quarterbacks.
Quarterbacks who run the ball as often (or more) than they throw it have a short shelf-life. Good defenses figure out how to stop them, and if they aren’t surrounded by quality personnel, they become sitting ducks. Their bodies take undo wear and tear from not only the running, but from the increased number of hits they take.
The simple fact is that the ability to run like the wind and cut on a dime will dissipate much faster than the ability to throw the ball with proper timing and accuracy.
Look at some of the names for quarterbacks who were supposed to be all the rage, who eventually just couldn’t make it, whether it be college or pro, because of their inability to actually quarterback as opposed to run:
Jamarcus Russell, Tim Tebow, Robert Griffin III, EJ Manuel, Geno Smith, Johnny Manziel and Logan Thomas. All quarterbacks who either experienced difficulty in bringing home championships in college and/or turned out to be less than hoped for in the NFL.
And those are just the most recognizable names from the last five years.
Even going back to the days of someone like Randall Cunningham, who had running ability and was one of the early molds of the modern day dual-threat QB, there was a clear ability to set highlight reels on fire, but not to lead a team to a championship.
Of course, there have been dual-threat QBs who actually were a threat to both run or throw the ball well. Donovan McNabb was equally gifted as a passer as he was a runner, and as age and injuries caught up with his legs, he was still able to play at a high level because of his ability to throw.
Is the QB paradigm shift finally here?
Just recently we may have witnessed a shift in mindset in not only how these running quarterbacks are viewed by coaches, but also in how they see themselves and their future.
Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones is a 6-foot-5, 250-pound beast, who can attack the line of scrimmage with his body and pound between the tackles. He came in cold off the bench in the Big Ten Championship game, and had a 3-game run that led the Buckeyes to the national championship.
Jones also has a cannon arm and a lot of natural gifts, but it was his ability to run and make plays with his legs that helped guide Ohio State past two very tough opponents in Alabama and Oregon.
Immediately the calls came for Jones to leave school and enter the 2015 NFL Draft, with most analysts and talking heads uttering the phrase “his stock will never be higher”.
And while in a literal sense that statement may be true, even Jones himself recognized that he was not ready for the NFL. In his press conference to announce his decision, he cited that continuing his education as well as his maturation as a quarterback would come first, saying “When I make the decision to play in the NFL, I want to be done with school.”
If Jones’ raw ability is polished and perfected by Urban Meyer and the other Ohio State coaches, he can undoubtedly become a viable passing quarterback. But if he simply goes with that raw ability, and leans on his speed and strength to win games, he’ll be reaching his goal of becoming a financial planner very early on.
There’s a reason you never hear of quarterbacks being drafted out of Navy or Georgia Tech and having prolonged success, because they can’t do what is the most important thing for a quarterback to do, and that’s step back and throw the ball.