GBMWolverine: Mailbag Question — Michigan Football — Need a Strong Arm for this Offense
Posted at 4:00pm — 4/16/2008
GBMWolverine: Mailbag Question — Michigan Football — Need a Strong Arm for this Offense
Can someone explain this offense and the need for a great arm QB? I recently posted a comment on another message board about Newsome and it seemed to cause all kinds of dissension. Like him, do not love him. This one is faster, this one has a better touch, and this one has a stronger arm, this one better in the pocket.
Yes, they are all different, but I do not really understand this offense, as I will after watching this coming year and I certainly did not watch WV last year, so my question is this. Is an arm that important in this offense? It seems there great emphasis placed on quick little slot receivers, where most passes will be short little dump offs with the receiver making his own space to try to take it to the house.
If this is the case and it is successful, then there need only be half a dozen deep passes a game to keep the DB’s honest.
Therefore, my second question would be. If that is the case, and every QB we have talked about has different strengths, which strength, matched with which recruit, would fit the best?
from IrelandsBlue
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GBMWolverine Response:
Much depends on what you mean by strong arm. Are you talking distance, being able to throw the ball 100 yards in the air? Alternatively, are you talking velocity, the ability to zip the ball into small spaces?
With distance, it does have some advantages to being able to throw the ball fairly far. In being able to hit a few deep seams and posts that stretches a defense vertically like nothing else and in a spread offense that makes it more of an advantage for the short passing game along with the running game.
If you cannot, defenses will compress, tighten the safeties, and make your life miserable. You do not need to be able to throw the ball 100 yards to be successful. The number of times you actually throw a ball over 50 yards or so in a game is minimal.
The ability to put some mustard or heat on the ball is different matter. On short and intermediate passes, the hallmark of this offense, accuracy is king, but if you have the ball stay in the air too long, defenses will have a field day. This allows them to stay back and still have time to break on the ball once it is in the air.
Many times, you are forced to fit the pass between defenders. This again takes some velocity, or the defenders will be able to easily break up the pass, or worse make the interception.
Other factor is if the ball is not delivered on time with some zip, you remove much of the threat for yards after the catch. If defenses can prevent yards after catch, this offense is far less successful.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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