The Perils of Passing
by Tim Foley
From the view point of an uninformed spectator, it appears as if the position of quarterback is the safest spot on the football field. What could possibly be the risk? All they do is throw the ball, right? Well, as it turns out, this perception could not be further from the truth. Every other player on the field is involved in collisions on a play-to-play basis. Whether in the act of tackling, blocking, or being tackled, players tend to have a chance to either brace themselves or to apply impact to an opponent. This is not the case for quarterbacks. With the speed of defensive linemen, a quarterback who is not alert will, more often than not, end up on the ground. This type of collision hurts the most. It is the rise in frequency of these collisions that has caused great commotion over the importance of quarterback safety.
In response to the escalating number of injuries to quarterbacks, the NFL has become far stricter in its enforcement of rules and regulations with regards to illegal hits. This strict style first became apparent on the field with an increase in “roughing the passer” calls. In other words, if a referee has reason to believe that a defender purposely collided with the quarterback after the ball was thrown, a 15 yard penalty would be assessed. The NFL has extended its passer-protecting crusade through monetary forms of discipline as well. In today’s league, if an illegal hit is made in a game, violators will often receive a hefty fine. In week eleven of the regular season alone, six players were fined for making illegal hits. That’s $167,000 owed to the NFL in just one weekend!
Safety of quarterbacks when running with the ball has also become an issue of importance. One way that quarterbacks attempt to protect themselves is by sliding feet-first at the end of a run. While this does limit the possibility of injury, it also forces the quarterback to surrender his body control. If a defender were to apply a hit while the quarterback is sliding, the likelihood of injury, especially concussion, becomes extremely high. With this in mind, the NFL has introduced regulations which make it illegal to hit a quarterback in the act of sliding.
Despite the measures taken by the NFL, safety of quarterbacks continues to be a prevalent issue. This year, in a matter of weeks, Robert Griffin III, Alex Smith, Jay Cutler, Michael Vick, and Ben Roethlisberger all sustained debilitating injuries. It appears as if each year, the number of injuries to quarterbacks becomes greater and greater. This is not a fluke; it is the result of a football metamorphosis which has been developing for quite some time. In the 1990’s, quarterbacks threw about 25 passes per game, on average. Today, that number is more like 35 attempted throws per game. What does this mean? It means that the ball is in the hands of the quarterback for a higher percentage of plays. Inevitably, as the amount of attempted passes increases, so will the amount of times a quarterback is hit.
With expectations for today’s quarterbacks as high as they are, it is only natural that the position has changed along with the job requirements. Gone are the days of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady: the pocket passers. Although these quarterbacks have had great success, they have also always had the help of a talented offensive line and a skilled receiving core to limit the number of hits they take per game. The reality is that not every quarterback has this privilege. As a result, the prototypical quarterback is now one who is far more mobile than those of the past. While quarterbacks are still expected to have a pass-first, run-second mindset, versatility remains vital. Players like Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are part of this new generation: highly aware of their surroundings, able to throw accurately outside of the pocket, and not afraid to scramble for a first down if necessary. If there is any doubt that this shift is occurring, one need not look further than the first two selections of the 2012 NFL Draft. Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck are both textbook examples of the new generation of quarterbacks. As the game of football continues to evolve, immobile quarterbacks will no longer be able to survive in the league. If the head coach does not take the initiative to put them on the sideline, defenders will certainly take the initiative to put them in the hospital.
From the view point of an uninformed spectator, it appears as if the position of quarterback is the safest spot on the football field. What could possibly be the risk? All they do is throw the ball, right? Well, as it turns out, this perception could not be further from the truth. Every other player on the field is involved in collisions on a play-to-play basis. Whether in the act of tackling, blocking, or being tackled, players tend to have a chance to either brace themselves or to apply impact to an opponent. This is not the case for quarterbacks. With the speed of defensive linemen, a quarterback who is not alert will, more often than not, end up on the ground. This type of collision hurts the most. It is the rise in frequency of these collisions that has caused great commotion over the importance of quarterback safety.
In response to the escalating number of injuries to quarterbacks, the NFL has become far stricter in its enforcement of rules and regulations with regards to illegal hits. This strict style first became apparent on the field with an increase in “roughing the passer” calls. In other words, if a referee has reason to believe that a defender purposely collided with the quarterback after the ball was thrown, a 15 yard penalty would be assessed. The NFL has extended its passer-protecting crusade through monetary forms of discipline as well. In today’s league, if an illegal hit is made in a game, violators will often receive a hefty fine. In week eleven of the regular season alone, six players were fined for making illegal hits. That’s $167,000 owed to the NFL in just one weekend!
Safety of quarterbacks when running with the ball has also become an issue of importance. One way that quarterbacks attempt to protect themselves is by sliding feet-first at the end of a run. While this does limit the possibility of injury, it also forces the quarterback to surrender his body control. If a defender were to apply a hit while the quarterback is sliding, the likelihood of injury, especially concussion, becomes extremely high. With this in mind, the NFL has introduced regulations which make it illegal to hit a quarterback in the act of sliding.
Despite the measures taken by the NFL, safety of quarterbacks continues to be a prevalent issue. This year, in a matter of weeks, Robert Griffin III, Alex Smith, Jay Cutler, Michael Vick, and Ben Roethlisberger all sustained debilitating injuries. It appears as if each year, the number of injuries to quarterbacks becomes greater and greater. This is not a fluke; it is the result of a football metamorphosis which has been developing for quite some time. In the 1990’s, quarterbacks threw about 25 passes per game, on average. Today, that number is more like 35 attempted throws per game. What does this mean? It means that the ball is in the hands of the quarterback for a higher percentage of plays. Inevitably, as the amount of attempted passes increases, so will the amount of times a quarterback is hit.
With expectations for today’s quarterbacks as high as they are, it is only natural that the position has changed along with the job requirements. Gone are the days of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady: the pocket passers. Although these quarterbacks have had great success, they have also always had the help of a talented offensive line and a skilled receiving core to limit the number of hits they take per game. The reality is that not every quarterback has this privilege. As a result, the prototypical quarterback is now one who is far more mobile than those of the past. While quarterbacks are still expected to have a pass-first, run-second mindset, versatility remains vital. Players like Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are part of this new generation: highly aware of their surroundings, able to throw accurately outside of the pocket, and not afraid to scramble for a first down if necessary. If there is any doubt that this shift is occurring, one need not look further than the first two selections of the 2012 NFL Draft. Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck are both textbook examples of the new generation of quarterbacks. As the game of football continues to evolve, immobile quarterbacks will no longer be able to survive in the league. If the head coach does not take the initiative to put them on the sideline, defenders will certainly take the initiative to put them in the hospital.
