Why do people always call rookie players rookies? Especially the quarterback position. Rookie quarterbacks always receive more doubts and challenges?
Is it because of the rookie quarterback's lack of ability? Obviously not. After polishing and training in the college league, the abilities of many rookie quarterbacks have actually reached the league average level, or even better. However, after they enter the professional league, their performance is still not good enough. There is a reason for this.
On the one hand, it is the lack of experience. The intensity and intensity of confrontations in the NFL are much higher than those in the NCAA. For quarterbacks who lack enough experience, in times of crisis, they tend to be panicked, nervous, and at a loss. This means means making mistakes. In football, mistakes and errors are often fatal.
On the other hand, there are differences in tactics. Tactics in the NFL league are ever-changing. Just a screen pass can turn into a flower. The details of a tactic may involve running backs, wide receivers, offensive linemen, etc. Positioning, while also interpreting the defensive linebackers, cornerbacks and offensive linemen, is so intricate that it’s easy to get confused.
Not to mention, after Cam Newton entered the Carolina Panthers, the thick tactical manual became a big problem for him. He was even scolded several times by the coaching staff for not being able to understand the tactical manual. Misunderstandings and mistakes in the playbook can lead to many different results: miscommunication between the coaching staff and the quarterback, poor communication between the quarterback and the offensive line, and poor communication between the quarterback and the receivers.
The Fengdrick test is definitely not just a formality.
Cam isn't the only quarterback in the league to have trouble with his playbook, though. In fact, in the league, not to mention rookie quarterbacks, even many veteran quarterbacks are still confused two or three seasons after entering the league, and they are easy to fall off the chain at critical moments.
Furthermore, there are many cases where rookie quarterbacks quietly quit the league after just one or two seasons because they have not been able to thoroughly understand the tactical manual and cannot understand the team's tactical arrangements. The most famous one is Ryan Leaf.
The famous Ryan Leaf, when he was in the NCAA arena, he and Peyton Manning were instantly outstanding. In terms of ability, experience, performance, personality charm, physical fitness, etc., the two were almost the same. Even the Feng Derrick test In terms of results, the difference between the two is only one point.
In the 1998 draft, the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers ranked first and second in the draft respectively. At the time, it was widely believed that this was one of the least suspenseful drafts. One team picked one quarterback, the other team picked the remaining one, and that was it, plain and simple.
After the rookie training camp, the Colts fell into a dilemma because of the dilemma of "should they choose Leaf or Manning?" Until the draft, experts, senior scouts, and team coaches were still arguing, unable to choose between these two quarterbacks. Of course, they also firmly believed that no matter who they chose, this would be the wrong choice. Will make the wrong choice.
In the end, the Colts selected Manning and the Chargers selected Leaf.
After entering the team, both rookie quarterbacks became the starting quarterbacks of their respective teams. But, the disaster started here. Leaf has never been able to fully read the playbook, and his performance on the court is terrible and cannot keep up with the rhythm of the professional league; and his personal attitude is even more of a nightmare, playing completely in the style and way of college, even on the court. made a move to give up the game.
In the end, Leaf's quarterback rating in his rookie season was only 39 points, which was almost the lowest in the history of a rookie player. During the three seasons he stayed with the Chargers, he was never able to fully understand the tactical manual, let alone adapt to the professional league. At the end of the 2000 season, the Lightning waived Leaf.
Later, Leaf went to several teams for trial training and stayed in the training group. But even so, his abilities still couldn't meet the requirements of the professional league. After running into obstacles everywhere, he had no choice but to retire. Later, he was imprisoned for drug, alcohol and other problems.
Ryan Leaf is generally recognized as the champion of parallel imports in the history of the league draft.
Tactical manual, league intensity, game rhythm...these are the shortcomings of a rookie quarterback. Therefore, during the offseason, the team will organize multiple training camps, including quarterback and receiver. The team's special training camp is to thoroughly understand the playbook; in addition, the team prefers not to let the rookie quarterback learn behind the veteran quarterback for several seasons for the same purpose.
In football or basketball games, rookie players can often inject new vitality into the team, and many coaches even favor young players; but in rugby games, the complicated tactics put rookie players at a disadvantage.
Generally speaking, most teams will take a veteran quarterback when given the choice.
The reason why Lu Ke became the team's starting quarterback was not because he won the approval of the coach, but because the regular season was imminent and the coaching staff had no other choice; now that Alex Smith has returned to the team, the coaching staff has regained choice, so how should they decide?
Is Alex a top quarterback? At least in the past few years, he has not shown top potential. He is a slightly above-average quarterback. The accuracy of short passes and the rarity of mistakes are his strengths; and the lack of long passes , even the attempt rate is the lowest in the league, which is his shortcoming. Therefore, the San Francisco 49ers have always lacked the domineering spirit to win a tough battle.
During the offseason, Alex left the team first, but then Jim took the initiative and re-signed Alex.
The reason is simple. One-third of the San Francisco 49ers are brand new and they need to be adjusted and adjusted. A quarterback with a low turnover rate and a stable style is a positive factor for the team; at the same time, they also It is hoped that Alex can become a mentor to Colin Kaepernick and help the rookie quarterback grow. Perhaps after a transitional season, the 49ers' quarterback position can be passed down.
Logically speaking, it is natural to choose Alex; but after two weeks of competition, the situation seems to have changed subtly.
"I personally think, well, I'd better choose Alex. Lu Ke's performance surprised many people. This is a fact. He does have many advantages. But I think he is still too radical. Especially in the second Several passes in the game last week, including 'that catch', these passes are all dancing on the tightrope, and it is impossible to succeed every time. One mistake may ruin the whole situation. So, uh... Ai Lix?"
"I don't think this is a problem that needs to be worried about. Lu Ke's ability to read the game on the court, I think this is the most valuable. His ability is still lacking, but he can use his wisdom to make up for it. Two wins The process is different, but the model is actually somewhat similar. I think this is the spirit our team needs."
"So, how to solve the problem of unstable performance? The performance of a rookie quarterback is a roller coaster, and Lu Ke is no exception. This happened in both games. In a certain quarter, he completely lost his touch and was completely locked in. Along with it As the game progresses and more and more people start to study Lu Ke, his shortcomings will become bigger and bigger, and our game will become more and more difficult."
"The disadvantage of the rookie quarterback is that his performance is unstable, and the advantage is that the use of tactics and the interpretation of the game are different. On the contrary, I think this is acceptable. Alex's smooth passing may not bring success Turnovers, but again, it can be difficult to win. We are a new team now and we need some grit."
"But, what about the relationship between Lu Ke and other players? I'm not sure what's going on, because of his rookie status? Because they support Alex more? Because Lu Ke's personality is not charming enough? Or is it because of Lu Ke Chinese-American? Come on, guys, we can't pretend we don't see the elephant in the room. If Luke continues to be the starting quarterback, the locker room issues cannot be ignored."
The last person to speak was Kip, who finally had the courage to speak out.
Rugby is a team sport and they need the whole team to come together.
Kip originally thought that this was San Francisco, which was undoubtedly one of the cities with the best cultural integration on the North American continent. At the same time, the Asian community and even the Chinese community were among the top three cities in the United States. In the entire league, no team was better than 49 People are more suitable for a Chinese quarterback.
Imagine that if it were those conservative areas in the middle, the Chinese quarterback might be greeted by beer bottles, rotten tomatoes and stinky garbage.
But in real life, the situation is not optimistic. Kip couldn't be sure whether Lu Ke's Chinese identity caused controversy or whether it was the trigger of conflicts in the locker room, but they must be aware of the problem and face it squarely, otherwise the situation will only get worse.
Kip's words silenced everyone in the locker room and exchanged glances, but no one spoke, but looked at Jim.
Such a scene seems familiar. At first, after the trial training, the coaching staff gathered together to discuss who should be retained; but the situation seemed to be different again. At that time, the opposition had the upper hand, and everyone argued with each other with red faces, but today it is Evenly divided, and everyone spoke calmly——
It can be heard that even they themselves are a little unsure at this time. Whether they choose Alex or Lu Ke, they all have some hesitation. Two victories are extremely exciting, but they are not enough to completely turn things around.
At the beginning, Jim Hubble made the decision; today, the decision-making power also falls in the hands of Jim Hubble. However, now they are also facing another problem: conflicts in the locker room. How should Jim deal with it?
