It’s All About The Arm
March 31st, 2021
“What’s my 40?”
Ira recently mentioned it. So too have various NFL draftniks. If you monitor NFL and/or college football coverage the past month or so on social media, you likely saw the following there, too.
The notion of a dropback quarterback in the NFL is gone.
Guys like park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking, tequila-shooting, waffle-grilling, trophy-throwing, Bucs-Super-Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady and Matty Ice are dinosaurs. Step aside for the new breed, quarterbacks who can run their way out of trouble (or score) with their feet as well as their arm.
But leave it to a Hall of Fame personnel director to get people off the ledge. That would be Gil Brandt. The old Cowboys suit retweeted a tweet featuring quarterbacks’ 40-yard dash times with a different number.
That would be Brady’s 40-time in the combine.
Tom Brady – 5.28 https://t.co/bQRtFcw6ki
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) March 30, 2021
While it is cool to see how quick a quarterback is, it doesn’t mean a damn thing if he gets no blocking. Scrambling is fun to watch, but if the QB can’t hit the broad side of a barn, it doesn’t matter. A quarterback run for a touchdown is exciting, but if he cannot read a defense, he’s useless.
At the end of the day, it’s all about the arm. And the head. All the other crap like hand size, 40-time, vertical jump doesn’t mean a damn thing if the guy cannot throw.
Just ask Brady as he checks his mailbox daily for his seventh Super Bowl ring.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:14 am
Well said.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:22 am
And then you’ll read posts from those who claim that this/that QB has a “better” arm; can throw farther and quicker. Question: how many games have they won as starting QB? Note: I’m being fair and not asking about championships here.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:40 am
5.28 feet with a 4.15 brain…
March 31st, 2021 at 11:41 am
And you have to have a sense of humor…like Brady showed he has with his photo shopped picture of a tatoo of Arians hoisting a beer on his leg, to celebrate the Superbowl victory.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:44 am
So Tom threw the most deep balls this year. Did he throw a lot of deep balls in NE? I was about 12 when Brady came to the NFL and wassn’t interested in NE or the AFC East and could never stand Belicheat. The joy it brings to me with a consistent deep ball connection QB. Jameis was always “Yes. Yes. NOOO!!!…Schmuk.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:53 am
Mark2001..That sh!t is funny dude. .Was he always this goofy or has this become a thing after officially becoming a legend. He doesn’t take time out of his preparations for State Farm commercials but I never knew he was so comical on social media in the offseason.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:53 am
Tom’s always been an excellent deep passer, provided he had weapons. See Randy Moss.
March 31st, 2021 at 12:04 pm
Mobile quarterbacks are great for the highlight reels but little else. Mobile quarterbacks get hurt. A player’s greatest ability is availability. Sorry, but a winning quarterback’s greatest asset is between his ears. He has to be able to read the defense pre/post-snap, process the information and put the ball where the receiver can catch it and run with it. He has to be able, within microseconds, to decide to audible out a run, when to dump the ball to his outlet for short yardage or to know when to throw the ball away. Mobile quarterbacks never give up on a play and that puts a lot of stress on the offensive line. For every wow play there are 2-3 plays that don’t work out. Just look at Jameis. Look at the vast majority of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks and you will find field generals that put their teams in position to win, rather than trying to win the game all by themselves.
March 31st, 2021 at 12:08 pm
SOE…I suspect hearing comments between him and Gronk, and guys that previously played with him or are, that he is that way…when the situation doesn’t involve football or other business… from a football perspective, preparing for, playing and winning football games. I suspect Arians is pretty funny/even a little goofy in some circumstances… until it comes to the business of preparing for and winning football games. Then it is serious business.
But really…isn’t that the way it should be? If a guy doesn’t know the difference between making a joke, being able to lighten up and have fun, and turning down the screws down when it is needed and it comes down to business, I pity them.
March 31st, 2021 at 12:09 pm
Like I said on previous post!!
March 31st, 2021 at 12:28 pm
Tom tweets things when he’s drinking his secret avocado smoothie in the morning then gets back to work.
March 31st, 2021 at 3:43 pm
I’m glad you added “and the head.” However great Tom Brady’s arm is, it is his head that has made him the greatest quarterback ever. He sees things others don’t see. And the things that others see he sees faster. And he has the mental toughness and discipline to prepare properly and take care of his body. There will never be another like him.
The ability to scramble is great. But it didn’t get Patrick Mahomes very far and the most recent Super Bowl. Well actually it did get him far, back and forth all over the field trying to avoid getting sacked, and without a touchdown to show for it.
March 31st, 2021 at 3:45 pm
“At the end of the day, it’s all about the arm. And the head.”
One of the best quarterbacks of all time fits the description above – and he was an absolute sloth. I give you one,.. Daniel Marino!
March 31st, 2021 at 4:29 pm
Hand size can have a big effect on throwing an NFL ball. Considering the ball is bigger, that stat may matter. Especially if the team plays in a lot of bad weather. Russel has huge hands for his size, and throws really well in bad weather
March 31st, 2021 at 4:40 pm
if you go back and watch the New England Atlanta Super Bowl,mikedup,, Atlanta was up 28-3 and you see one of the linebackers I believe or corner going,,wait they got Brady though that says it all,it’s never over till it’s over
April 1st, 2021 at 8:39 am
an old soccer coach of mine once challenged our fastest dribbler to a race with the ball….when GO was said…our fast guy took off with the ball and the coach simply kicked the ball down field….NOBODY IS FASTER THAN THROWING THE BALL!!!!!!…doesnt matter if you can run its the qb position…runnera get hurt and dont win its easy to stop i dont consider Wilson a runner
April 1st, 2021 at 11:52 am
Y’all talking about old noodle arm Methuselah?
April 1st, 2021 at 2:02 pm
Been watching the Goat since he was a wee lil Goat at Michigan. Got the same look in his eyes now. I predict that in 3yrs My Man will have to start grafting more fingers on his hands because he’s thinking another dynasty. Running qb’s will go the way of the wildcat and other scheme fads. Go Bucs/Rock on Tom Terrific!!