Baker Mayfield Rookie QB Issues – Learning What If Preparation
1,276 views · Published 14 November 2018 · 4:13 · Indexed 27 September 2026
Channel: The QB School · 2018 · Sports
In today’s video, we will look at how Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns handled one instance of five-man pass protection against a “pressure” (not really pressure because the defense only rushes four) look. #BakerMayfield #ClevelandBrowns #NFL The Browns and Baker Mayfield got out schemed in this one look, and it’s important to remember it is only one look, but it’s a good example of how rookie QBs can struggle in the League. It is rarely about ability and more often about understanding potential issues and learning to prepare with a what if mindset. What Are You Going to Learn Today? – The What If QB Mindset Today you are going to learn about the what if QB mindset and, specifically, about five-man pass protections. In my humble opinion, watching how a QB handles pressure is one of the easiest ways to see if he understands the offense and what he is being asked to do. Now, in pass protection breakdowns, it can be a number of things: scheme, coaching, players, missed assignments, poor technique, etc…but free runners, aka a defensive player running unblocked and hitting the QB is almost always the QB’s fault. Perhaps the system or scheme could have helped more, but the QB is playing the game and should have answers by that point. The what if approach comes in preparation and presnap when a QB should diagnose where, if at all, potential pass protection issues are. What if they blitz four weak? What if they go zero? What if they bring a cross dog? Etc. And it usually only takes one hit like this to get a new respect for understanding the importance of pass protection the League. Why is This Concept Important – The What If Approach Keeps a QB Safe The what if approach is important because it keeps you safe. No player, QB or otherwise for that matter, can take getting hit when he is defenseless by free runners in the NFL. It is a recipe to get knocked out of the game. Franchise QBs need to learn how to protect themselves via pass protections. QBs at the highest level understand pass protection as well as they understand passing concepts and defensive reads. NFL QBs have to understand pass protection or they don’t last long. Where Does This Concept Fit – The What If Approach Prepares a QB A QB needs to know what to do verse every type of pressure versus every protection, concept, and formation. The wellbeing of the franchise is often at stake. Now, some QBs might not care or have the capacity to hold that much information, but over the long haul of a season, a QB who doesn’t have a nuanced understanding of protections is going to struggle to stay healthy. Going Forward – Applying the What If Approach Can Elevate QB Preparation Taken together, QBs need to learn from each other—that is, film study—and work through every possible pressure concern versus every pass protection in a game plan. Doing the premortem work allows QBs to recognize potential issues earlier and provide quick answers to pressure concerns that arise at the LOS in real time. Playing fast.
