Banana-rama ding-dong split right Y cross expy-alla-docious. Linehan just called in the play. The QB relays it in the huddle, and the offense breaks for the line of scrimmage.
What happens next? It entirely depends on the experience and acumen of your quarterback.
Most quarterbacks might send a receiver in motion because they don't like the coverage on that side, or to determine if a defense is in man or zone. He might switch his running back from his right side to his left, or send a tight end to the other side of the line of scrimmage. He'll point at the "mike" linebacker to give the line its key. He might even signal to a receiver to change a route, or just fake like he is to get a defender to change his position.
That's typical. That's what most NFL quarterbacks do. That's the level of their understanding, and what time will allow. Mostly, these quarterbacks are focused solely on their OWN responsibility because their confidence and football knowledge doesn't allow for much else. In the NFL, defenses are disguised so well that these old standard methods no longer tell much. They know it's about to move really, really fast, so hold on tight. Hut!
Elite quarterbacks see it entirely differently.
An elite QB runs the original play called about 30 percent of the time, if that. They change all sorts of things, maybe the play entirely. He is almost never fooled. He knows that the LB showing blitz isn't blitzing. That's a dummy. He knows that the safety over the top is going to shade to the left because of where the linebackers are. He saw that on tape. He knows the corners are going to play outside coverage, or inside, based on the position of the safeties and linebackers on this particular team. He generally knows who's blitzing, and if he's wrong, he knows where to go with the ball mid-play.
That was processed in a second or two, and that's just the beginning.
The elite QB goes to the line of scrimmage and plays out the play in his mind before the snap. Yes, Terrance Williams will be open as called, and he's the primary read. But if he can perhaps change Beasley's route to break the other direction, he can run off that safety playing closer than usual so Williams might be able to turn the play into a much longer gain. That linebacker might be coming, so switch Elliott to the left side in the flat if time doesn't allow for Williams. Or perhaps if he changes Witten's route to that side so he can go there if he's wrong about the safety. Then there's that linebacker on the left side that's going to blitz, so let's have Elliott chip him on his way to the flat. These are just a few of the adjustments being made.
Or....this play isn't going to work at all, so let's set up an entirely different protections and routes right then and there, or "kill" the play to the backup play, and start the reading process all over.
That all happens in about 10 seconds. Then 3, 2, snap. And that's just my very rudimentary understanding from afar.
To his incredible credit, Dak Prescott is already proficient in the former. He plays like a veteran already, and his mind is already processing at a sufficient rate to allow his talents to be successful much of the time. He has as much understanding as Weeden or Cassel right now, if not more. That is amazing for a rookie.
Romo can do the latter, and he admits it took him many years to learn it. He didn't have a mentor to teach him because Bledsoe never achieved that level, nor did Vinny. Only a rare few - Peyton, Brady, Rodgers, Brees, and the like - ever truly become master wizards. Romo tried the "wing it" style like his idol Farve for years, and it wasn't consistent. Rivers still tries to do it that way, as do others, to varying degrees of success
Romo has a willing student in Dak, who seems both serious and interested enough to go through the frustrating gauntlet of film study required to earn those stripes. Romo said he's willing to raise Jerry a replacement. I want to see this. I want Dak to achieve total consciousness, so he'll have that going for him after Romo.
Whatever the end holds for Romo this last year, two, or three, his final offering to this franchise should be to accelerate Dak along the path. Get him to Jedi level in half the time it took Romo to go it alone. Linehan and Garrett can't teach it; they never did it. No offensive coordinator can, or even if they could, they can't exactly teach it quite the same.
Looks like Dak is the real thing. Let's raise him right, eh Tony? Show him what you know.
