Romo says accuracy is not about footwork

[Runwildboys]

Your feet have to be in a good position in order to twist and direct your torso, the way Romo was talking about. It all starts from the ground up. So everyone's right, IMO.

 

[Ranching]

He cant help you have ADD and needed your Adderall to get through it..

Actually, I needed a six pack?!

 

[ItzKelz]

Romo says accuracy is not about footwork? lol that explains a lot of those head scratchers throws for interceptions for a QB that otherwise looked to have all the goods.

 

[erod]

Romo says accuracy is not about footwork? lol that explains a lot of those head scratchers throws for interceptions for a QB that otherwise looked to have all the goods.

His comments were too nuanced for some.

 

[ItzKelz]

His comments were too nuanced for some.

His comments explains some of the "what the heck was that throws" though...

 

[pete026]

Romo had to deal with some bad protection during certain parts of his career so he had to work on the things he talks about to have any degree of success. Those situations aren't about pocket mechanics.

Romo also was good at improvising and ironically this is the area where Romo and Dak are most alike. Dak struggles when he has too much time to think and this is common with young QBs. But this usually will improve if the individual has strong work ethic and some intelligence or coaching. How quickly Dak can master the clean pocket and the health of the offensive line will ultimately determine how successful the Cowboys will be. His reliability in the area of health may give us a bigger window than Romo had but he has to master the clean pocket to make any of this matter.

 

[ItzKelz]

Romo had to deal with some bad protection during certain parts of his career so he had to work on the things he talks about to have any degree of success. Those situations aren't about pocket mechanics.

Romo also was good at improvising and ironically this is the area where Romo and Dak are most alike. Dak struggles when he has too much time to think and this is common with young QBs. But this usually will improve if the individual has strong work ethic and some intelligence or coaching. How quickly Dak can master the clean pocket and the health of the offensive line will ultimately determine how successful the Cowboys will be. His reliability in the area of health may give us a bigger window than Romo had but he has to master the clean pocket to make any of this matter.

for like 2 seasons if that. Romo started his career with a great OL which had 3 Probowl players on it and ended his career with a great OL that had 3 Probowl players on it. I agree that Dak's struggles are very common for young players and considering where he was drafted as well. If Romo could have stayed healthy Dak would likely just now be taking over as the Dallas QB....no big contract talk ect. But IMO he got a lot of real world experience that will help us moving forward.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

I have a completely different take on this.

If you are throwing a fastball, your accuracy is completely dependent on your mechanics. Your arm and body angles, release point, etc.

I don't think Dak has that much of a problem with his fastballs. Side note: This isn't just when he tries to throw a pass hard. I mean when he has a clear path right to the receiver and all he has to do is make the throw with no real thought about loft and strength. He is actually pretty accurate in these situations.

There are a lot of throws where you have to JUDGE a pass. Throw it over coverage and drop it into a space for a receiver running at speed. Honestly, you don't even have to be super accurate on these throws as the receiver can make up for a few yards of inaccuracy and run to the ball. The problem is that its really easy to misjudge these throws. Too high, low, too far in front, not far enough in front, too soft, too hard, etc.

Its these judgment throws that Dak struggles with. Romo was fantastic at it and its probably why he is such a good golfer. Brees is a great touch passer as another example.

There have been many successful QB's who weren't great at these touch throws. Elway and Favre come to mind. Those guys frequently just didn't even try them. Everything was a bullet and their coaches set up the offense for the QB to make these passes. I suspect that the O coordinator could make Dak look better by asking him to make the throws that he does well.

I think that may be part of what Aikman is referring to, not so much the physical ability to deliver the ball accurately to a spot, but more the mental ability of knowing where that spot is,,, and determining it quickly while under duress. Add to that the ability of spatial awareness which isn't easily taught.

 

[Afigueroa22]

So if its not accuracy then what is it? Poor game management? The opposite of clutch? Choker?

Romo threw 20 picks one year I recall. Are you saying throwing the ball to the wrong guy has nothing to do with accuracy?

Having to carry the team will do that to you. He's also never thrown for less than 26 TDs in a season when he's started all 16 games. Are you saying throwing touchdowns has nothing to with accuracy? His worst for a 16 game season is better than Daks best.

 

[Established1971]

I remember when Romo started, it was right on the heels (no pun intended) of giving Drew Henson a shot. The knock on Henson was he three 3/4 like a baseball player. But Romo did the same thing. He didnt have the classic throwing angle.

 

[Pantone282C]

He cant help you have ADD and needed your Adderall to get through it..

But, his doctor told him to drink beer!

 

[Dre11]

the hell lol...

Auto correct.

 

[beware_d-ware]

As others have said, it's not all about footwork.

-Some QBs like Rodgers make a mockery of footwork because their arm is so strong.

-Teddy Bridgewater has some of the cleanest footwork technique I've ever seen, but he had mediocre arm strength that made his windows tighter and a decent-but-not-amazing command of the offense, so he was becoming more of a bus driver than Drew Brees Jr before his horrific injury.

-Sam Bradford had exceptional footwork and clean-pocket accuracy that was legitimately on the level of Brees or Peyton Manning, but he was a pretty average player. He couldn't beat the rush like those HOFers could, and he kept getting hurt until his body broke down. Jeff Fisher and Chip Kelly didn't help either.

-Cam Newton's footwork has always sucked, but he won an MVP even with a 59% completion percentage. He's got some otherworldly physical gifts that help him work around that, and I think people underrate how smart he is. Cam's a good processor in the pocket, which sets him apart from the Vince Youngs of the world.

So it comes down to a lot of different things. Footwork helps, but it's just one small piece of the puzzle.

Romo brought up in another interview that he thought the biggest predictor of a young QB's success was if they were able to "see space" - to predict how players will move and be able to visualize how they'd interact with each other. The more I think about it, the more I think he's right.

You could call it anticipation, but I think it's a little broader than that - it's more like having the ability to run a play forward in your head. You know right after the snap that you're going to be throwing deep to your WR, because your tight end's running a flat route here, then the safety's dropping down to get him, which will open up a post route for your WR running over the top. The WR will have a window after he breaks on the CB and before he runs into the FS, so you need to throw it to this spot with a certain touch. And if the safety doesn't drop down to the TE, then you can immediately go to your next progression. Anticipation's just kind of throwing early, this is more of fully understanding a play, plus having a certain instinct or intuition for visualizing movement that won't leave you even when you're gassed and have taken half a dozen shots to the ribs from the D line.

This is Dak's real weakness IMO. He needs to watch his receiver break open before he throws it, because he can't "see" the defense and predict whether they'll be open beforehand.

Look at his man/zone splits. If he sees a WR separate against man, he can get the ball to them. But in zone, receivers are constantly moving in and out of coverage, and defenders are ready to break on the ball as soon as it leaves your hand. Throws that look covered the split-second you release them might end up being open, and throws that look open might be intercepted when the defender hanging back drives hard on the throw. These type of coverages kill Dak.

I'm not even worried about his mechanics, I'd deal with 2 or 3 wild balls a game if he was carving up Ds like Brees and Brady the rest of the time. His anticipation is what sets a hard ceiling on his upside IMO.

 

[Them]

...Footwork and setting your feet in the pocket is very important...and that's what he's working on...Dak already knows to square the shoulders in and out of the pocket...etc...ex...the out of pocket throw to Beasley against the NY football Giants to win the game last season....when the QB is out of the pocket the only footwork he needs is ...runnnnn!

 

[Zekeats]

This was somewhat said in his football life story. Romo was a great smart player who’s career was wasted by an idiotic trade and a special teams draft. It’s amazing how one year can derail a franchise.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Having to carry the team will do that to you. He's also never thrown for less than 26 TDs in a season when he's started all 16 games. Are you saying throwing touchdowns has nothing to with accuracy? His worst for a 16 game season is better than Daks best.

Throwing a lot of picks is either accuracy issue or a game management issue. In my mind, Romo simply couldnt control himself mentally and tone in down on the game management side.

He WAS also saddled with having to do it all no doubt. He also threw the ball 40 or 50 times a game most of his career.

Sadly, the idiot Garrett has gone from too pass happy, now to too run happy and boring. The idiot doesn't belong anywhere near the offense.

 

[DanA]

There are a millions different ways boxers have trained to become world champions. QB is no different, you find out what your good at, get better at it and then build from there. What worked for Romo isn’t necessarily the answer for the next QB.

 

[G2]

Your feet have to be in a good position in order to twist and direct your torso, the way Romo was talking about. It all starts from the ground up. So everyone's right, IMO.

Doesn't matter how good your throwing mechanics are if you're throwing off your back foot - sort of thing.

 

[QuincyCarterEra]

His comments were too nuanced for some.

At least you can admit to your faults

Kudos

 

[Afigueroa22]

Throwing a lot of picks is either accuracy issue or a game management issue. In my mind, Romo simply couldnt control himself mentally and tone in down on the game management side.

He WAS also saddled with having to do it all no doubt. He also threw the ball 40 or 50 times a game most of his career.

Sadly, the idiot Garrett has gone from too pass happy, now to too run happy and boring. The idiot doesn't belong anywhere near the offense.

I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Their were times where he didn't have to risk the throw and lost, it happens. You remember those few lost throws more than the many great ones. It is the opposite for me. I never expected to win any game, so any game won was sweet victory. There's nothing wrong with either perspective.