Favreian

by abender20 on Feb 17, 2009 8:38 AM PST in Seahawks News & Rumors

In watching some highlights of Matthew Stafford yesterday, I saw why the Brett Favre comparisons have been flying around. I should preface this by saying I am in no way a scout, unless you count the Merit Badges I racked up in 3rd grade.

Across that small sample size, Stafford has a few of the same habits that Favre does (did?). Favre frequently generated leverage by rotatating his shoulders without fully transfering weight from his back foot and stepping into his throw. Stafford does the same on several of those throws, causing him to look hunched over upon his release (which makes it appear that he is looking at the ground while passing). On the Green touchdown, he fires an absolute bullet off of his back foot while fading. Pure Favre. Analysts breaking down Brett Favre made a point of always disclaiming that, while this worked for Favre, young QB's should not try this at home. Matthew Stafford does, however, throw some very nice balls to Green in places only Green can go get them. Will Ruskell go get Stafford?

With the combine coming up in about a week, there should be some interesting stories as guys fly up the board due to measurables. I can't wait.

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Awesome find Bender.

I’m not sure if FG is trying to do this, but I’m warming up to the idea of Stafford. I know it’s hard to look bad on an short video just showing completions, but his arm looked great. The only qulam I have is that I’d like to see him under pressure a bit more to see how he reacts. And at about :40 on the video, his drop back looked a bit clumsy.

by LantermanC on Feb 17, 2009 9:21 AM PST reply actions

Cutler

I’ve heard several comparisons to Cutler from scouts, also.

I told myself this morning that there were just a few words that would turn my stomach today. A certain ex-Packer/Jet, and a diva Cowboy. I can’t even read half the news out there because of the saturation of impertinent surface-level popular crap. However, my insufferable passion for football somehow won out on this one, because it does apply to our team, and goes beyond mainstream news. Thank God for this site.

by Misfit74 on Feb 17, 2009 9:43 AM PST reply actions

He certainly has an impressive arm

But Christ, I’m afraid of his decision-making. He throws it into double and even triple coverages without a second thought.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Feb 17, 2009 11:28 AM PST reply actions

Holy Jesus, that arm!

Talk about throwing off your back foot… this kid is throwing off an imaginary foot coming out of his butt.

by djafrot on Feb 17, 2009 12:19 PM PST up reply actions

You do not want a QB who has a second thought.

You want one to pull the trigger because if he doesn’t and hesitates like hmm lets say Charlie Frye, he will take unnecessary sacks or dictate where the ball will go thus leading to INTs. Part of Favre’s gunslinger mentality was necessary for him to throw to everybody without eyeing one particle WR. Jay Cutler eyes Brandon Marshall all day and then throws INT. One of the comments that Aaron Rodgers said that impressed me the most with him this offseason as he was being pummeled by Favre comparisons was the necessity to move your eyes independent of your head to fake out the defense. This subtle observation shows why a QB from college needs to learn from the best. I think part of decision making comes in the film room. I would much rather have a QB willing to throw it than one that hesitates like what we watched this past year. Yeah, Wallace had some nice stats but did he win games? I would have exchanged more INTs if they were accompanied by more points. I understand the QB needs to trust the WRs but the QB needs to get the ball out. I think Stafford would do wonderfully if we gave him the opportunity Green Bay gave Aaron Rodgers. If we pick him high, that does not mean we start him soon.

by Built2Spill on Feb 17, 2009 4:52 PM PST up reply actions

Mmm, particle WRs.

As for your response, yes, you do. They’re called reads and successful QBs make them. If a receiver is blanketed, the QB should move on to the next target. However, Stafford is notorious for pulling a Sex Cannon and do a “Fuck it, I’m going deep” without a moment’s hesitation; this is not a good trait, it is very low percentage and runs great risk for interceptions. Arm strength is tremendously overrated anyway. Many a QB was perceived a good prospect out of college due to arm strength and became busts because of lacking the real attributes needed to be successful: Decision making and accuracy. Rex Grossman, Tarvaris Jackson, and J.P. Losman have fantastic arms but are not long for this league. Not saying Stafford can’t be coached out of this, but old habits die hard.

And I’m not sure where you’re going with your analogy to Charlie Frye. Frye is terrible, and this is established. And it isn’t necessarily his penchant to lock on to a receiver which does him in, but his antagonizingly slow release as well.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Feb 17, 2009 8:57 PM PST up reply actions

Hence: Favreian ;)

by Nick Andron on Feb 18, 2009 7:26 AM PST up reply actions

for the record, in that video, Green is only overly covered once,

and Stafford’s throw in that particular (particle?) pass was perfectly targeted to be where only Green could get it.

I’d disagree a little on Frye, his decision-making is pretty fractured… he looks like a deer-in-the-headlights far too often. His release might be slow, definitely, but it’s a combination of the two that gets him sacked every second play. He did look better last year, though.

by djafrot on Feb 18, 2009 11:03 AM PST up reply actions

Looks like his footwork could use some work.

Some awkward dropbacks, doesn’t always plant his feet, and that “backpedal” delivery at :45 was ugly.

I do love the arm, though. Nice zip to his passes.

Is that the light at the end of the tunnel, or the headlights of an oncoming train?

by Benne on Feb 17, 2009 10:38 PM PST reply actions

Yeah.

The kid’s got a cannon. He does tend to stare down receivers. But he’s decisive.

It’s on the fourth throw that I got a little twisted. I think it’s the camera angle, but that ball looks like it takes a sharp, downward break. Almost like he’s throwing a nasty curveball that drops into the receiver’s hands. That was strange.

by robbbbbb on Feb 20, 2009 4:03 PM PST up reply actions