Football Archives - Page 4 of 5 - The Outdoor Quarterback

NFL Left Tackles Are How Valuable?

How valuable do think left tackles are to starting NFL Quarterbacks? Just ask them! The most valuable is what you will hear. Over years of watching NFL games and analyzing quarterbacks, I have found that successful quarterbacks, statistically speaking, have one thing in common, experienced tackles both left and right. It is those Quarterbacks, who are fortunate to have veterans at the tackle positions, extend their careers and realize great successes. More and more teams are putting a premium on their tackles particularly the left side. Most NFL Quarterbacks are right handed which makes the left tackle the protector of the quarterbacks blind side. It is critical for quarterbacks to feel totally confident that their blind side is taken care of. When you can play with confidence you can play with focus, great left tackles affords quarterbacks that luxury.

Next time you watch Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer and Matt Ryan play, focus in on their left tackles, watch how they move their feet, extend their arms, use their hands. They have developed techniques essential to playing the tackle position at a very high level, a true blessing to the quarterbacks. Just look at the number of tackles in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Several NFL starting tackles have been injured and are out for the season. Pay attention to teams who will begin to struggle with their passing games because of the loss of their starting left tackles. Really good left tackles are not just sitting around waiting for a phone call, they are already on a team. The teams who won’t see much of a drop off in their passing game are teams who understand the importance to having depth at that position. The Seattle Seahawks will be a team to watch, their starting left tackle, George Fant, is out for the season, and they are scrambling to find a replacement.

NFL Quarterback owe their careers to great offensive lines, but no one on that line is more important than the left tackle!

The Outdoor Quarterback

Make Your Western Hunts Fun, Get In Shape

For several years I have help guided elk hunters in northern New Mexico, around the Chama area. I have found the majority of hunters I guide come from the mid-west or the eastern part of the country. I have discovered many, if not most, of those hunters are not in good enough shape to really enjoy their hunts. It is simply a lack of cardiovascular conditioning. walkingforcardio

I have experienced hunters being so out of breath that when the moment of truth came, they could not steady themselves to draw their bow or steady their rifle. In most all of those cases the hunter never got a opportunity to shoot. We have found that once an elk gets withing shooting range, either with a bow or rifle, you have around 11 to 15 seconds to make the shot. Once you get in that range there is very little time to catch your breath, steady your rest or calm yourself down. If you can eliminate a couple of those elements at the critical moment, you will increase your opportunity for success.

Getting yourself in really good shape, referring to your cardiovascular conditioning, you can take care of the heavy breathing interference. If you can control that part then becoming steady to draw your bow, mount or shoulder your rifle becomes a none factor. Calming yourself is a matter of focus. If you are out of shape your focus and attention to details leading up to your shot no longer exists. Everyone gets excited when a shooting scenario presents itself, it’s natural, it is those hunters who are in good physical condition and that can bring their emotions under control quicker, will experience success more often.

The conditioning philosophy is relevant in just about every sport. When professional athletes get fatigued, their performances quickly declines. The same will happen with hunters. I know when quarterbacks throws come up short it is usually because their legs are tired. You have seen it with major league pitchers, when they begin to loose command of their pitches, it is normally their legs that get tired not their arms.

Getting in shape for a western hunt requires that you must improve your cardiovascular condition. Work your legs and your core. Exercises to Improve Cardiovascular Endurance. This year make your western hunt more enjoyable, get in shape!

The Outdoor Quarterback

NFL’s First Year Quarterbacks

The newest crop of highly drafted quarterbacks appear more ready to play in the NFL than expected.

This years crop of rookie quarterbacks entering the NFL appear to be more prepared to play now, at the NFL level, than expected. The stage doesn’t look to big for any of them. Some of the major reasons are, the teams who drafted these high profile quarterbacks, drafted quarterbacks who fit their current systems, or have the skill sets not only to fit in their systems and offensive philosophies, but have additional talents which will allow the teams and offensive coordinator’s (OC) to expand their current playbooks and strategies. For those of you who might not understand, anytime you can cause a defensive coordinator’s (DC) to spend additional time game planning against a quarterback who can throw effectively out of the pocket as well as inside the pocket, and can create offense while extending plays with their scrambling abilities, become a DC’s nightmare. It appears that Mitchell Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and DeShone Kizer, the top four quarterbacks drafted in 2017, have all demonstrated they posses those skills. In my opinion they all seem to be having some significant success operating their teams offenses. I know it is only preseason, but as a former quarterback, what I have seen from each one of these quarterbacks are very high skill levels, maturity in their decision process, which is making good reads and throwing on time, protecting the ball and on the field leadership. These attributes and skills demonstrated in the preseason games I have watched, are early signs of what should be expected by these young quarterbacks plus what the future might hold. All of these skills are necessary to become a starting quarterback in the National Football League.

If these young quarterbacks can keep up this type of consistent play throughout the preseason, then all the teams who drafted them are looking at the future franchise quarterback for their organizations. This doesn’t happen often in the NFL, having this many first year quarterbacks ready to step up and play. Don’t get me wrong, they are not polished players like Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers, Drew Brees or Alex Smith,

but they are in that mold. There are several reasons why these young quarterbacks are having some early success. I think a major reason is the willingness of the head coaches and offensive coordinator’s to adjust their offensive schemes and philosophies to match to skill sets of their highly drafted quarterbacks. This is a drastic change in how the NFL and teams have operated in the past. Good for them and it is about time!

I look for this years group of drafted quarterbacks to be very successful, Whenever the opportunity presents itself.

The Outdoor Quarterback

2107 NFL TRAINING CAMPS

NFL Training Camps.

All of the NFL training camps are now open which means preseason games are just around the corner. First is the Hall of Fame game played in Canton Ohio. The Hall of Fame game jump starts the NFL year. This game provides all the football addicts their first taste of the upcoming season. Training camp and preseason games gives us the opportunities to see what is in store for us fans. I always want to see how new pieces to the offensive and defensive puzzles are going to perform. I want to see how the draft picks react to the speed of the NFL game. I want to see if the game, at this level, is to big for the rookies. Most importantly I want to find the player who is going to help me win my Fantasy League! That is why training camps around the league are important to me this year! Watching training camps on TV, traveling to some in person. I want to know more about players and their roles on certain teams and in certain situations. I will admit I do listen to the analysis of so called experts and their opinions on players, how they are going to fit in and what affect they are going to have on their teams offense or defense. The only problem is they have been more wrong about players than I have! Anyone can pick a Tom Brady or Aaron Rogers or Drew Brees or Le’veon Bell, I have to find the unknown player, the player who no one wants and will somehow or someway get me out of the dark depths of last place in my Fantasy League. That is why NFL Training Camps this year are important to me! I am on a Mission and I will find him!

I highly recommend going to a NFL Training Camp. Seeing these players up close and personal is the best way to evaluate young talent against veteran players. First hand information like that is invaluable! That is going to be my approach to NFL Training Camps 2017.

Although, I may have a more scientific method of selecting my fantasy team this year. I will take pictures of all the top players from each position, starting with quarterbacks, tack them to my archery targets, go back to 70 yards, shoot an arrow and whoever it hits, that’s my guy at that position. This method just may work!

The Outdoor Quarterback

NFL Mini Camps

NFL training camps are just around the corner. Take a day and visit the NFL training camp nearest you. It is a great experience for NFL fans of all ages.

NFL mini camps are over, which means that the start of the 2017 NFL season is just around the corner, it also means that fantasy football drafts are not far behind. The NFL Mini Camps give the die hard fantasy team owners a early look at this year crop of NFL rookies, some who may come up big on your fantasy teams. I know, unless he gets hurt in preseason, Christian MaCaffrey is going to be on my teams. The teams Mini Camps are a great resource for evaluating rookies. There will be several rookies who will add value to your fantasy rosters, so go online and see what the teams are saying about their rookies, what they showed in Mini Camp and what role they may play during the 2017 NFL Season. Get a head start on your competition.

The Outdoor Quarterback

2017 NFL Draft

Well it has come and gone, the 2017 NFL Draft. Were you happy with what your team did, where you surprised, like I was, with what your team did. I thought the Chiefs had a very good draft, the surprise was them moving up from 27 to 10 and then drafting a quarterback. I know this organization loves Alex Smith and as a former quarterback, I can’t think of any quarterback who could have stepped in to the Chiefs situation and have performed any better or more efficient than Alex did or has done. What is obvious to the Chiefs is that Patrick Mahomes III has the skills and capabilities they have identified and believe will translate in to a starting quarterback for the Chiefs at some point in time. In Patrick’s case, he is going to learn from two great sources, Alex Smith and Andy Reed. Having the luxury of not being thrown in to the fire right off the get go and being able to learn the differences of the NFL game, is invaluable. Several of our other selections were in areas we needed help, WR, DE, LB and you can never have too many good running backs. Good job Chiefs I am looking forward to meeting all the new draft choices and free agents at the rookie dinner.

The Outdoor Quarterback

At Least Investigate!

What a great college football game between Clemson and Alabama, one of the best college game I have ever seen.
Not having a dog in the hunt or I should say not cheering for any team particularly, I hope this blog will at least promote an investigation into the officials of the game. They were equally as bad for both teams, but early on during the first possession for Alabama, the defensive end for Clemson was off sides so bad on three plays that even a visually impaired person could have seen it and the officials only called it once. Even the broadcasters mentioned it and kept saying something about the player being off sides.
Playing 10 years of professional football myself, I can recognize when a player is clearly lined up past the line of scrimmage, the officials couldn’t! What about the way the officials handled the clock just before half time, embarrassing not to mention that it cost Clemson a time out at a critical moment in the game.
You cannot convince me that the possibility of foul play and or corruption exists, there can be no other explanation of the ineptitude of the entire crew, they just couldn’t have been that bad, POP WARNER OFFICIATING comes to mind.
If the NCAA does not take a look into this than maybe the investigation should be directed towards them and whoever selected this crew.
My wife’s quote, “they are God awful”.

The Outdoor Quarterback.

Draft Day 2013

Great draft for quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs and defensive lineman. The NFL and the draft is becoming a event to watch.

The NFL Draft is a life changing moment for many young men both financially and the realization of their dreams.

Don’t ever think for a moment that one of these young men didn’t work their tails off for this very day. In many cases a player has a dream but, realistically speaking, is never sure it will be realized until the moment comes when his name is called. At that instant he will quickly reflect on all the work it took to be selected by a NFL team. There are so many unknown factors that a college player faces to get to this point, did he play up to his potential, did he develop physically and mentally. Did he escape injury during his college career. And in today’s NFL world, the players character will be the deciding factor for a team to select one player over another. Now with the scouting combine playing such a significant role on a players future, it is difficult for a player to slip under the radar and be judged primarily by his college statistics or the success of his team. He will be put under the microscope and will be tested ever way possible, mentally and physically in a very unique setting. Hundreds of sets of eyes watching your every move, how you communicate, your strength, your speed, your quickness, your physical build, how you run, throw, catch or defend. At this interview, one bad day can cost you, literally, millions of dollars even a career in the NFL. The best part of this process though, even a player from a small school can become a household name overnight. I am confident that no other sport scrutinizes it’s potential employees like the NFL.

So at the draft, watch the emotions of the players, they will tell you about their dreams coming true and what this moment means to them.

Good luck to your team.

This is for my dad who passed away recently at the age of 93. For it was dad who gave me the talent and support to eventually play in the NFL, thanks Dad!

The Outdoor Quarterback

Back To Football?

So, I keep hearing that we are now back to football. From where I am sitting I am not sure it ever went away. There was more conversation and discussion about the NFL this off season than in any off season in recent history. Something was in the news morning noon and night. The NFL very seldom gets that much attention in a normal year, do you think that maybe that was the plan all along?

First they had the draft and if I am not mistaken they are now playing preseason football games, on schedule, and for the first time since I can remember every first round draft choice was signed and in camp before the preseason games began, pretty damn suspicious.

So who won, I am not sure but I can tell you who lost, the retired players! We are still getting information from the Players Association about our new benefits, of which I still have questions, as do many of my former teammates. The major issue that the retired players wanted addressed was medical benefits, not more retirement money. Many of the former players are not insurable due to preexisting conditions (injuries) directly related to their football careers. Many of the retired players are at or beyond the retirement age of 65, and because of their current physical conditions, are just hanging on.

The reason the NFL is so popular today is because of the great players from the past. Lifetime medical coverage should be made available to those players who are unable to receive any medical insurance now. Don’t get me wrong, more money in our retirement plan would be nice too! I am all for helping out those players who made the game what it is today.

Off my soap box!

September is just around the corner and that means the archery elk season is almost upon us. For me that also means I am getting in shape to take on the mountains in northern New Mexico. It is one of my favorite times of the year. Everything will still be green and the elk are beginning to break up. The herd bulls are establishing their territory and selecting his harem!

Normally I don’t head out west until the second or third week of September right in the middle of the rut (boys chasing girls). This year I want to try and get a heard bull to take on the challenge of another bull violating his area- that would be me! My plan is to sound like the new stud on the block, get one of them fired up to come in withing bow range (60 yards or closer) to defend his status as the Heard Bull!

I will keep you posted on the outcome.

The Outdoor Quarterback

Mid Summer, Now What

We are just weeks away from NFL teams going to training camp, which means it is hot and humid, at least it is here in the mid-west! And from what I hear, it is going to be that way at most training camp sites. This is about the time you are going to hear about contract negotiations. Here in Kansas City we haven’t signed a single draft choice, but the time is near for those announcements to start taking place. This will be one of the most difficult years to sign players because of the pending hold out or strike for the 2011 season. There will be no collective barging agreement in place after this year. I have a feeling that will make the agents look for more guaranteed money and up front signing bonuses. We will know that answer as soon as contracts begin to get signed.

It has been my opinion that it is critical to get your draft choices signed and in camp as soon as possible. Even missing one or two days is a huge set back for the young players. The transition from college to the NFL is must greater than the transition from high school to college. The game is so much faster and everyone you face was either an All-American in college or he is a All-Pro. The needs for most teams are revealed in the draft. Which would translate into, we need you at your position and on the field from day one. It never fails, most of your high draft selections don’t get signed until after camp begins. That is a tremendous mistake for both parties, the player and the team. If you are going to compete for a championship in the NFL, everyone needs to be on the same page, starting the first day of training camp. It will be interesting to see how quickly we start hearing about draft choices being signed. Keep a watch out for signing announcements.

For those of you who love top water action, this is the prime time. All the bugs are hatched and are on the top of the water, easy prey for the fish. I love fishing this time of the year, early morning and late afternoon.

If you have the ambition to learn to fly fish, there is no better time to learn. Get with someone who can give you the basics on fly fishing and then get to the nearest farm pond so you can practice your casting and retrieving techniques. The best part about this is you will catch top water feeding fish while learning how to master your fundamentals. A little reward will always keep you coming back. I know this, you will be one step ahead of your fishing partners or buddies. Ladies, you will love this type of fishing.

The OutdoorQuartberback