There is no more important job in all of sports than NFL quarterback. It’s the glory position demonstrated from the salaries they earn, to the highlight reels on ESPN, to the dreams of almost every young NFL fan growing up.
And every fan knows what a franchise quarterback looks like – your team either has one now or is trying to find one. But what traits does it take to make a successful franchise NFL quarterback, and who has best exemplified those traits? In this six part series, we’ll break down the top six most critical traits for the success of a franchise quarterback in today’s NFL. Along the way, we’ll illustrate them by example – who is the best in the game in that particular trait today, and who else has best exemplified that in NFL history.
Part I – Reading the Defense
The first trait, and in my opinion the most important trait for an NFL quarterback to be successful, is the ability to understand the offense and to read the defense. This is what has most frequently made the difference between quarterbacks that have Pro Bowl NFL careers, and those that don’t successfully make the transition from college (see the great 1999 Peyton Manning versus Ryan Leaf debate as an example).
The NFL game is faster, more complex and the players are all bigger, stronger and faster than in college. With the speed of the game increased, quarterbacks have less time to make decisions and must evaluate defenses that are much more complex and well disguised than those they faced in college. Defenses are designed to disguise blitzes and coverages, and try to dictate to the offense, and the defensive players are smarter and harder to trick. Who is the best at that?
Best in the Game Today – Peyton Manning
Other All Time Greats – Joe Montana, Tom Brady
Perhaps no one in the history of the game has been better at reading defenses, and dictating to the defense, than Manning. Manning is essentially like having an offensive coordinator on the field… and an offensive coordinator who is 6-foot-4 with a rocket arm to deliver the ball.
His ability and willingness to audible on virtually every play was a legendary part of the offense he ran in Indianapolis. This gave him the unique ability to come to the line, look at the defense and then change the play… then, frequently, watch the defense react and change the play again. How much of this pre-snap dance was designed to get the defense to tip their hands – only Manning knows for sure. But it was poetry to watch. See the video below for an NFL Films look at Manning and his audible genius.
In addition, below is a somewhat more comical look at Manning’s audibles via Kenny Mayne, revealing that characteristic Manning sense of humor. Whether it was his use of Gaelic or yelling “bacon, bacon, bacon,” Manning always kept defenses on their heels. And although Manning was kidding when he said the quite below, he truly did take offensive play calling and reading the defense to the next level:
“A lot of times, Kenny, we have no idea what we’re doing. But the defense doesn’t know that we don’t know what we’re doing. Now that’s next level.”
It’s tough to tell how quickly Manning’s teammates in Denver can get in sync with him, and how much the Broncos will have to back off of what Manning did in Indy. Manning has said that with his departure, the offensive system he ran in Indy is gone forever, but certainly his ability to read defenses isn’t gone. And the best way to take advantage of that is to allow him total freedom to audible at the line and dictate to the defenses what they can and can’t do.
