Bradford: A "See it, Throw it" QB (RamsHerd)

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Written by Will on Monday, 19 November 2012 15:07
http://www.ramsherd.com/2012-articles/s ... rback.html

One of NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell's most common critiques of quarterback play is an inability to make anticipation throws, to know when the receiver will come open before you throw the ball, and have the ball be there when he does. He has a term for quarterbacks who don't make these plays: "See-it, Throw-it quarterbacks."

Sam Bradford, when he's off his game like he was yesterday, is a see-it, throw-it quarterback.

When you have to wait to see what the receiver does or how the defense will play him before you throw, you end up holding the ball too long. You end up taking unnecessary hits. You end up throwing balls away. You might even miss your receiver so badly that he breaks his own ankles trying to get back to the ball.

Sam Bradford did all of those things against the Jets, a defense that is nowhere near as good as the 49ers defense that he shredded a week ago. How could this be?

This got me thinking. Danny Amendola's presence in the lineup is often pointed to as the difference between good Sam and bad Sam, but I think there's another factor involved: Sam Bradford has seen the 49ers defense multiple times, and has an idea how they'll play. He has never seen the Jets' defense before, not in person anyway.

Here's a breakdown of Sam's season, between teams he has played before, and teams he is seeing for the first time in his career:

2012 VS TEAMS SAM HAS SEEN BEFORE

Detroit: 17-25 198 1 TD 0 INT

Washington: 26-35 310 3 TDs 1 INT

Seattle: 16-30 221 0 TD 1 INT

Arizona (*): 7-21 141 2 TDs 1 INT

Green Bay: 21-34 255 1 TD 1 INT

San Francisco: 26-39 275 2 TD 0 INT

TOTAL: 113-184 (61%), 1400 yards (7.6 ypa), 9 TD, 4 INT, 92.21 QB Rating

2012 VS TEAMS SAM PLAYS FOR THE FIRST TIME

Chicago: 18-35 152 0 TD 2 INT

Miami (*): 26-39 315 0 TD 0 INT

New England: 22-30 205 1 TD 1 INT

NY Jets: 23-44 170 2 TD 1 INT

TOTAL: 89-148 (60%), 842 yards (5.6 ypa), 3 TD, 4 INT, 71.39 QB Rating

Oddly enough, his completion percentage barely budges. But the key stat to watch, besides touchdown rate, is yards per attempt. These numbers, even including the two outlier games vs Arizona (a pretty good pass defense) and Miami (a pretty poor one) show you the difference between a confident quarterback who is willing to stretch the field, and an unsure quarterback who too often settles for short reads and dump-offs.

The good news here is that Bradford is showing this kind of improvement against teams he has seen before. The bad news is that the NFL is a league of innovation. Coaches and coordinators change teams every year, and introduce new wrinkles into their schemes every year as well. If he is going to have sustainable success in this league, Bradford has got to learn faster on the field.

Of course, Bradford said afterwards that the Jets didn't do anything surprising.

[vim]53804651[/vim]

Sam Bradford on Loss to Jets "We lost all rhythm." from 101ESPN on Vimeo.

The numbers, and our eyes, say otherwise.

 

[stan]

Yes he telegraphs his throws far too often. Needs to employ the fake more often. Of course also needs to get more time to throw too. Sammy, sadly, is a problem that has to be addressed and soon before this offense can succeed. I think of the AZ nightmare with Leinart yet he wasn't drafted first overall and they had Warner too. Rams are worse off on both counts.

 

[-X-]

Yes he telegraphs his throws far too often. Needs to employ the fake more often. Of course also needs to get more time to throw too. Sammy, sadly, is a problem that has to be addressed and soon before this offense can succeed. I think of the AZ nightmare with Leinart yet he wasn't drafted first overall and they had Warner too. Rams are worse off on both counts.

I don't think he's a "problem", per se. If you watch (closely) the way Brady throws, and the way Bradford throws, the difference is negligible. Brady is statuesque in the pocket, Bradford is statuesque in the pocket. Brady doesn't scramble much, Bradford doesn't scramble much. Brady throws darts in tight windows, Bradford throws darts in tight windows. The difference is, Brady sat for a year before starting, has been in the same system for 11 years, and gets consistant good protection.

I'm not saying Bradford can be Brady, but I am suggesting that Bradford's career was damn near sabotaged last year and it's gonna take a little while before he even sniffs the same kind of continuity and comfort that Brady is afforded year in and year out. I dunno if Bradford is ever going to trust his receivers enough to just throw it where they're supposed to be, but I can understand why he's not at that point on a consistent basis right now.

 

[stan]

Yes he telegraphs his throws far too often. Needs to employ the fake more often. Of course also needs to get more time to throw too. Sammy, sadly, is a problem that has to be addressed and soon before this offense can succeed. I think of the AZ nightmare with Leinart yet he wasn't drafted first overall and they had Warner too. Rams are worse off on both counts.

I don't think he's a "problem", per se. If you watch (closely) the way Brady throws, and the way Bradford throws, the difference is negligible. Brady is statuesque in the pocket, Bradford is statuesque in the pocket. Brady doesn't scramble much, Bradford doesn't scramble much. Brady throws darts in tight windows, Bradford throws darts in tight windows. The difference is, Brady sat for a year before starting, has been in the same system for 11 years, and gets consistant good protection.

I'm not saying Bradford can be Brady, but I am suggesting that Bradford's career was damn near sabotaged last year and it's gonna take a little while before he even sniffs the same kind of continuity and comfort that Brady is afforded year in and year out. I dunno if Bradford is ever going to trust his receivers enough to just throw it where they're supposed to be, but I
can understand why he's not at that point on a consistent basis right now.

Well we disagree. He's had ample opportunity to get used to the speed of the game and to learn the minimal fundamentals that have nothing to do with his WRs. He doesn't seem game saavy to me and this is his 3rd year of starting. How do YOU account for his first drive performance then the stinkfest after?

 

[-X-]

Yes he telegraphs his throws far too often. Needs to employ the fake more often. Of course also needs to get more time to throw too. Sammy, sadly, is a problem that has to be addressed and soon before this offense can succeed. I think of the AZ nightmare with Leinart yet he wasn't drafted first overall and they had Warner too. Rams are worse off on both counts.

I don't think he's a "problem", per se. If you watch (closely) the way Brady throws, and the way Bradford throws, the difference is negligible. Brady is statuesque in the pocket, Bradford is statuesque in the pocket. Brady doesn't scramble much, Bradford doesn't scramble much. Brady throws darts in tight windows, Bradford throws darts in tight windows. The difference is, Brady sat for a year before starting, has been in the same system for 11 years, and gets consistant good protection.

I'm not saying Bradford can be Brady, but I am suggesting that Bradford's career was damn near sabotaged last year and it's gonna take a little while before he even sniffs the same kind of continuity and comfort that Brady is afforded year in and year out. I dunno if Bradford is ever going to trust his receivers enough to just throw it where they're supposed to be, but I
can understand why he's not at that point on a consistent basis right now.

Well we disagree. He's had ample opportunity to get used to the speed of the game and to learn the minimal fundamentals that have nothing to do with his WRs. He doesn't seem game saavy to me and this is his 3rd year of starting. How do YOU account for his first drive performance then the stinkfest after?

I give the premise of that article some credence. I give the Jets a little credit for throwing different looks at Bradford and for covering our receivers like a blanket. I don't think this one game is any indication of what Bradford is, or will become. Any more than I give his game against the 49ers any significant meaning. I do have some lingering doubts about his future though, so this isn't me just being some Bradford fanboy. Last year (and rightfully so) can be deleted due to the extraordinary circumstances that he and the rest of the offense had to endure. So, really, this is his sophomore year for me. If he can show us more good games than bad (and he has), then I'll feel a little better about him going forward. If he continues to have these up and down games for the rest of the year, and into next year, then I'll really be concerned.

 

[Selassie I]

Anticipating a throw isn't the problem ...

Having your WR run the correct route is the real problem. Not saying Sam doesn't screw up too,,, but with our mostly inexperienced group of receivers,,, throwing to the spot they are supposed to be may not be the correct throw.

 

[-X-]

Anticipating a throw isn't the problem ...

Having your WR run the correct route is the real problem. Not saying Sam doesn't screw up too,,, but with our mostly inexperienced group of receivers,,, throwing to the spot they are supposed to be may not be the correct throw.

There's that too. Yeah.

I do know this. Bradford isn't afraid to throw it anywhere when Dolamite is on the other end. Now if he can just get at least one more receiver that he trust that much, things will continue to get better. He's got that with Gibson too, to an extent, but I don't think he trusts Gibson to come down with the tough throw all that often. At least not on deep routes.

 

[Selassie I]

The more trust this receiving corp earns... the more we'll see the anticipation throws that this league requires.

The trust is still lacking for good reason.

 

[Angry Ram]

Yes he telegraphs his throws far too often. Needs to employ the fake more often. Of course also needs to get more time to throw too. Sammy, sadly, is a problem that has to be addressed and soon before this offense can succeed. I think of the AZ nightmare with Leinart yet he wasn't drafted first overall and they had Warner too. Rams are worse off on both counts.

I don't think he's a "problem", per se. If you watch (closely) the way Brady throws, and the way Bradford throws, the difference is negligible. Brady is statuesque in the pocket, Bradford is statuesque in the pocket. Brady doesn't scramble much, Bradford doesn't scramble much. Brady throws darts in tight windows, Bradford throws darts in tight windows. The difference is, Brady sat for a year before starting, has been in the same system for 11 years, and gets consistant good protection.

I'm not saying Bradford can be Brady, but I am suggesting that Bradford's career was damn near sabotaged last year and it's gonna take a little while before he even sniffs the same kind of continuity and comfort that Brady is afforded year in and year out. I dunno if Bradford is ever going to trust his receivers enough to just throw it where they're supposed to be, but I
can understand why he's not at that point on a consistent basis right now.

Well we disagree. He's had ample opportunity to get used to the speed of the game and to learn the minimal fundamentals that have nothing to do with his WRs. He doesn't seem game saavy to me and this is his 3rd year of starting. How do YOU account for his first drive performance then the stinkfest after?

The difference b/w Bradford this year and last year is night and day. Game savvy?

His 4th qtr performances have been amazing. He's made go ahead drives (SF, Detroit), ties, and to cut it w/in 1 posession (Green Bay). He won a shootout against Washington. His completion % is up, his TDs are already doubled, he has a rushing TD.

Why the fuck are ppl jumping on Bradford? He's the least of the problems right now. He had a bad game yesterday, but so what? The whole fuckin team did!

Why isn't there any more attention being put on the D? Where has that fighter attitude gone? Did the NE game really shake theri confidence THAT much? Jets have a decent D, they are phsyical so I can see how they can stop the Rams' O. But the Rams' D made Sanchez and their offense look like the Steelers!

 

[bluecoconuts]

The more trust this receiving corp earns... the more we'll see the anticipation throws that this league requires.

The trust is still lacking for good reason.

Yep, there has to be fight for the ball, and you can't trust them to do that yet. Even the interception, it was a bad throw by Bradford no doubt. But McNeil could have fought for it, at least so there wouldn't be an interception. That's something that veteran receivers will do though, Larry Fitzgerald did it, on the facemask of Jenkins to protect the pick 6, Branch did it against Fletcher in the Pats game.

Just those little things that come with experience.

 

[brokeu91]

Yes he telegraphs his throws far too often. Needs to employ the fake more often. Of course also needs to get more time to throw too. Sammy, sadly, is a problem that has to be addressed and soon before this offense can succeed. I think of the AZ nightmare with Leinart yet he wasn't drafted first overall and they had Warner too. Rams are worse off on both counts.

I don't think he's a "problem", per se. If you watch (closely) the way Brady throws, and the way Bradford throws, the difference is negligible. Brady is statuesque in the pocket, Bradford is statuesque in the pocket. Brady doesn't scramble much, Bradford doesn't scramble much. Brady throws darts in tight windows, Bradford throws darts in tight windows. The difference is, Brady sat for a year before starting, has been in the same system for 11 years, and gets consistant good protection.

I'm not saying Bradford can be Brady, but I am suggesting that Bradford's career was damn near sabotaged last year and it's gonna take a little while before he even sniffs the same kind of continuity and comfort that Brady is afforded year in and year out. I dunno if Bradford is ever going to trust his receivers enough to just throw it where they're supposed to be, but I
can understand why he's not at that point on a consistent basis right now.

Well we disagree. He's had ample opportunity to get used to the speed of the game and to learn the minimal fundamentals that have nothing to do with his WRs. He doesn't seem game saavy to me and this is his 3rd year of starting. How do YOU account for his first drive performance then the stinkfest after?

The difference b/w Bradford this year and last year is night and day. Game savvy?

His 4th qtr performances have been amazing. He's made go ahead drives (SF, Detroit), ties, and to cut it w/in 1 posession (Green Bay). He won a shootout against Washington. His completion % is up, his TDs are already doubled, he has a rushing TD.

Why the freak are ppl jumping on Bradford? He's the least of the problems right now. He had a bad game yesterday, but so what? The whole freakin team did!

Why isn't there any more attention being put on the D? Where has that fighter attitude gone? Did the NE game really shake theri confidence THAT much? Jets have a decent D, they are phsyical so I can see how they can stop the Rams' O. But the Rams' D made Sanchez and their offense look like the Steelers!

I believe, that overall, Sam is getting better. A lot of Rams fans can see that too. However, last game was his worst game in a while. Like the original post said, at times when he is playing well he can just attack a defense and throw it before the WR gets open. I think we saw that a few times when he had those long receptions to Givens. But his lack of continuity with WR and lack of trust with them hurts. Also, if the WR doesn't run his route correctly then balls get intercepted. We saw that a few times this year. Sam is deadly, deadly accurate when he has time and WR get open. I don't think I've ever seen a Rams QB as accurate. But when his WR let him down all of that doesn't matter. There have definitely been times when he had terrible protection, but this is also getting better.

I also am beginning to have some doubts about Sam. While he is getting better, can we ever expect him to be "elite"? The type of guy that elevates everyone around him. I'm not sure. I do believe you can win with him. If you get him a decent line and some decent WR. But there's a difference between winning "with" him and winning "because" of him. There were games this season where I thought the Rams were winning because of him (the Redskins game, the 49ers game immediately come to mind), but there were some definite clunkers too, the last game being the worst game he played all season. I don't know what to make of it.

I hope next year, Sam will finally have some continuity with the offense and WR and we'll start to see him become "elite" and elevate the play of others around him.

 

[ShotgunShells]

I think Schotty needs to throw in some screens to the RB's a little more often. Take some pressure off of Sam, anything that will help because with SJ and DRich getting a screen pass or 2 a game will make the D think twice about sending the house.

 

[BatteringRambo]

Heavy **cough cough** this is the off season we finally sign that elite free agent WIDE RECEIVER!! I am absolutely ecstatic w/ the potential huge upsides with Quick and Givens.. confident we also lock up Mouse on Crack. Look at the difference of Freeman now with V.Jackson.. literally night and day. I'm also not alluding that the Buccs turnaround is solely that...we all knew Doug Martin would be a stud as well..defense and special teams.. package deal. Also Joseph the rookie LB from Nebraska holy shit!

Remember Freeman has a year more than Sammy B and NO ONE talks about Josh Freeman except lately the media heads have been on their knees a lot getting rug burn.

We can all imagine our own or agreed upon lineup next season of Amendola, Quick, Givens, and ???. D.Bowe, Greg Jennings, ummm Mike Wallace (PIT will resign him but we never know w/ Brown's contract and Sanders' rookie deal) could make him expendable. No one else comes to mind but WE have to find VJ compatible WR for SB...or else.

Steve Smith, and Gibson are expendable and Pettis should grab the #5 spot.

 

[Ramhusker]

Bradford, like the Rams, is an enigma. It seemingly changes from drive to drive. One minute, he and the Rams are as good as anybody in the league, the next, they are stinking it up professionally. And this goes for both sides of the ball and special teams. I guess a lot of it is youth and all the changeover in schemes the past few years but it's damn sure frustrating.

 

[Ram Quixote]

I disagree that Bradford's performance after the first drive was a "stinkfest." The Rams were driving for at least a FG when Bradford was stripped. That play turned the game. The penalty on Given's return set the downturn to stone. Now, that probably shouldn't happen but after the double-dip on play killing penalties in SF, I'm not really surprised.