Quarterbacks and Predictions

Quarterbacks

We are two weeks into the brand new FlagPlus Football season. I have seen some great games, and others that required a little help watching.

That statement also applies to Quarterbacks. From high school football to the NFL, CFL, U Sports, and here in FPF, you will not win or at least do so consistently without a good QB. It is as simple as that. It doesn’t matter how great your Receivers are, or how stout your defense is, if you can’t make plays and beat defenses with your arm, mind, and occasionally your legs, you will never win a championship.

FPF has the GOAT in Kevin Wyeth, and a long list of Hall-of-Fame passers. There is also a plethora of other great QBs in this league. As is the case with everything in life, we all have to start somewhere. Every season, we see a new team walk into the league, and they think that they will put their best athlete at the position and figure it out as they go along. That doesn’t work.

We have also seen teams put guys who think they can throw the ball at QB, and watch duck after duck get launched in the air looking more like a punt than an actual throw. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have witnessed experience college and university QBs come into the league and struggle as well.

Arm strength and accuracy are the two most important attributes for the position. Patience, experience, and maturity are right up there with them. Look no further than players like Stephen Harripersaud, Corey Walwaski, Jordan Rossie, Jordan Mitchell, and our very own Peezee, as Quarterbacks who went through growing pains early, and are now some of the best QBs in their respective divisions.

You can call me Captain Obvious, but playing Quarterback in FPF is different than doing so in tackle football. Obviously, there is no Offensive Line to protect you from the rush. (I know for a fact that I am not the only former Defensive Lineman in the league. How cool would it be to have the Snapper be allowed to block? I’ve asked Rob to start a contact flag football for years, but he always says no)

Play-calling also had to be different with the dimension of the field being 30 yads wide and 50 yards long, with only eight-yard endzones. Having a playbook that is designed around tackle, touch football, or in some cases Madden (We all know there is at least a handful of teams that are doing that) is not a recipe for success.

No matter what level of football you are playing, having a playbook that is designed to the skill of your Receivers is also a good idea, as is realising your own limitations. If you struggle to throw the long ball, don’t dial it up deep shots every second or third play. Every year I see this, and having score kept in three different locations the last few days, this week was no different. As I said at the top, it is only Week 2 of the season, with Week 3 about to kick off tomorrow night. In that short amount of time, I have seen more than enough floaters, passes to curtains/field dividers, missed wide open Receivers, and one and in some cases two-hoppers off the ground.

I fully realize playing the position is not easy. For those saying at least I am trying to play QB, why don’t you? I have. I played one series after my team’s QB was kicked out of the game for five plays. I stunk and promised myself and my teammates that I would never try it again.    

For Quarterbacks both new and old who don’t stink, or think they can play better, there are tons of passers you can speak to. Use the website, look at the schedules, and find a passer like Kevin Wyeth, Jonathan Maheu, Alex Nadeau-Piuze, Jeff Rosenblatt, or Phil Cutler to name a few, and just ask them what it takes to play QB at a top level in FPF’s best division.

NFL

After a shaky first half, my Niners took care of business against the Seattle Seahawks. I expect them to get off to a better start vs the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday. If you go back to last year’s Wildcard game, San Fran was smacking Dallas around until Jimmy Garoppolo single-handedly tried to let the ‘Boys back into the game.

I can’t sit here and act like I wasn’t at least a little impressed with how Dallas handled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yes, Tampa is slow and old, but holding Brady to 14 points, half of which was a garbage time touchdown was impressive.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott looked good, but we’re not Tampa. Dallas has a good defense, but I don’t see how they can stop us all game long. The Trent Williams versus Micah Parsons matchup will be huge.

I am happy I was wrong about the Dolphins/Bills and Ravens/Bengals game. Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley looked a lot better than many people including myself, thought. The big question coming out of those games was about Buffalo and Cincinnati.

Speaking of those two teams. Nearly three weeks after the scary Damar Hamlin incident, both squads will go head-to-head again. There will be a lot of emotional and excitement before, during, and after the game.

When looking at the two teams, I think the Bengals are the better team, and Joe Burrow will do Joe Burrow things, but I am going with the Bills in this game.

Josh Allen has been Sir Picks-A-Lot in the redzone, but I think he settles down in this one. I also don’t see Eli Apple being able to contain Stefon Diggs or Gabriel Davis all game.

I am tempted to go with the Jags, after what they did last week, but Andy Reid is not Brandon “I take no responsibility” Staley, and the Chargers aren’t the Chiefs. With a real Head Coach and plan, Trevor Lawrence has proven to the doubters that he is the real deal. I think this game will be close, but I am going to go with Kansas City.

As a Niners fan, I am hoping that the New York Giants knockoff the Philadelphia Eagles. Why? Because you always should want your team to have the easiest road possible to the Super Bowl.  

The Daniel Jones career revival story has been good, as has Saquon Barkley reminding us of what he can do when he stays healthy, and the job Head Coach Brian Daboll has done with this squad has been remarkable, but the story ends here. I think it will be close, but Jalen Hurts will do just enough as a passer to get his team the win.

That’s it for this week. Good luck to everyone in this games tonight and over the next few days. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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