LA Rams are scrambling for mobile QBs to develop in Training camp

Speed beats speed

Modern NFL fast-defenses are vulnerable to mobile quarterbacks. Much like fast receivers, they aim at a spot and then exert all their energy to get to THAT spot as quickly as possible.  For fixed-footed in-the-pocket quarterbacks, that makes them a sitting duck. But for dual-threat quarterbacks? It’s tough to tackle them where-they-ain’t.  And so, the stakes of the cat-and-mouse game played in the NFC West goes up once more.

McVay outflanked the traditional defenses of the NFC West by putting more receivers onto the field than defenses could defend. Behind great blocking, Goff had all day to find the open receiver. So the San Francisco 49ers defense changed the equation. Shedding coverage on deep threat receivers, they focus upon getting to Goff before deep routes developed.  In 2019, they won that round. But other teams, particularly those with mobile quarterbacks who could evade that pass rush, beat the 49ers.

It’s only round three

But that is not where the story ends, not by a long shot. The NFL is a copycat league. Other defenses copied the 49ers’ methods. So if the Rams can find an effective strategy, say like more quarterback mobility, then it’s a brand new season, right?  Hmm. So if the Rams start developing dual-threat quarterbacks to take over the offense “just in case”, that would line up as a strategy to counter the 49ers pass rush. And if the Rams ask Goff to work on his footwork and throw from his back foot with good velocity, that would help as well, right?

Well, suddenly everything we are seeing from the Rams so far starts to make sense, like the picture forming when you assemble the edges of a jigsaw puzzle. It even sheds new light on the fact that the Rams have not re-signed veteran QB Blake Bortles to the team, despite the risks inherent with Goff testing positive for COVID-19 at some occasion this season. The clues as to the Rams strategy at QB and offense are beginning to come together nicely. And not only that, but the strategy is very impressive.  Well done, Sean McVay, well done.