Who is Jalen Milroe? (What it Takes to Play QB)
Knowing where to go with the football and delivering the football no matter the circumstances.
One of the realities of playing the quarterback position is be willing to take full-body shots from the defense in order to make a throw. It’s a non-negotiable trait. No protection holds up perfectly, and to get the ball where it needs to go the quarterback has to stand in there and deliver the ball amidst the chance of getting hit.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama’s quarterback, found himself in a position battle early into the season. There was much talk about what Alabama should do. Here’s what Coach Nick Saban said of the situation:
“What I tell the quarterbacks is, it’s not up to the coaches,” Saban said. “If you’re looking over your shoulder to see if the coach is going to do this or that, how about you forcing me to play you? Force me to play you. Force us to play you. When you get your reps, you get a chance to play, you play so good we don’t have any choice but to play you rather than worrying about all this other stuff.”
One way to force the coach to play you is to always find a way to get the ball out amidst the chaos of the pocket. Free runners be damned. Milroe exemplified this winning quality during their matchup against Texas A&M last year three times. There was pressure and people coming right at him, but he delivered the ball on time to make the play work. The circumstances were never ideal, but he knew what would give the offense the highest chance of success and got the job done.
That quality is the essence of any successful person, and the quarterback position is no different. This post will look at those three examples to give evidence to the fact that first, it’s part of the job, and two, it can be done consistently.
Getting Hit on the Deep Ball
The Situation: It’s 2nd & 10 and the offense is running a deep play action mesh concept with a vertical on the outside. The defense is playing from a MOFC Man structure bringing six man pressure against the offenses seven man protection. Though the numbers are in the offense’s favor, a linebacker still gets free to get a free run at the QB.
Milroe is probably looking at the deep meshers at first, but whether it’s taking too long or he knows pressure is coming, he gets his eyes to the vertical and lets it launch. This play is an example of the illusion of choice against pressure. Since the defense is playing MOFC Man, there is an all but guaranteed one-on-one matchup on the outside. There is really no choice but to throw it if the QB is to put the offense in the best situation to succeed.
The sacrifice of one’s own body is a reality of the game. Milroe on this play makes the decision pretty quickly to get the ball out to the vertical just as the free runner is appearing. But he plays with no fear, steps up in the pocket, and launches the ball for a huge gain with a defender barreling ahead to knock him down.
Getting Hit on the Out Route
The Situation: It’s 2nd & 5 and the the offense is running the stick concept to the field with an out and comeback to the backside. The defense is playing MOFC man with a five man pressure so there is no two-on-one opportunity for the stick concept. That’s where Milroe looks first and so he quickly moves on to the option.
When Milroe looks to the option, there is a man immediately coming right at his face. Milroe has three options: get the ball out, try to escape, or take the sack.
Making decisions at QB is about making the decision with the highest probability of success, and getting the ball out clearly is the only one that does this. An escape would most likely not work given how fast the free runner is coming and a sack isn’t successful by definition. Milroe has that brief moment to make a decision and he falls to his instincts. Those instincts are to choose to make the play work with the highest probability of success — getting the ball out with the man in his face to his WR.
Getting Hit on the Deep Out Route
The Situation: It’s 1st & 10 and the offense is running a play action concept with a deep out route from the solo WR with two crossers. The defense is again playing MOFC Man with a five man pressure with the safety over the TE coming late to get a free shot on the QB.
This play being the third example, the theme is clear. Against man teams that are bringing pressure there is no choice but to take your hits and get the ball out. It’s the only way to make play work. There is not a lot of time to go through reads. The protection might not hold up.
But knowing where to go with the ball and being willing to take the hit is essential to completing the job consistently. Milroe knows the deep out is open and has to put aside the threat of the free runner. It can’t be a consideration for him to make the play. Not while it’s happening nor before the play. The situation (structure, leverage, route) presents the opportunity for the route to get open, and Milroe sticks with it for a sizable gain.
Part of the Job
Part of the job of quarterback is taking your fair share of shots. Standing strong in the pocket and delivering the ball no matter what. This reality is why it’s vital for the quarterback to have such a strong understanding of defensive structures and the offensive system so he can make decisions quickly with confidence regardless the circumstances.
While not ideal, those circumstances often involve protection breaking down and the potential to get blasted. That happened a few times in Alabama’s game against Texas A&M, and this post showed Milroe three times doing the job: putting the ball where it needed to go.
Until tomorrow,
Emory Wilhite
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