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It’s well documented that
Jets QB Zach Wilson needs to improve his throwing mechanics and footwork this offseason.
Some of the suspect mechanical stuff he could get away with against Texas State, Troy and Western Kentucky in 2020, because of his rare arm talent, isn’t going to cut on a regular basis against NFL defenses.
One guy he should be watching a lot this offseason in playoff games and tons of extra film is Tom Brady.
“Tom Brady sets the standard for perfect technique,” said QB guru Jeff Christiansen from the “Throw it Deep” QB school in Chicago.
Another guy would be good for him to study is retired QB Peyton Manning, who had superb mechanics and football work.
Two things Manning always worked on extra on the practice field – footwork and balance. These are two things Wilson needs to work on . . .
Watching Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts in the Eagles’ loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday, what you saw from him, is what you often see from young quarterbacks – they don’t throw with anticipation. They want to see a guy flash open and then throw it. The QB he was facing, Tom Brady, is a great anticipation thrower. Brady is a passer. Hurts is a thrower.
“You always want passers, not throwers,” said Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians several years ago, not in reference to Hurts. “Throwers wait to see a receiver break open and then sling it in that direction, usually as hard as they can. Passers release the ball before the receiver gets open, usually with velocity and touch.”
Sam Darnold is a thrower, not a passer. Wilson needs to avoid falling into the trap, which he did too often this past season. Like a lot of young quarterbacks, Wilson needs to work on throwing with more anticipation. This is something else he needs to work on this offseason. This is a big offseason for the player . . .
Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh are focused like a laser on fixing the Jets football culture, but they still have a ways to go, and would be the first people to admit that.
The Jets need to create a culture where winning isn’t a goal, but an expectation . . .
The Jets’ defense actually looked better against Buffalo in their season finale, then New England did in their blowout loss to the Bills in the Super Wildcard Round.
Why?
I would say two reasons. First off, the Jets have more speed on defense than New England. The Patriots had major issues with Buffalo’s speed. Secondly, while the weather was brutally cold for the New England-Buffalo game, it wasn’t that windy. The Jets game at Buffalo was very heavy wind, and this seemed to lead to some inaccuracy and to some awry passes from Josh Allen . . .
One thing people need to realize about a lot of these head coach interviews around the league is so many owners don’t know what to ask or look for during these interviews. It’s not in their wheelhouse. They often focus on the wrong things. So you are going to see some of them looking again in a couple of years.
January 17, 2021
