So I posted a thread about how Jameis throws with a lot of anticipation and how it has negatively impacted his ability to be "accurate". Some posters played coy and clueless and stated that all QBs throw with anticipation, or indicated they couldn't grasp the meaning of the concept.
I posted this tweet:
https://twitter.com/Cianaf/status/810676350998745088
Look how early Jameis throws the ball. The ball is out of his hand before Humphries even gets into his break. Humphries is not open when Jameis throws the ball. A lot of people may have thought this was an inaccurate throw, or thought that Humphries wasn't open and double covered; that is incorrect. The coverage allowed a window to complete the throw over the top/behind the underneath coverage and in front of the safety. When you throw the ball with such anticipation it is much harder to be accurate because you are throwing to a spot, that means where you expect the receiver to be. Anticipatory throws require much greater timing, chemistry, and precision. People mistakenly refer to these type of passes as inaccurate, refer to them as wild throws, or cluelessly say that the throw got away from Jameis. No! Incompletions like this are a function of precision (not accuracy). That's why we have always said that he's inconsistent (which is a correct evaluation of Jameis and an appropriate term). That's the reason he's pinpoint on one play and he misses "wildly" on another as spectators love to say. Precision is a measure of consistency. You can't be exact or truly "accurate" on anticipatory throws because the target isn't even there yet, you're throwing the ball before there is actually a target. The type of QB Jameis is requires a much higher level of chemistry with his receivers and requires that he and his receivers be on the same page. That's why rhythm is also very important to a QB like Jameis and you've seen me call him a rhythm QB. When you throw more and develop a rhythm within a game you are able to anticipate those throws better because the QB and his receivers are in a flow within that game. This makes it easier for the QB and his receivers to get on the same page during play. Don't get me wrong and think that I'm saying it's impossible to make these throws. No, they were there to complete and could have been made. If he wants to be great he'll need to fine tune these skills and sharpen the tools...great QBs make these plays. That's why Peyton was a wizard during his career. He needs to work on his timing, his drop in the pocket, his fundamentals/mechanics, his pocket presence(reaction to pressure). He is already good at some of things but the more he hones those skills and becomes adept or even greater at them, the easier anticipatory throws will be for him make. Those skills allow you to be more fluid in the pocket and get into a flow quicker. Consistency in those areas enables you to be more precise. He isn't there yet. He isn't close to reaching his potential yet. If he gets there, I think he will be the best QB in the league. To be great at his skill set, it requires extensive repetition and practice.
Now look at those two TD throws from Mariota:
https://youtu.be/iUxcPwZuxMY?t=3m52s
https://youtu.be/2nFTrxPsK40?t=1m13s
Notice how Mariota didn’t throw the ball before the receivers route fully developed. In the pic I posted Jameis threw the ball before Humphries was even in his break and before he got into his post route. An anticipatory throw means throwing the ball before the receiver is even open or into their route. Mariota threw those TDs to Delanie after he had already came open, after he was already into his in route. He threw it after Delanie Walker had made his break and had already run the route design. Mariota made the throw after coverage was beat (he also has a better Oline which gives him more time to make non-anticipatory throws). This is completely different from what Jameis did and does from the pocket.
Remember the stat about Jameis having a much better rating outside of the pocket than inside? That's because when Jameis is outside of the pocket he's not making anticipatory throws. The throws when he is outside of the pocket requires accuracy rather than precision. When you're outside the pocket and extending the play you are normally throwing it to a target that is already open or that has beat the coverage. When you're outside of the pocket and extending play, you throw it to the receiver who beats his man and comes open. These type of throws don't require the same level of timing, chemistry, and precision.
