As we all get excited for the draft, there is a lot of discussion about who the Bucs should select and if they should take a QB. If they should take a QB, who should it be? There are many fans here who want Johnny Manziel and I am one of them. This post however is not to discuss Manziel really as that subject has its own thread and has been beaten to death. The point of this post is to discuss the MYTH of "running" QBs being more susceptible to injuries than "pocket" passers and how injuries are simply a part of this very violent game.First, it is important to define what that running versus pocket passer means because there is a lot of grey area. For me, it has to do with the design of the offense. For example, you would say that guys like Rodgers and Luck have a lot of mobility, but their offenses are not designed with a lot of QB runs or read plays. Guys like Manning and Brady have great pocket mobility but can't run and don't have anything close to designed QB run plays in their offenses, with the exception of the Peyton Manning naked bootleg play called like 2 times in his career. You then look at guys like WIlson, RGMe, Kap, and Newton. Those guys have offenses designed around their mobility. Within their offenses, there are a wide range of designed QB runs, reads, and run pass option plays to take advantage of their ability to run. So again, running vs pocket for me means how the QB is used as a weapon in his offense.It makes sense to think that a guy running around will be more susceptible to injury. After all, he is in the open field with massive guys coming to hit him. My issue now is how ESPN and others start to overgeneralize this issue and say running QBs get injured. They point to their two favorite examples, Vick and RGme. How about the injuries of other QBs?Peyton Manning - severe neck injury that almost ended his career. Came from hits in the pocket.Tom Brady - blew out his knee on a low hit in the pocket.Aaron Rodgers - has had multiple concussions and shoulder issues from being hit all over the field.Drew Brees - fucked up his shoulder running the ball.These guys are considered the ELITE QBs in the NFL. All of them have had severe and nearly career ending injuries. More examples of QBs who have gotten injured: Romo, Cardinals QBs, Bradford, Cutler, Ponder, Stafford, Manuel, Sanchez, Schaub, Locker, Jaguars QBs, Raiders QBs, Rivers, Alex Smith, Roethlisburger, Browns QBs. I may be missing a few more and there are obviously others who aren't playing anymore. These guys have all gotten bad injuries at times and their injuries have all happened in different ways. Some have been in the pocket and some have been out of the pocket.The point I'm trying to make is that injuries to QBs are not reserved to "running" QBs and guys who make their living outside of the pocket. Injuries are part of football. If you're running the ball as a QB, you obviously need to be smart. That is a given. If you can coach a guy to slide and get down, he won't get injured being a runner. The pocket can be more dangerous at times, with freak injuries like blindside hits and hits to knees. To say you don't like a QB because he COULD get injured because he is a runner is ridiculous. Its a hypothetical scenario.Lets say the Bucs do draft Manziel and design an offense around him. It would involve those QB runs and read plays. Its up to Manziel to be smart and know when to get down like Russell Wilson.So once more, my point is that injuries can happen to anyone on any part of the field. They can be freak injuries and they can also be preventable. If you are a running QB, you need to be smart, but if you are some QB who just stays in the pocket, you still can get injured. Its football.
Manziel would be fun to watch on Sunday's. He is a boom or bust prospect and I think we should make an attempt. If he doesn't pan out, roll with Glennon.
Steve Young was a running QB and only suffered from injuries late in his career and that was concussion issues. Joe Montanta was actually more injury prone than Steve Young.Manziel is listed as 6'1 200 lbs. Drew Brees is 6'0 209. I think if Manziel puts on a little bit of muscle in the weight room (which I am sure he will do in the NFL) he will carry his weight just fine. I also think he's probably closer to 6'0 than 6'1. If he is 6'1 that's a bonus.One more thing...while Manziel can run...I think he can also be a pocket passer that has the ability to run. He's accurate enough. He's not a Michael Vick type QB. Vick only threw for 54% and 57% completions in college. Manziel is at 69%. Also Vick was asked to run first a lot of the time. I don't necessarily thing you have to change your offense a ton for Manziel.
It's not a myth. If you're a running QB who doesn't know how to give up on a play, you get hurt. Ask RGIII about that. It doesn't mean no one else gets hurt but it's common sense. The more hits you take, the better the chance of injury. That's why RBs don't last long and kickers do.
Manning, Brady, and Brees have been on the field for years because they avoid hits.IIRC, Brees got that shoulder injury bc he tried to reach for a fumble.
Running with the football increases the likelihood of taking a hit. That's the whole idea of the slide thing for QBs; to avoid taking a hit. As we all know the more hits a guy takes, the greater the chance of injury. These stats really mean little, as they don't take into account wheather the QB is geting DOWN or sliding when the hit is close at hand. The other extreme is QBs like the 49ers' Special K and years ago the Bears' Bobby Douglas, who actually RAN like a power RB to punish the tackler, not trying to avoid the hit.
Manning, Brady, and Brees have been on the field for years because they avoid hits.IIRC, Brees got that shoulder injury bc he tried to reach for a fumble.
Plus everyone knows you get a personal foul for just hitting one of those divas too hard. Ask Clayborn.
Didn't Joe Theisman have his career ended while in the pocket? As you stated with Brady his season was ended in the pocket as well. Same with Tony Romo. And Aaron Rodgers this season IIRC. QB is the position that's most susceptible to injury because they are basically a sitting target. Running doesn't necessarily increase those odds. It's just by chance. Injuries are a thing of bad luck. Cam Newton has yet to miss a game in a "running offense" while guys like Brees Rodgers Brady have in more "traditional offenses".
Didn't Joe Theisman have his career ended while in the pocket? As you stated with Brady his season was ended in the pocket as well. Same with Tony Romo. And Aaron Rodgers this season IIRC. QB is the position that's most susceptible to injury because they are basically a sitting target. Running doesn't necessarily increase those odds. It's just by chance. Injuries are a thing of bad luck. Cam Newton has yet to miss a game in a "running offense" while guys like Brees Rodgers Brady have in more "traditional offenses".
And Carson Palmer... and Randall Cunningham... in the pocket.Some guys are just injury prone while others, like Brett Favre, are unbreakable.RG3 is like Vick, just doesn't slide enough and takes too many hits for a guy with a small frame.
Ya, you can get injured playing football. There are freak hits (see Brady's injury)Are you more likely to get injured standing behind 5 strong men protecting you or running wildly free around 250 pound men trying to knock you out of the gameNot rocket science. Look at Vick. A bunch of minor injuries and nicks that cause him to miss chunks of games at a time
Didn't Joe Theisman have his career ended while in the pocket? As you stated with Brady his season was ended in the pocket as well. Same with Tony Romo. And Aaron Rodgers this season IIRC. QB is the position that's most susceptible to injury because they are basically a sitting target. Running doesn't necessarily increase those odds. It's just by chance. Injuries are a thing of bad luck. Cam Newton has yet to miss a game in a "running offense" while guys like Brees Rodgers Brady have in more "traditional offenses".
Good point about the pocket. It's a lot like when there's an INT and some offensive guy away from the play is kinda loafing and gets CREAMED by a blocker. Or a guy standing around a pile on a fumble and gets blasted. I guess the best defense against injury is what Clint Eastwood once said; "A man's GOT to know his limitations". If you're not built to take a hit, get the H... DOWN!!
