Awhile back, Laggo lamented the lack of need for pass power. There was a solid discussion on the topic. Corndog made an offseason change to increase the importance of power for the accuracy of deep throws.
We've increased our power steadily on Cleveland for a couple seasons now. I've got a couple questions for everyone.
What's the DEEPEST throw you've seen. I'm talking LOS to catch (or attempted catch)? I ask, because I haven't seen Cleveland actually throw any passes deeper than he did as a rookie. He throws every throw much harder. But he's never attempted to loft a bomb down the field to a WR breaking away.
This play is one example that shows the problem I've got with how passing power "appears" to work:
http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/101219/23165?player_id=39384
On that same line of throwing, Cleveland could've lofted that pass more, and landed the ball somewhere between the 45-50 yard line. Instead, he throws a bullet, low angle throw that the defender has a chance to make a play on the pass. In this case, it still worked out for my offense, but usually, that's a deflection. Why won't the QB's with more power elect to throw more lofted deep bomb throws? Literally everything I see is a bullet pass.
On deeper routes, the higher power throws are at a higher risk of INT and deflection, but also at a higher risk of "fell incomplete". When a low power QB throws a rainbow deep, if he misses his accuracy roll, the potential landing zone is closer to a circle. The WR has the ability to adjust his route, and get to the pass even on a misthrow. However, when a higher power QB misses "deep" on a throw down the field, it's an air mail throw due to the low angle of the ball's trajectory. The potential target area isn't so much a circle, but a very elongated oval. In this case, if you miss deep, you're going to hit way, way further downfield with the ball, in a part of the much larger circle that the WR has no prayer of reaching.
Another example that annoys me:
http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/106045/1341755?player_id=35272
Why isn't this pass thrown with more arc, further into the corner? Why would the QB choose to throw right there where the defender is at? I get that he may have failed a roll, but this is literally ALL THE TIME. The QB neeeeever leads a throw in this situation. Why? Cause he's throwing it so hard, the TE isn't going fast enough for his targeting to provide more opportunity to run to the ball. At the speed at which that pass is thrown, it must be thrown right at the just-having-made-a-cut reciever. Thereby killing the entire point of the cut in the route. It's as if the QB can't account for a receivers potential acceleration when targeting a throw, and only accounts for their speed at the moment of the throw. And that speed dictates where the bullet must go.
Lastly, power will increase your D-line deflections. If you're throwing a short pass, you're not going to loft it out ahead of the player on a crossing route. You're going to drill it into the DT's skull.
Anyhow, that's my warning to others considering how much power to invest into. It's nice when you thread it into a tight window before a defender can get to your receiver. More often than not though, you're just going to throw passes that are easier to defend, or outright miss long on downfield throws. QBs don't have the ability to intelligently throttle their passes. They simply throw it as hard as they have skill.
Unless someone can prove me wrong on this anyhow. What's the deepest throw you've seen on a QB with higher levels of passing power?
We've increased our power steadily on Cleveland for a couple seasons now. I've got a couple questions for everyone.
What's the DEEPEST throw you've seen. I'm talking LOS to catch (or attempted catch)? I ask, because I haven't seen Cleveland actually throw any passes deeper than he did as a rookie. He throws every throw much harder. But he's never attempted to loft a bomb down the field to a WR breaking away.
This play is one example that shows the problem I've got with how passing power "appears" to work:
http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/101219/23165?player_id=39384
On that same line of throwing, Cleveland could've lofted that pass more, and landed the ball somewhere between the 45-50 yard line. Instead, he throws a bullet, low angle throw that the defender has a chance to make a play on the pass. In this case, it still worked out for my offense, but usually, that's a deflection. Why won't the QB's with more power elect to throw more lofted deep bomb throws? Literally everything I see is a bullet pass.
On deeper routes, the higher power throws are at a higher risk of INT and deflection, but also at a higher risk of "fell incomplete". When a low power QB throws a rainbow deep, if he misses his accuracy roll, the potential landing zone is closer to a circle. The WR has the ability to adjust his route, and get to the pass even on a misthrow. However, when a higher power QB misses "deep" on a throw down the field, it's an air mail throw due to the low angle of the ball's trajectory. The potential target area isn't so much a circle, but a very elongated oval. In this case, if you miss deep, you're going to hit way, way further downfield with the ball, in a part of the much larger circle that the WR has no prayer of reaching.
Another example that annoys me:
http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/106045/1341755?player_id=35272
Why isn't this pass thrown with more arc, further into the corner? Why would the QB choose to throw right there where the defender is at? I get that he may have failed a roll, but this is literally ALL THE TIME. The QB neeeeever leads a throw in this situation. Why? Cause he's throwing it so hard, the TE isn't going fast enough for his targeting to provide more opportunity to run to the ball. At the speed at which that pass is thrown, it must be thrown right at the just-having-made-a-cut reciever. Thereby killing the entire point of the cut in the route. It's as if the QB can't account for a receivers potential acceleration when targeting a throw, and only accounts for their speed at the moment of the throw. And that speed dictates where the bullet must go.
Lastly, power will increase your D-line deflections. If you're throwing a short pass, you're not going to loft it out ahead of the player on a crossing route. You're going to drill it into the DT's skull.
Anyhow, that's my warning to others considering how much power to invest into. It's nice when you thread it into a tight window before a defender can get to your receiver. More often than not though, you're just going to throw passes that are easier to defend, or outright miss long on downfield throws. QBs don't have the ability to intelligently throttle their passes. They simply throw it as hard as they have skill.
Unless someone can prove me wrong on this anyhow. What's the deepest throw you've seen on a QB with higher levels of passing power?
Edited by Galithor on Oct 9, 2014 19:01:26
Edited by Galithor on Oct 9, 2014 18:53:48
