Sean McVay shares what separates great QBs from everyone else

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Sean McVay shares what separates great QBs from everyone else

Cameron DaSilva
July 1, 2021 6:39 am PT
Quarterback is the most important position in sports, and probably the most difficult to play, too. At the NFL level, quarterbacks are responsible for reading defenses, avoiding interceptions, moving the offense down the field and almost acting as a second coach on the field.

There are many aspects of playing the position that make it such a challenging job, and even more factors that separate the elite quarterbacks from the average ones. On the latest episode of the “Flying Coach” podcast with Peter Schrager, Rams coach Sean McVay shared what he looks for in a quarterback and what makes a great one.

First and foremost, he wants a leader who isn’t just going to be someone his teammates can look to when things are going well, but a quarterback who will uplift his guys when the offense is struggling to move the ball.

“I think the first thing is, at its core … we’re looking for a leader at the quarterback position,” McVay said. “And what do all good leaders do? They make people in situations they’re a part of better. They just do. And that’s what the great ones have done.”

“I love it when our scouts go to games and I’m not as interested in what we can all evaluate on the all-22. I want to see when they just went three-and-out three series in a row, what does this guy look like with his interaction with his teammates on the sideline? I want to know, when [expletive] is not going good, are you going to be that guy that people can look to to say, ‘I just got to believe when things are not going on schedule.’ That’s, to me, when the great ones really separate themselves.”



Another important element of playing the position is succeeding when a play breaks down. Pressure is going to collapse the pocket, receivers aren’t going to get open and things aren’t going to go according to plan every single time.

Jared Goff struggled to make plays when he was forced out of the pocket or when he had a defender bearing down on him, but McVay hopes it’s a different story with Matthew Stafford. Like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers and so many other quarterbacks, Stafford knows how to escape pressure, keep his eyes downfield and make a play off-schedule.

“If you said, when do the really rare quarterbacks express themselves especially nowadays? It might be in the framework of the pocket when things go outside the rhythm of the play. Tom [Brady] does it differently than Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers are doing it, but all of which is beautiful and makes them elite at what they do,” McVay said. “You see some of the things and I’ve talked a lot about the excitement with Stafford. That’s one of the things I’m excited about him is, when it breaks down, getting through progressions, being able to move and manipulate, keep your eyes down the field.”

Stafford isn’t the most mobile quarterback in the league and he’s not going to rip off 30-yard runs like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Kyler Murray. However, he’s elusive and knows how to evade pressure to find either a throwing lane or a path to pick up a few yards with his legs.

“Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson are also doing it at such a high level. Kyler Murray. But there’s different ways,” McVay continued. “We talked about Josh Allen. I mean, some of the stuff that he did, and what Dak [Prescott]’s been able to do, these guys that you’re talking about are the premier players at the position. They have a creativity that illustrates itself when things go a little bit off schedule. And then oh by the way, when it is on schedule, they’re as close to automatic as it gets. I think that’s where the guys separate themselves.”

McVay is one of the smartest coaches in football and helped elevate the play of quarterbacks such as Goff and Kirk Cousins. So when he discusses what he looks for in a quarterback, you can bet Stafford has those qualities, which is why he’s so excited about the upcoming season.

The Rams took a big risk by trading two first-round picks for Stafford, but there’s plenty of reason to believe it’ll work out in a major way.