pretender
Footballguy
KFFL Buccaneers | Team ready to go from the left side
Sun, 16 Jul 2006 07:10:40 -0700
Rick Stroud, of the St. Petersburg Times, reports the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are ready to run their offense led by a left-handed throwing quarterback, QB Chris Simms, in 2006. Simms started the last 11 games of 2005, but head coach Jon Gruden admits there is a big adjustment when game-planning for a southpaw signal-caller. "(Practice) is basically set up around the quarterback from an offensive standpoint, especially when you're left-handed," Gruden said. "You've got to groom and groove all your play-action passes and your movement throws for the lefty. All the ball-handling needs to be practiced specifically." Simms has less NFL starting experience than two of the team's other quarterbacks. "There's certain things, let's be honest, he does differently than previous quarterbacks here," Gruden said. "One of the things he needs to improve at is he's taking more and more snaps. He took about 850 of them in the last 14 practices. So we're pleased he's gaining experience, and he is one of the hardest-working people I've been around."
So if the offense obviously has to change for a lefty - how would the defense lining up against them every week change. Would you be putting your better linebackers on the right side? Or would you keep your scheme basically the same - the same players playing the same positions just tweaking your blitz packages? I would think perhaps from the blitzing standpoint - you might want to be moving your safetys and linebackers around. Just curious that I have never really thought about this in doing your lineups as there hasn't been any discussion recently that I can recall that would make you not start a player a particular week because their position hasn't changed or has because of the left vs right handed QB. Do certain defensive schemes lend themselves better to take advantage of a left handed QB or better yet doesn't matter if the QB is left or right handed? Also who are all the left handed QB's in the league besides Sims - isn't Leftwich for one? Thoughts sharks?
Sun, 16 Jul 2006 07:10:40 -0700
Rick Stroud, of the St. Petersburg Times, reports the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are ready to run their offense led by a left-handed throwing quarterback, QB Chris Simms, in 2006. Simms started the last 11 games of 2005, but head coach Jon Gruden admits there is a big adjustment when game-planning for a southpaw signal-caller. "(Practice) is basically set up around the quarterback from an offensive standpoint, especially when you're left-handed," Gruden said. "You've got to groom and groove all your play-action passes and your movement throws for the lefty. All the ball-handling needs to be practiced specifically." Simms has less NFL starting experience than two of the team's other quarterbacks. "There's certain things, let's be honest, he does differently than previous quarterbacks here," Gruden said. "One of the things he needs to improve at is he's taking more and more snaps. He took about 850 of them in the last 14 practices. So we're pleased he's gaining experience, and he is one of the hardest-working people I've been around."
So if the offense obviously has to change for a lefty - how would the defense lining up against them every week change. Would you be putting your better linebackers on the right side? Or would you keep your scheme basically the same - the same players playing the same positions just tweaking your blitz packages? I would think perhaps from the blitzing standpoint - you might want to be moving your safetys and linebackers around. Just curious that I have never really thought about this in doing your lineups as there hasn't been any discussion recently that I can recall that would make you not start a player a particular week because their position hasn't changed or has because of the left vs right handed QB. Do certain defensive schemes lend themselves better to take advantage of a left handed QB or better yet doesn't matter if the QB is left or right handed? Also who are all the left handed QB's in the league besides Sims - isn't Leftwich for one? Thoughts sharks?
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. I don't think it's too big a difference on the pro level because the QBs' technique is so much better (that and they have cannons for arms). Other than bringing your blitzes from the blind side (which would be the QB's right instead of the left). On the high school level, there are some big adjustments because most QBs avoid/can't throw across their bodies.
