Life as a retiree has its perks. I am able to relax and watch the games without worrying about how I am going to write this one up this week. But every once in a while there is something that will draw me out and make me want to post an Upon Further Review. Getting one of the best QB’s out of the portal (if not THE best QB) is one of those occasions.
I’m going to look at the matchup with Washington. As most of you know, Washington is the rival to the team Ward played for (Washington State) and the game was played in Husky Stadium. This should give us a good visual of Ward and what he can do against the best team on their schedule, in a rivalry game on the road. Buckle up, Cam, as Hurricanes’ fans will tell you, going into that place is tough. To make matters worse, he had to do it with a backup LT as the starter was hurt.
First series you see WSU is going to have a hard time blocking Washington up front. Ward gets way from this sack and does complete it to his checkdown, but short of a 1st.
Next series, 3 x 1, Ace, Gun setup with Washington showing pressure up-front. You’ll hear this called zero-blitz with sim pressure up front, with the zero meaning there is no safety deep. Sometimes you’ll hear all-out blitz as well, but generally not all defenders will be coming. The goal is to dictate a line adjustment by the OL to guess where pressure is actually coming from and then force the QB to account for any free rushers and adjust where he goes with the football. I say and highlight all of this to point out that the Washington defense, with the benefit of having WSU backed up deep with that crowd noise, presents a true problem for an offense. Ward knows exactly where his hot read will be against that quarters look with the CB off, but is inaccurate on the throw.
WSU has gone 3-and-out on the first two drives and Washington has jumped out to a 7-0 lead quickly. Ward has moved around in the pocket a little bit, but has faced pressure on every pass he’s thrown thus far and now trails. Pass dropped on 1st, the never-hope-to-see run on 2nd-and-10 brings up the inevitable 3rd-and-9. Ward gets it out quickly when he sees quarters-off again and it’s a bullet.
In baseball, when a pitcher can effortlessly bring fastballs we call that “easy cheese” and Cam Ward definitely has easy cheese on the gridiron. A quick, compact release that brings fastballs. I was surprised at not only how good his arm is, but how fast he gets the ball out with that much velocity. He looks like an ideal fit for an Air-Raid offense thus far.
On this play, Ward recognizes how much room there is to the field side, with the single-high S cheating to the 3 side of the 3x1 look. WSU runs their trips to the boundary hoping to get room to take a shot deep and they get it. Ball is a bit underthrown, but WR comes back to get it and has a pass interference flag as well. It’s the recognition that you’re highlighting here and illustrating how he isn’t just a quick passer.
Next play, Ward has a 2x2 look with a switch route to the boundary. Because Ward is focused on that side you can see the S is looking to that side and not getting depth. WR nearest sideline to the field is going to run a corner-post, which beats the CB (the very good CB from Washington that just entered the portal) and Wards hits him on the has mark for a TD (I thought the throw was a little flat and into the hash more than it needed, but it’s completed for a score either way. This was a huge drive to pick up a 3rd-and-9 then get it into the end zone to tie the game up.
Ward is an excellent thrower of the slant pass. His combination of quick release, excellent arm, and accuracy make him a great fit for this route.
Ward has a nice ability to get out of the grasp of first contact and avoid sacks. It’s going to add an element to the Miami offense that they haven’t had in years (Jacurri is quite mobile, but doesn’t get out of the grasp and extend plays to this point).
But what I’d really like to see him do more of is avoid turning his back to the defense after that contact and spin around etc. This is the third time he has done this in this game already and the 1st quarter isn’t over. If he gets out of that initial grasp and wants to keep his eyes downfield while scrambling, that would be beneficial. There was a clear escape lane on this play that he didn’t take and spun around like a top, causing his OL to hold.
But this is just an NFL throw on 3rd-and-17 that when you gotta have it, he’s got it in his bag. A dude getting ready to drill him and he throws a laser into the free zone. Inches short of the 1st, they try to run a tush-push and get stuffed. Turnover on downs, but what a throw.
For some weird reason, WSU brings in their backup QB to run Wildcat plays once in a while. Probably to try and keep him out of the portal? With Ward back in, if you try and run quarters against Ward, he will slant you to death. Looks at the shallow cross first, comes back to the slant on the other side and throws a dart.
This was going to be a hold regardless, but this is a consistent theme for Ward, who simply holds the ball too long at times. When he’s getting it out quick, on-time, and in-rhythm he’s an elite QB. When he’s trying to extend things and won’t let a play go he’s almost always going to take a sack or cause a hold by being in places his OL doesn’t expect. That will be one of the biggest areas to watch in his development this season. Throw this away now. You’re 11 yards behind the LOS and nowhere to go.
That play above leads directly to this play, where he’s trying to do too much again. It’s as though for Ward there is never a good time to surrender a play and he will force it every time. I’d rather have a QB that is too aggressive than one that I need to talk into taking chances, but Ward is dialed up to an 11 on aggression.
Washington runs an X stunt with DE/DT and it fools the WSU OL and TE. TE is supposed to help outside shoulder of LT here and releases when he sees edge dip inside rather than stay outside. #4 comes in clean and causes Ward to release it early and outside. Easy interception.
Even though he’s throwing this super early, he has to anticipate this better and throw it to the hash more where only his guy could get it. Tough throw, no time to think, it’s partly on that TE for releasing as though getting into a flat route on 3rd-and-17 was more important than staying in to protect.
Runs the RPO game to perfection here as his release is just lethal in these sorts of patterns. He has to be quick to get this out before his OL is too far downfield and he does it perfectly. Waits for the edge to take himself out of the window with subtle movement up the line and then throws a dart behind him.
Lucky to get this one out. Another criticism of Ward is how much ground he gives up in the pocket when pressured because of the belief he has in his arm. Needs to be more decisive in the pocket and not bail on throws to where sacks are going to be 14-yards losses etc.
Your RG gets back-to-back false starts after a 3rd-and-3 turns into a 3rd-and-13 and it’s a punt. (Not pictured)
Next drive. You’re down a TD again and Washington gets the ball after halftime. This is one of the biggest drives of the game and Ward responds with a big-time performance. 1:05 before half, one timeout. He throws three slants in a row (we’ve already discussed how he’s elite on this route) to get the drive going. Then Ward does a great job of looking off the field S and knowing he’s got his best WR on boundary S in the seam backside.
Ward takes another sack when he should be thinking get rid of it on 1st down, so they burn their final timeout. (Not pictured)
2nd down and holy moly is this a throw. You can’t make a better throw, if we’re being honest.
Catch the ball, my man.
I said on the last play you can’t make a better throw, but on the very next play he sure tried. This is magnificent. When the nickel drops down to take the flats he knows he has it because that two-high S is way too far inside to get out there. They wanted to make it look like something else, is my guess, on why both safeties are inside the hash marks here, but it ends up being a big mistake. Once the nickel goes to slow WR in the flat, Ward knows the CB is singled up without a S on the sideline. Awesome stutter-start and then inside to back outside release by the WR as well. You can see he got the CB back on his heels here and that gave him the room to get by him. I’m sure Washington’s DC was distraught that they allowed this to happen by outsmarting themselves and not just playing a shell to hold them to a FG.
This is a two-part article, so hold comments until after second, please.
I’m going to look at the matchup with Washington. As most of you know, Washington is the rival to the team Ward played for (Washington State) and the game was played in Husky Stadium. This should give us a good visual of Ward and what he can do against the best team on their schedule, in a rivalry game on the road. Buckle up, Cam, as Hurricanes’ fans will tell you, going into that place is tough. To make matters worse, he had to do it with a backup LT as the starter was hurt.
First series you see WSU is going to have a hard time blocking Washington up front. Ward gets way from this sack and does complete it to his checkdown, but short of a 1st.
Next series, 3 x 1, Ace, Gun setup with Washington showing pressure up-front. You’ll hear this called zero-blitz with sim pressure up front, with the zero meaning there is no safety deep. Sometimes you’ll hear all-out blitz as well, but generally not all defenders will be coming. The goal is to dictate a line adjustment by the OL to guess where pressure is actually coming from and then force the QB to account for any free rushers and adjust where he goes with the football. I say and highlight all of this to point out that the Washington defense, with the benefit of having WSU backed up deep with that crowd noise, presents a true problem for an offense. Ward knows exactly where his hot read will be against that quarters look with the CB off, but is inaccurate on the throw.
WSU has gone 3-and-out on the first two drives and Washington has jumped out to a 7-0 lead quickly. Ward has moved around in the pocket a little bit, but has faced pressure on every pass he’s thrown thus far and now trails. Pass dropped on 1st, the never-hope-to-see run on 2nd-and-10 brings up the inevitable 3rd-and-9. Ward gets it out quickly when he sees quarters-off again and it’s a bullet.
In baseball, when a pitcher can effortlessly bring fastballs we call that “easy cheese” and Cam Ward definitely has easy cheese on the gridiron. A quick, compact release that brings fastballs. I was surprised at not only how good his arm is, but how fast he gets the ball out with that much velocity. He looks like an ideal fit for an Air-Raid offense thus far.
On this play, Ward recognizes how much room there is to the field side, with the single-high S cheating to the 3 side of the 3x1 look. WSU runs their trips to the boundary hoping to get room to take a shot deep and they get it. Ball is a bit underthrown, but WR comes back to get it and has a pass interference flag as well. It’s the recognition that you’re highlighting here and illustrating how he isn’t just a quick passer.
Next play, Ward has a 2x2 look with a switch route to the boundary. Because Ward is focused on that side you can see the S is looking to that side and not getting depth. WR nearest sideline to the field is going to run a corner-post, which beats the CB (the very good CB from Washington that just entered the portal) and Wards hits him on the has mark for a TD (I thought the throw was a little flat and into the hash more than it needed, but it’s completed for a score either way. This was a huge drive to pick up a 3rd-and-9 then get it into the end zone to tie the game up.
Ward is an excellent thrower of the slant pass. His combination of quick release, excellent arm, and accuracy make him a great fit for this route.
Ward has a nice ability to get out of the grasp of first contact and avoid sacks. It’s going to add an element to the Miami offense that they haven’t had in years (Jacurri is quite mobile, but doesn’t get out of the grasp and extend plays to this point).
But what I’d really like to see him do more of is avoid turning his back to the defense after that contact and spin around etc. This is the third time he has done this in this game already and the 1st quarter isn’t over. If he gets out of that initial grasp and wants to keep his eyes downfield while scrambling, that would be beneficial. There was a clear escape lane on this play that he didn’t take and spun around like a top, causing his OL to hold.
But this is just an NFL throw on 3rd-and-17 that when you gotta have it, he’s got it in his bag. A dude getting ready to drill him and he throws a laser into the free zone. Inches short of the 1st, they try to run a tush-push and get stuffed. Turnover on downs, but what a throw.
For some weird reason, WSU brings in their backup QB to run Wildcat plays once in a while. Probably to try and keep him out of the portal? With Ward back in, if you try and run quarters against Ward, he will slant you to death. Looks at the shallow cross first, comes back to the slant on the other side and throws a dart.
This was going to be a hold regardless, but this is a consistent theme for Ward, who simply holds the ball too long at times. When he’s getting it out quick, on-time, and in-rhythm he’s an elite QB. When he’s trying to extend things and won’t let a play go he’s almost always going to take a sack or cause a hold by being in places his OL doesn’t expect. That will be one of the biggest areas to watch in his development this season. Throw this away now. You’re 11 yards behind the LOS and nowhere to go.
That play above leads directly to this play, where he’s trying to do too much again. It’s as though for Ward there is never a good time to surrender a play and he will force it every time. I’d rather have a QB that is too aggressive than one that I need to talk into taking chances, but Ward is dialed up to an 11 on aggression.
Washington runs an X stunt with DE/DT and it fools the WSU OL and TE. TE is supposed to help outside shoulder of LT here and releases when he sees edge dip inside rather than stay outside. #4 comes in clean and causes Ward to release it early and outside. Easy interception.
Even though he’s throwing this super early, he has to anticipate this better and throw it to the hash more where only his guy could get it. Tough throw, no time to think, it’s partly on that TE for releasing as though getting into a flat route on 3rd-and-17 was more important than staying in to protect.
Runs the RPO game to perfection here as his release is just lethal in these sorts of patterns. He has to be quick to get this out before his OL is too far downfield and he does it perfectly. Waits for the edge to take himself out of the window with subtle movement up the line and then throws a dart behind him.
Lucky to get this one out. Another criticism of Ward is how much ground he gives up in the pocket when pressured because of the belief he has in his arm. Needs to be more decisive in the pocket and not bail on throws to where sacks are going to be 14-yards losses etc.
Your RG gets back-to-back false starts after a 3rd-and-3 turns into a 3rd-and-13 and it’s a punt. (Not pictured)
Next drive. You’re down a TD again and Washington gets the ball after halftime. This is one of the biggest drives of the game and Ward responds with a big-time performance. 1:05 before half, one timeout. He throws three slants in a row (we’ve already discussed how he’s elite on this route) to get the drive going. Then Ward does a great job of looking off the field S and knowing he’s got his best WR on boundary S in the seam backside.
Ward takes another sack when he should be thinking get rid of it on 1st down, so they burn their final timeout. (Not pictured)
2nd down and holy moly is this a throw. You can’t make a better throw, if we’re being honest.
Catch the ball, my man.
I said on the last play you can’t make a better throw, but on the very next play he sure tried. This is magnificent. When the nickel drops down to take the flats he knows he has it because that two-high S is way too far inside to get out there. They wanted to make it look like something else, is my guess, on why both safeties are inside the hash marks here, but it ends up being a big mistake. Once the nickel goes to slow WR in the flat, Ward knows the CB is singled up without a S on the sideline. Awesome stutter-start and then inside to back outside release by the WR as well. You can see he got the CB back on his heels here and that gave him the room to get by him. I’m sure Washington’s DC was distraught that they allowed this to happen by outsmarting themselves and not just playing a shell to hold them to a FG.
This is a two-part article, so hold comments until after second, please.