Dodgeball at Practice!

One of the most important skills a quarterback has to have is being able to avoid pressure from defenders, even by making a small move at the last second. Zorn, the genius he is, knows the best way to teach this is with some good old fashioned dodgeball.

In this drill, three quarterbacks and Zorn would form a square around the fourth quarterback, throwing balls the size of linemen at him. The drill concentrated on making quick moves while staying the middle of the square. This helps quarterbacks stay in the pocket instead of running around, possibly into another opponent.

Another important part of the drills was keeping two hands on the ball at all times, which seasoned vets Jason Campbell and Todd Collins did extremely well. Youngsters Colt Brennan and Chase Daniel on the other hand had significant problems with this.

If a ball came close to them, they would sometimes jump and spread their hands a part. Exposing the ball like that in a game could allow a defensive player to strip the ball easily. Every time I see guys going for the quarterback, they are going for that ball first. With the ball out there for the taking, they won't hesitate to get it.

This drill just showed me the big differences between veterans and the young guys. It's the little things like keeping two hands on the ball that lead to victories, or least take them away from you.