Getty Sean McVay talks to Jared Goff before the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta. McVay revealed on the Wednesday edition of the "Flying Coach" podcast what he and his staff really looks for in identifying strong quarterback play.
All great offenses start with great quarterback play. And Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, praised as an offensive genius throughout his 13 years of coaching, finally revealed when he knows he and his staff identified a gem of a signal-caller.
In the latest episode of the “Flying Coach” podcast released on Wednesday morning, McVay spoke with his guest NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman on knowing when he knows he’s discovered an elite quarterback. What McVay revealed in finding a great QB has nothing to do with astronomical stats or identifying their personal win-loss record.
It has more to do with a QB’s body language especially when things don’t go as planned.
Is He a Leader?
McVay unveiled the first trait he zeroes in on when scrutinizing a quarterback.
“I think the first thing is, at it’s core, we’re looking for a leader at the quarterback position,” McVay explained on the show he co-hosts with Peter Schrager. “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.”
He then verbally illustrated when he and his scout team knows a QB has strong leader skills: When things don’t go as planned. That’s when they find out the true composure of a future leader of the offense.
“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 (scouting all 22 players). 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 sidelines?” McVay asked. “I want to know, when s*** is not going good, are you going to be that guy that people can look to and say ‘I just got to believe when things are not going on schedule.’ That, to me, is when the great ones really separate themselves.”
Can They Thrive Through Chaos?
McVay dove deeper into when he and his staff knows a signal-caller can thrive when things break down. It starts when the QB is in the pocket, a guy or multiple defenders are in their face and they still find a way to move the ball by air or ground game.
“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,” McVay said.
Then he mentioned the league’s best examples, including the ones who are highly skilled at thriving through the field chaos.
“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. “Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson are also doing it at such a high level. Kyler Murray too. But there’s different ways. We’ve talked about Josh Allen and some of the stuff he did and Dak Prescott with what he’s been able to do, these guys that you’re talking about are some of the premier players at the position. They have a creativity that illustrates itself when things go off schedule. By the way, when things are on schedule, they’re as close to automatic as it gets. I think that’s where guys separate themselves.”
McVay additionally praised his newest quarterback Matthew Stafford, saying “That’s one of the things I’m excited about with him: When it breaks down, getting through the progressions, being able to move and manipulate and keeping your eyes down the field.”
There are talent evaluators who gravitate toward a QB’s size and arm strength when making their evaluations. Some immediately look at stats and competition. But it’s clear McVay’s brain is built different when identifying QB’s. He goes straight to their body language, determining how strong their leadership and composure is.