Why do people always call rookie players rookies? Especially the quarterback position, where rookie quarterbacks are always questioned and challenged more?

Is it because of the lack of ability of the rookie quarterback? Apparently not. After polishing and training in the college league, the ability of many rookie quarterbacks has actually reached the league average, or even better; But after they entered the professional league, they still didn't perform well enough, and there is a reason for that.

On the one hand, there is a lack of experience, the intensity and intensity of the NFL confrontation are much higher than that of the NCAA, for quarterbacks, the lack of sufficient experience, in times of crisis, often panic, nervous, overwhelmed, which means making mistakes. For rugby, mistakes and mistakes are often fatal.

On the other hand, there is a difference in tactics, the tactics in the NFL league are ever-changing, just a short pass on the screen can conjure a flower, and the details of a tactic may involve multiple positions such as running back, wide receiver, offensive forward, etc., and at the same time, it is also necessary to interpret the lineback, corner back and offensive forward of the defensive group, which is intricate and easy to make people dizzy.

Not to mention, after Cam Newton entered the Carolina Panthers, the thick tactical manual became his old problem, and he was even severely reprimanded by the coaching staff several times for failing to understand the tactical manual. Misinterpretation and mistakes in the playbook can lead to a number of different outcomes: miscommunication between the coaching staff and the quarterback, poor communication between the quarterback and the offensive forward, and miscommunication between the quarterback and the receiver.

The von Derick test is definitely not just a formality.

However, Cam isn't the only quarterback in the league to have problems with the playbook. In fact, in the league, not to mention rookie quarterbacks, even many veteran quarterbacks, two or three seasons after entering the league, are still ignorant, and it is easy to drop the chain at critical moments.

Furthermore, it is not uncommon for rookie quarterbacks to quietly withdraw from the league after just one or two seasons because they have not been able to understand the tactical manual and have never been able to understand the team's tactical arrangements. The most famous is Ryan Leaf.

The famous Ryan Leaf, when he was on the NCAA stage, was with Peyton Manning for a while, ability, experience, performance, personality charm and physical fitness, etc., the two were almost the same, and even Von Derrick's test scores, the two were only one point apart.

In the 1998 draft, the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers were the first and second picks, respectively. At the time, it was widely believed that this was one of the least suspenseful drafts, with one team picking a quarterback and the other picking the rest, and that's fine, plain and simple.

After rookie training camp, the Colts were in a dilemma because of the dilemma of "whether to choose Leaf or Manning". Until the draft, experts, veteran scouts, and team coaches were at loggerheads who couldn't choose between the two quarterbacks, and of course, they were convinced that no matter who they chosen, they couldn't make the wrong choice.

In the end, the Colts chose Manning and the Chargers chose Leaf.

After entering the team, both rookie quarterbacks became the starting quarterbacks for their respective teams. But, that's where the disaster began. Leaf was never able to fully read the playbook, and his performance on the court was terrible, not keeping up with the pace of the professional league; And his personal attitude is a nightmare, playing completely in the style and way of his college days, and even making a move to give up the game on the court.

In the end, Leaf's rookie season quarterback rating was only 39, almost the lowest in the history of a rookie player, and he was never able to read the playbook during his three seasons with the Chargers, let alone adapt to the rhythm of the professional league, and after the 2000 season, the Chargers cut Leaf.

Leaf then went to several teams for tryouts and stayed in the sparring team. But even so, his ability still can't meet the requirements of the professional league, and after hitting a wall everywhere, he has no choice but to retire. Later, he was imprisoned for drugs, alcoholism, and other problems.

Ryan Leaf is widely recognized as the all-time champion of the league draft.

Tactical manuals, league intensity, game tempo...... These are the shortcomings of rookie quarterbacks, so during the offseason, the team will organize multiple training camps before and after, including special training camps for quarterbacks and receiving teams, just to thoroughly understand the tactical manual; In addition, the team's tendency not to have rookie quarterbacks learn from veteran quarterbacks for a few seasons is the same intention.

In football or basketball, rookie players can often inject new energy into the team, and many coaches even favor young players. But in rugby, the intricacies of tactics have left the rookies behind.

Generally speaking, most teams will choose a veteran quarterback when given a choice.

The reason why Lu Ke was able to become the team's starting quarterback was not because he won the approval of the coach, but because the regular season was imminent, and the coaching staff had no other choice; Now that Alex Smith is back with the team and the coaching staff back at their disposal, how should they decide?

Is Alex a top quarterback? At least in the past few years, he hasn't shown top potential, he's a slightly above average quarterback, and his accuracy in short passes and the rarity of turnovers are his strengths; And the lack of long passing, and even the chance of trying is the lowest in the league, which is his shortcoming. Therefore, the San Francisco 49ers have always lacked the domineering spirit to gnaw hard battles.

In the offseason, Alex left the team first, but then Jim took the lead and re-signed Alex.

The reason is simple, a third of the San Francisco 49ers are new additions, they need to run in and reorganize, a quarterback with a low turnover rate and a steady style is a positive for the team; At the same time, they also hope that Alex can be a mentor to Colin Kaepernick and help the rookie quarterback grow. Perhaps after a season, the 49ers' quarterback position will be complete.

It stands to reason that the choice of Alex was a matter of course; But after two weeks of racing, things seem to have changed subtly.

"Personally, I think, well, let's go with Alex. Lu Ke's performance amazed many people, this is a fact, he does have many advantages. But I think he's a little too aggressive. Especially the few passes in the second week, including 'that catch', which were danced on tightropes and couldn't have been successful every time. One mistake can ruin the whole situation. So, uh...... Alex? ”

"I don't think it's something to worry about. Lu Ke's ability to read the game on the field, I think this is the most valuable, his ability is still lacking, but he can use his wisdom to make up for it. The process of the two wins is different, but the pattern is somewhat similar and I think that's the spirit we need as a team. ”

"So, how to solve the problem of inconsistent performance? The rookie quarterback's play is a roller coaster, and Lu Ke is no exception, this happened in both games, and one quarter of the game completely lost his touch and was completely locked. As the game progresses, more and more people begin to study Lu Ke, his shortcomings will become bigger and bigger, and our game will become more and more difficult. ”

"The weakness of a rookie quarterback is that he's inconsistent play, and the strength is that he uses tactics and interprets the game differently. On the contrary, I think it's acceptable. Alex's steady passing may not lead to mistakes, but equally, it may be difficult to bring victory. We're a brand new team now and we need some bit of energy. ”

"But, what about the relationship between Lu Ke and the other team members? I'm not quite sure what the hell is going on here, because of his rookie status? Because they are more supportive of Alex? Because Lu Ke's personality is not charismatic enough? Or is it because of Lu Ke's Chinese identity? Please, guys, we can't pretend not to see the elephant in the room. If Lu Ke continues to serve as the starting quarterback, the locker room problem cannot be ignored. ”

The last to speak was Kip, who finally spoke up.

Rugby is a team sport and they need the whole team to come together.

Kip originally thought that this is San Francisco, undoubtedly one of the most culturally integrated cities on the North American continent, and at the same time, the Asian American community and even the Chinese American community are among the top three cities in the United States, and there is no team in the entire league that is more suitable for a Chinese American quarterback than the 49ers.

Imagine if it were the conservative districts in the Midlands, the Chinese quarterbacks would be greeted with beer bottles, Rotten Tomatoes and stinky garbage.

But in real life, the situation is not optimistic. Kip can't be sure if Lu Ke's Chinese-American identity has caused controversy or whether it is the trigger for conflict in the dressing room, but they must be aware of the problem and must face it squarely, otherwise the situation will only get worse.

Kip's words silenced everyone in the locker room, exchanging glances, but no one spoke, but looked at Jim.

Such a scene is familiar. At the beginning, after the tryout, the coaching staff got together to discuss who should stay; But the situation seems to be different again, when the opposition prevailed, and everyone argued with red faces, but today it is evenly divided, and everyone speaks calmly -

It can be heard that even they themselves are a little unsure at this time. Whether it is to choose Alex or Lu Ke, there is a little hesitation, and the two victories are extremely exciting, but they are not enough to completely turn things around.

At the beginning, Jim Hubble made the decision; Today, too, the decision falls to Jim Hubble. Now, however, they are also facing another problem: locker room contradictions. And what should Jim do about it?