The players stood in neat formations, and the coaches lined up, creating an impressive scene. The entire training field was filled with a tense and somber atmosphere, giving the illusion of a military training session. It was hard to believe that this was just a regular day of practice for a professional football team.
Jim Harbaugh squinted slightly and scanned the players in front of him. Their mixed expressions made it impossible to discern their specific feelings and emotions. Without any pleasantries or small talk, he skipped the greetings and went straight to the point. "Next, seven-on-seven training. Offense, three offensive linemen, two wide receivers, one tight end, and the quarterback. Defense, two defensive linemen, two linebackers, and the remaining three players will be a free combination of cornerbacks and safeties."
Seven-on-seven training had been done before at the rookie training camp. In fact, this was the most basic and traditional passing drill, and every team did it repeatedly as part of their routine. It wasn't surprising.
However, choosing seven-on-seven training as the first item on a Thursday practice schedule made the intent incredibly obvious. The competition for the starting quarterback position was about to begin.
"Coach, this isn't fair," Colin Kaepernick raised his hand and said loudly. "Without the running back to provide cover, the passing pressure increases. This is clearly emphasizing the quarterback's passing ability and weakening their running ability. But for a quarterback, running is also one of their skills."
To put it simply, this was a training session for pocket quarterbacks, and it put running quarterbacks at a disadvantage. Lu Ke and Smith were both pocket quarterbacks, while Kaepernick was a running quarterback.
"The game is unfair. Some offensive linemen are excellent, while others are terrible. Are you not going to play because the offensive linemen aren't good?" Jim had no intention of being nice. He shot back a sarcastic remark, leaving Kaepernick speechless with a flushed face.
Then, Jim continued, "This is a tactical drill. The offensive coach gives the offensive commands, and the defensive coach gives the defensive commands. You just follow the commands. We're practicing our plays."
In the rookie training camp, the seven-on-seven drill was used to test a quarterback's ability to react under pressure and make proper arrangements based on their understanding of the strategy and the abilities of their temporary teammates. But today's seven-on-seven drill mainly tested the quarterback's understanding and application of the strategy.
From a quarterback's perspective, this was a test of their understanding of the playbook.
Then, Jim intentionally or unintentionally glanced in Kaepernick's direction. "If necessary, we'll also run read option plays. Different styles of quarterbacks naturally have completely different playing styles. Coaches understand this better than the players." Although he didn't name anyone, his words were sharp and didn't give Kaepernick any face.
The so-called read option play was a popular strategy on college fields in recent years. It was simple, crude, and directly effective. It could even be described as invincible. Both Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick had used this strategy to dominate the college scene.
Yes, this was a strategy that fully utilized the personal talent of a running quarterback.
In a normal offensive play, there are five offensive linemen, while the defensive front line on the other side consists of seven players—either four defensive linemen plus three linebackers or three defensive linemen plus four linebackers. Overall, it's a "five-on-seven" situation.
However, the defensive front line of the defensive team has to be responsible for multiple tasks at the same time, such as rushing the quarterback, defending the run, and defending short passes. They have a certain advantage in terms of numbers, but the specific situation still needs to be arranged according to the actual strategy.
In a read option play, the quarterback would choose an outside defensive player, usually a defensive end or an outside linebacker, and intentionally forget about that player's existence. Then they would reasonably arrange their offensive linemen and even their receivers to face the other six players on the defensive front line, creating a one-on-one or two-on-one situation to block the charge of the defensive players.
As a result, the receivers, tight ends, and running backs who didn't have a blocking assignment could create a situation of having more players than the defense.
But what about the one outside defensive player who was left out? Because the other defensive players were blocked or intercepted, he became isolated and alone. He had to make an accurate judgment: was this a running play or a passing play?
In other words, did he have to defend the quarterback or the running back? In this kind of choice, he would often have to neglect one in favor of the other.
The quarterback's job becomes simple. He only needs to keep his eyes on that one outside defensive player. If the player starts to defend the run, then the quarterback will run with the ball himself. If the player starts to rush the quarterback, then the quarterback will hand the ball off to the running back to break through. Furthermore, if the player loses his defensive position and the quarterback sees an opening, he can also complete a pass.
In summary, a read option play is when the quarterback reads the opponent's defensive position, picks out a hole, intentionally lets that hole exist, and then completely blocks all the other positions. Then, based on the movement of that defensive hole, the quarterback can choose to hand the ball off to the running back, run with the ball himself, or pass the ball.
When a read option play is combined with a pistol formation, it becomes ever-changing and full of options for a running quarterback. It's even more unpredictable than a pocket quarterback's shotgun formation. Against such an offense, the defensive team is completely unprepared.
For a pocket quarterback, running with the ball is too risky, and they lack the ability to do so. But for a running quarterback, this fully utilizes their physical talents.
On the college field, the read option play was an absolute game-changer and also led to the rise of running quarterbacks. However, in the league, the read option play has had some success, but it has never become widespread. The reason is that the read option requires a lot of physical talent.
For a quarterback, passing is their main job. But now, they are required to run with the ball and face strong and fierce hits. The physical quality and hitting force of defensive players are absolutely not to be underestimated. This is also why offensive linemen are so strong. They block the first round of hits for the quarterback.
Especially after entering the professional league, the intensity and force of the hits are far greater than in college leagues. In addition, the NFL's strategies are ever-changing. The defensive players' ability to read the situation and react to a crisis is also far superior to that of the NCAA. This means that the defensive team can more quickly see through the read option play and deliver a fatal blow to the quarterback.
Hit after hit, for a quarterback, this is essentially using their weakness against the opponent's strength. Even for a "superman" like Cam Newton, his physical quality is still no match for a defensive player. If he frequently uses the read option play in a game, Newton will face a high risk of injury.
So, the few running quarterbacks in the league now, and even the running quarterbacks who have made a name for themselves on the college field, are all black men with incredible physical abilities. But even they can become fragile if they are not careful.
Getting back to the conversation between Jim Harbaugh and Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick protested because passing accuracy was not his strong suit.
Objectively speaking, his passing accuracy was better than Cam Newton's, but his physical ability was not as good as Cam Newton's. So, in the draft, the Carolina Panthers chose Newton, and the San Francisco 49ers chose Kaepernick with a high second-round pick.
Even so, Kaepernick's passing accuracy couldn't be compared to Lu Ke's or Smith's.
In the four preseason games, the team still used passing plays more than the read option play. Kaepernick had a serious problem with his understanding of the playbook. In today's seven-on-seven drill, without a running back to provide a screen, there was no read option play, which made his situation even more unfavorable.
But Jim was so firm because this was a strategic drill. A read option is an offensive play that relies on a quarterback's personal physical talent. It has almost no requirements for passing or strategy, which doesn't align with the purpose of the first round of training.
This is why Jim said what he said earlier. The coaching staff would arrange the strategies according to the players' styles. But in the end, today's starting quarterback competition was to serve the team, not to show off the talent and ability of a certain quarterback.
"Are there any other questions now?" Jim said loudly, his eyes fixed on Kaepernick.
Kaepernick didn't answer. He lowered his head and looked away.
"We'll go one play at a time," Jim added. "The four quarterbacks will take turns. Just stand on the twenty-yard line. We'll have different combinations of offensive and defensive plays to see how well the team understands the playbook."
"Coach, does that include me?" Scott Tolzien raised his right hand hesitantly. He thought there wasn't a place for him in today's competition for the starting position.
Jim looked at Scott. "Are you a quarterback on our team?" Scott nodded blankly. "Then, yes, it includes you. If there are no other questions, let's start now. Alex, you're first. Colin, you're second. Then it's Lu Ke, and finally, Scott."
Choosing a starting quarterback was one thing, and a strategic drill was another. They couldn't ignore this week's regular season just to choose a starting quarterback. So, all four quarterbacks had to be on the field.
The short interruption didn't cause much of a stir. Then all the offensive and defensive players quickly took the field. Craig Roman and Vic Fangio chose two different groups of players to rotate, and the strategic drill began.
All the players, the entire team, whether they were on the field getting ready to train or on the sidelines watching, and even the players from the practice squad, all fell silent and watched with bated breath.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Alex jogged onto the field. Then, according to the coach's strategic arrangement, he accurately executed a play and successfully completed a six-yard pass. Short passing plays and throwing control had always been Alex's strengths and the key to his success in the league.
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