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About
In today's NFL, every team has a "win now" mentality. There's no time for rebuilding or down years. You need to compete each and every day, or else you're out; and that goes for the players, coaches, and front office. You either win today or you're gone tomorrow.
Because of this trend, struggling teams have forgone the training of old and slowly building from the ground up for the immediate payoff. And when it comes to gaining the interest of the fans and media, there's one go-to decision for every struggling team: the rookie quarterback.
Blitzed is an in-depth study as to the reason why teams choose to hand the keys of their franchise over to an unproven rookie. But there are multiple layers as to the odds of success for these athletes. While much has to do with their mental and physical toughness, the coaching, front office, and state of an organization all play a crucial role.
In the last two NFL drafts, quarterbacks have been taken as the first two picks (Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota in 2015; Jared Goff and Carson Wentz in 2016). The face of the franchise can't grow a beard, but is expected to lead his team on the gridiron.
Covering the history of this trend with a running timeline of the 2016 NFL season and top draft picks Goff and Wentz, as well as interviews with numerous current and former quarterbacks, coaches, and executives, distinguished journalist Thomas George breaks down how teams decide on starting a rookie quarterback and why the chances of an immediate payoff are such a mixed bag.
Because of this trend, struggling teams have forgone the training of old and slowly building from the ground up for the immediate payoff. And when it comes to gaining the interest of the fans and media, there's one go-to decision for every struggling team: the rookie quarterback.
Blitzed is an in-depth study as to the reason why teams choose to hand the keys of their franchise over to an unproven rookie. But there are multiple layers as to the odds of success for these athletes. While much has to do with their mental and physical toughness, the coaching, front office, and state of an organization all play a crucial role.
In the last two NFL drafts, quarterbacks have been taken as the first two picks (Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota in 2015; Jared Goff and Carson Wentz in 2016). The face of the franchise can't grow a beard, but is expected to lead his team on the gridiron.
Covering the history of this trend with a running timeline of the 2016 NFL season and top draft picks Goff and Wentz, as well as interviews with numerous current and former quarterbacks, coaches, and executives, distinguished journalist Thomas George breaks down how teams decide on starting a rookie quarterback and why the chances of an immediate payoff are such a mixed bag.
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Reviews
"Quarterback is the most popular position in football, and football the most popular sport in America. In Blitzed, Thomas George takes readers on a fascinating inside journey of the high-stakes risks and rewards of that job, and how far teams will go to ride a young gunslinger to success. A terrific insider's view from a long-time football insider himself."
Mitch Albom, New York Times bestselling author and sports columnist for the Detroit Free P
"The biggest mystery in modern football is not what team will finally dethrone the Patriots for NFL supremacy, but rather which hotshot college quarterback will become a professional star. Thomas George rationally and methodically puts a microscope on this conundrum, from what happens when a coach realizes his bonus baby doesn't have the goods ("Devastating," Dick Vermeil calls that feeling) to en
Peter King, editor in chief, The Monday Morning Quarterback
"If you believe that the statement 'by studying the past you'll be prepared for the future' is true, then I recommend you read Blitzed! We all make personnel mistakes as we build our NFL teams-maybe more within the quarterback position-so a read such as this by Thomas George is a very worthy experience. I found Blitzed to be informative, educational, and revealing. Great job, Thomas!"
Dick Vermeil, NFL coaching legend