Master the Art of Quick Passing for High Completion Percentages

• By Keith Grabowski

As the game constantly evolves, plays and concepts come and go, and that’s been true of stand alone quick game.

In my first year as a head coach, we had plenty of issues to deal with and one of those was a very undersized offensive line.  In the run game we made use of plenty of gap schemes to give our guys angles, but the passing game required us to use play action, which we did, and most importantly, get the ball out quick!

At that time I studied Andrew Coverdale’s books inside and out and went and watched him for six sessions at a Glazier Clinic to learn all he was teaching.  It paid off as we led our conference in passing primarily off of quick game.

Quick game is something that Arizona State Tight Ends Coach Jason Mohns believes in.  In an era of RPO, the quick game on its own disappeared temporarily, but Coach Mohns mad his case for putting it back in your offense in his talk at Lauren’s First and Goal. al. 

The Need for Quick Passing Game

Coach Mohns noted that in recent years, they’ve observed a decline in completion percentages, which he attributed to the fact that they weren't calling a lot of quick game anymore. Defenses started to get better at defending RPOs, taking away gift routes and easy completions. This has forced the offense into more shot plays down the field and one-on-ones. 

To counter this, he decided to focus on creating easy throws for their quarterbacks to get into a rhythm and bring back some built-in adjustments to man coverages.

Benefits of Quick Passing Games

#1) Get the ball in your playmaker's hands effectively and efficiently: Quick passing games involve higher percentage throws for your quarterbacks when you're not pushing downfield. This allows you to get the ball to your playmakers more quickly and efficiently.

#2) Great built-in answers to pressure: Quick passing games help you avoid having to worry about picking up six and seven-man pressures. Instead, you can throw the ball to beat the bullets and keep your quarterback in the game.

#3) Simple and easy progressions: Quick passing games have simple and easy progressions for your quarterbacks, making it easier for them to execute the plays.

#4) Versatility: Quick passing games can be easily dressed up and disguised to keep your opponents guessing. You can use window dressing to make your schemes look different while keeping the progression the same for the quarterback.

#5) Ideal for open down calls and first and 10 and second along calls: When building your game plan, quick passing games can show up consistently on your game plan, providing you with more options to outsmart your opponents.

Incorporating Quick Passing Game into Your Strategy

To start incorporating quick passing games into your offensive strategy, focus on creating easy throws for your quarterbacks to get into a rhythm. Study your offense, do some self-scouting, and make sure you have some built-in adjustments to man coverages. Dress up your schemes with the illusion of complexity to keep your opponents guessing, and make sure you have open down calls, first and 10, and second along calls in your game plan.

Examples from Coach Mohns

Consider Adding Quicks…

By mastering the art of quick passing, you can significantly improve your offensive production and boost your completion percentages. Quick passing games offer versatility, efficiency, and a higher probability of success for your quarterbacks. 

It’s worth exploring putting quick game back into your offensive menu.