How Brock Purdy can Improve Against Man to Man Coverage

Brock Purdy might have the weakest arm of any starting quarterback in the NFL.

That's why he was the last pick in the draft. He makes up for this deficiency by throwing with anticipation and accuracy from the pocket. So when he faces zone coverage, he can anticipate the opening and lob the ball into a wide open window where a receiver will eventually be.

When Purdy diagnoses zone coverages quickly and correctly, he shreds them and his lack of arm strength is a non issue. Man-to-man coverage is a different story.

When teams have quality defensive backs and linebackers and can play tight man-to-man coverage, there are no wide open windows in the defense. Instead, there are very small openings, because the quarterback has to fit the pass around or over a defender who's running stride for stride with the receiver.

Against man-to-man coverage, arm strength helps. It allows quarterbacks to muscle passes into the smallest areas and prevents the defensive backs from turning and breaking up the throw or picking it off.

Purdy can improve his arm strength incrementally, but he likely never will have a strong enough arm to shred man coverage. But there's a way he can beat it anyway.

Scrambling.

When a team plays man coverage, the linebackers and defensive backs turn their back to the quarterback and chase the receivers around the field. Which means there's no one to stop Purdy from scrambling unless the defense spies him, which it won't.

As long as he's decisive and aggressive with his legs against man coverage, he'll beat it.