The learning curve is never all that fun in the NFL. Even the most gifted rookies discover the difficulty in not only facing the best at what they do week after week, but players who know what you’re supposed to learn the hard way.
That knowledge can often make a difference.
“That’s true,” said Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey. “I may not be quite as fast — I’m still fast, but maybe not quite as fast — as when I came in, but I play so much faster now because I know so much more.”
As the Broncos try to work three rookies — Rahim Moore, Quinton Carter and Chris Harris — and one second-year player, Cassius Vaughn, through these, pass-happy days, there is the matter of what now constitutes a receiver being open.
Every talent evaluator in the league will say he loves the power arm on his quarterback prospects, but there is also a continued emphasis on accuracy. In fact, most who draft players for a living will say accuracy, especially in pressure situations, is the biggest factor in whether a quarterback makes it in the NFL.
Quarterbacks are not only throwing for more yardage than ever before, they are doing it more accurately than many of their predecessors.
Consider that a 60 percent completion rate used to be a rather benchmark. But if you were an NFL quarterback this morning with a 60 percent completion rate, you would be 20th in the league.
Yes, 20th.
It has made playing defensive back a confidence game, especially for young players like the Broncos are currently playing in their secondary — they had three rookies in a six-defensive back look at times last weekend in Green Bay.
Just watch the model of power arm/accuracy in Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers leads the league in both passer rating (124.6) and completion percentage (73.0) through four games this season.
He blistered the Broncos defense for 408 passing yards and four touchdowns to go with two rushing touchdowns last week. Some of those totals included throws where the receiver, especially to a player who was playing college football this time last season, didn’t look all that open, or not open at all.
“College, 2 yards is open. Here, 2 feet might be open, maybe less,” Bailey said. “That’s how quarterbacks feel. They’re going to try to put it in there regardless, especially when you face guys like we did last week (Rodgers) and this week (San Diego’s Philip Rivers).”
“They’ll put that ball out there even if their guy is covered; they’re going to assume he’s going to make a play,” said Broncos secondary coach Ron Milus. “They’ll put it out there when they’re open and when they’re covered, they’re still open at this level.”
And that’s the lesson, Milus said, as the Broncos put their youthful defensive backs through on-the-job training every Sunday — that quarterbacks know who you are and how long you’ve been back there.
And that they’ll keep throwing at you until you force them to stop.
“No excuses,” Milus said. “We have to put a better product on the field.”
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
