Defensive players across the National Football League all took a collective cringe Friday, as Saints’ coach Sean Payton offered up a training experience to aid NFL quarterbacks. Payton was speaking at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on the topic of coaching and innovations in data collection. He touched on methods his Saints use in tracking player activity levels throughout the week, and the correlation between conditioning and injuries.
Payton also referenced unorthodox studies that monitor such qualities such as, “your bone length as it pertains to your chances of playing a receiver position, chances of playing a defensive back position. How is your chassis basically made up of?” These are the types of details and nuances science has opened doors to that may mean very little to most individuals, but that meticulous football minds turn to for even a slight competitive edge.
Sean Payton highlighted an even more promising breakthrough that could further widen the chasm of competitive favor that NFL offenses already hold over their defensive counterparts. Payton petitioned for the use of virtual reality simulators in training NFL quarterbacks; pointing to limited meaningful practice reps to support his claim. Apparently the Super Bowl winning coach is of the mindset that it’s much easier to simulate game play situations for most other position groups.
Of quarterbacks, a position that doesn’t take contact in practice and thus presents a greater challenge in replicating the timing, urgency, and feel of a game atmosphere, Payton asks, “How do you get those guys snaps, real-time snaps?” A rhetorical question that almost carries with it a tone of sarcasm. To think that Drew Brees, Payton’s own starting quarterback, needs any more advantage over defenses is nonsensical.
Virtual reality simulators have a real possibility of staking their claim as the next piece of technology being utilized in football. The NFL’s recent rule changes would suggest that prolific offenses are crucial to the popularity and sustained growth of the NFL brand. Younger quarterbacks would likely benefit most from virtual reality devices that could be used for training. They could allow for smoother transition from college play to the professional game and better prepare rookies for immediate playing time. In turn, the chances of youthful signal callers adapting and thriving would certainly increase.
More franchise type quarterbacks throughout the league equates to explosive and entertaining offensive affairs, increased branding, and highly competitive play across the board. A number of NFL teams are only a quarterback away from playoff contention, and having the ability to better groom prospects improves their odds of finding their quarterback sooner.