Matt Hasselbeck rebuilt his game by committing to coached footwork. He and five other NFL quarterback experts see inconsistency in Cam Ward’s mechanics contributing to his accuracy problems
By PAUL KUHARSKY
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Matt Hasselbeck was a Green Bay fourth-string quarterback without a lot of possibilities when he fully committed to training Joe Montana-style footwork following the 1998 NFL season.
Nothing was going to get him out from under Brett Favre. But his work with Mike McCarthy on his feet helped him separate, produce two quality preseasons and become an NFL commodity.
Mike Holmgren and the Seahawks traded for him, and he became an 11-year starter with an NFC Championship and three Pro Bowls when they still meant something.
“When I humbled myself and bought into the footwork that I was being coached to use,” he said, “my game took off.”
Footwork is an issue at the center of Cam Ward’s struggles.
Robert Saleh said Ward’s footwork is good at the start of games, but fades later as he falls into bad habits, some perhaps related to PTSD as a result of being sacked 55 times as a rookie. Ward said he feels his lower body mechanics are better this year than they were last year and that his success with off-platform throws doesn’t conflict with what he needs to do when he’s in the pocket or has time to reset.
I asked Hasselbeck and five others who coach quarterbacks or played the position in the NFL to look at a short six-play reel of Cam Ward, whose footwork has come under scrutiny as his accuracy has suffered. Hasselbeck was happy to talk on the record. The others still have reasons not to talk publicly for fear of consequences, and I granted them anonymity in exchange for their candor.
