Colin Cowherd thought he was asking Drew Brees about mechanics. Instead, he got an on-the-fly masterclass on what accuracy means in the NFL that might have a certain Chicago Bears quarterback needing to make notes on.
It wasn't by accident that Cowherd brought up Brees's accuracy. In the latter stages of his career, Brees became one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league and spent all five of his final seasons with a completion percentage over 70%.
Cowherd defined accuracy, and Brees immediately redefined it. Brees says accuracy comes down to trust and anticipation. Veteran quarterbacks, including Brees, have suggested that Bears quarterback Caleb Williams needs to improve his efficiency, and the key statistic that's lacking is his completion percentage.
“To me, accuracy is trust and anticipation," Brees said. "Maybe it was the fact that I took the check down as opposed to taking the risk on that play. Just because I know I can make that throw, you have to have this internal mechanism that tells you, hey, that’s a one in ten completion versus I take this check down and that gets me to third and four.”
Accuracy Is About Probability, Not Power
Choosing to take a one-in-ten throw creates the kind of plays that define excellence at the quarterback position, but having the knowledge and experience to make the right decisions is what truly sets them apart. A couple of plays in a game with a signature wow factor is great, but making sustainable decisions for the game's short and long-term futures is essential.
Williams' entire college tape reel was built on off-script plays and on creating plays where none existed. But the NFL is an entirely different beast, and Williams has taken many steps toward making football more efficient. He's demonstrated he has the ability. He's demonstrated he has the knowledge to stay ahead of the chains. What remains is the decision-making that creates Super Bowl MVPs.
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Williams doesn't need to reinvent himself. Rather, he must master the art of heat-of-the-moment accuracy and decision making. Brees didn't become an accuracy machine overnight, and nobody expects Williams to either. But in the NFL, quarterbacks who win are often the ones who choose the eight in ten throw over the one in ten highlight.