Was going to write about turnback protection and when its more appropriate over bob schemes and how the actual RB checkdowns are used to determine which protection should be used, but timing is
huge issue as well.
Timing, imo, is the biggest non-negotiable in establishing a successful passing game. The ball must be thrown in a place where the receiver is open and at the
time when he is open. This is fact no matter what "style" of offense a team selects. Matching receiver depths and break points with the different drop depths and timing mechanisms of the quarterback is the predominant method of passing in the NFL and is apparent with all "pro-style" offenses today. (some other offenses; air raid, run and shoot, etc do not put as much emphasis on the timing aspect of the qb drop, instead it's on receivers reading the coverage and finding grass; although the timing of the pass is still important) It does no good if a receiver breaks open while a qb is continuing his drop and conversely, does no good if a qb is standing there waiting for a receiver to separate from the defender.
In order for a pass concept to be consistently effective, the qb's drop must be manipulated so that as he goes through his progression, receivers are finishing their breaks or coming open in a sequential manner. In other words, the secondary read should break or come open after the primary read. If the come open at the same time, the throw will be late to the secondary receiver if the primary one was taken away. One example of a specific play and how timing is a driving factor is of the WCO staple, Z Drive.
..........X.................O..O..C..O..O...Y..... ...................................
.....................................Q............ ..............................Z........
.................................................. .........................................
......................................B....C...... .......................................
The name of the play tells you who the primary receiver is, Z. He runs a shallow cross, replacing the heels of the DL and stair-stepping any wall technique LB's (often after motioning towards the LOS). The Y (TE) releases outside, pushes vertically to 12-15 yards, then cuts in (running away vs man-to-man or sitting vs zone. The near back runs a outside vertical route (normally a circle-type route from traditional teams, but you'll see later how the play has been tweaked in modern times). The X receiver runs a deep comeback (will convert to a flag variant vs a squat corner), the depth determined by how it
times up with the QB's drop (normally at about 18 yards). The FB will protect strong, then run a check-down route outside the RT (to stay out of the way of Y, but remain a viable option).
Here's how timing comes into play, along with true progression. The primary receiver's necessary timing is what determines the drop depth. It will take the QB dropping 7 steps to allow the flanker the time to cross the formation and elude any "trash" in his way before he makes it to the left flat(which is where you want the ball caught). This needs to be an exact science for the play to work (or any for that matter). When the QB hits his 7th step, the ball is thrown to the flanker, if it's not thrown then the QB hitches.
Well, where does he look now after the hitch? The answer is it depends. Who can cover the flanker? The player in the weak flats or the ILB(s). If the player in the weak flat holds his ground and looks for the crosser (this is part one of the QB's read, he's also the guy that's left unblocked), then rt after the hitch, the QB throws the ball to the X (he's 1 on 1 with the corner or in the zone between the corner and the safety). If the ILB steps forward to rob or cut the crosser, the QB hitches and delivers the ball to the TE. The depth of those secondary routes is timed up with the hitch step of the QB.
What happens if after the hitch, the TE is covered? That's why you have a checkdown. After the hitch, the QB resets his feet and delivers the ball down to the back.
You might ask what about the deep route by the other back? 25 years ago, he was just a decoy, only getting the ball if the defense played certain man to man coverage looks, normally in a zero shell. Now, here's the way the play is run.
............X.......................O..O..C..O..O. ..Y................................
.............................................Q.... .....................Z.................W.
.................................................. ............................................
.............................................F.... ...........................................
Z still runs the shallow, the extra wide receiver runs a post or corner-post, something to the deep middle of the field. Now, if Y is jumped by a safety, then the QB can reset and work the deep route. However, the QB must stay on proper progression, if he doesn't, he will not be able to throw the ball to Z late.
How this relates to Madden is the fact that the route depths must properly space the field and match the qb's drop, which they currently do not always do. Also, there needs to be more variety in the drops themselves, 5 step to go along with the 7 step and quick step. And lastly, the user should be able to throw the ball at multiple times during the drop, without appearing arcadish. Basically, QB's can throw the ball almost directly after the snap (hot), at the end of the drop, or after a hitch step (or subsequent re-setting of the feet. Currently, I feel that the QB drops a little to fast (although its better than before), but receivers definitely do not cover ground as fast as they should, thus leading to routes that are run at the wrong depth and that don't space the field properly