three-step drop

Saints quarterback Derek Carr is likely to operate quickly next season.

While there is some ambiguity about what new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will bring to New Orleans schematically, specifically about how much he’ll incorporate some of the things Kyle Shanahan is doing in San Francisco, there is one thing we can almost be certain of: The plays with three-step drops are going to increase dramatically this season.

As they should.

🆕: The Klint Kubiak era can officially start now📌: How much influence will Klint Kubiak have on the draft?📌: What do we expect the QB depth chart to look like in 2024?🔗:https://t.co/x8bRIWULGc pic.twitter.com/ZjEO80YwFn— NOF (@nofnetwork) February 12, 2024

Before we get into all the reasons for doing it and why it works, let’s just start with two key points:

Carr completed 82.3% of his passes last year on plays that featured a three-step drop. He posted a 108.9 passer rating on those plays. Both marks ranked in the top 10 in the NFL.

And here’s where things get a little crazy: For his career, Carr has completed 74.9% of his passes on plays that feature a three-step drop, which is better than the 72.8 mark Drew Brees posted during his Saints career.

Take that with a grain of salt. New England's Mac Jones is the most accurate quick-game passer since 2006. But it is meaningful that players such as Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Trevor Lawrence, Jalen Hurts, Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert rank in the top 15. Carr ranks 17th.

All of this is great news for Carr. He’s effective in this aspect of the game, and this aspect of the game has a way of simplifying things for both the quarterback and the offensive line. And that’s because the goals are simple when using this style of offense: Get quick completions, and let your playmakers make plays.

🆕: Our series continues ranking the Saints needs this offseason:QB and CB. Both wild cards, depending on their long-term outlooks for Derek Carr and Marshon Lattimorehttps://t.co/RUB4fsH3aH— NOF (@nofnetwork) February 13, 2024

These plays happen fast and are supposed to be easy reads for the quarterback. There are often two reads on the front side of the play with a backside option, assuming the defense doesn’t do something that creates a predetermined read. By the time the QB's back foot hits on that third step, the ball should be coming out, and he lets someone make a play.

The QB has to trust that to happen. One of the keys to the quick game is that a few inches of separation is open. If the QB is throwing to an open target, that means someone is closing in, and there won’t be much space for the receiver to make a play after they catch the ball. The goal is to find them as they’re separating.

And the Saints need a lot of help here. Last season, Carr had to throw for pretty much every yard he got after the catch. This new version of the offense needs to make better use of the speed and ability of players like Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. It needs to let them make things happen with their legs. The quick game can unlock that.

Mixing in more of these plays can also make things easier on the offensive line. Everything is easier because it happens faster. Faster means it’s harder for the defensive line to create pressure and turn pressure into disruptions. Affecting the quarterback is hard to do in 1.69 seconds — the average time to throw on three-step drops last season.

Official pic.twitter.com/E4SXmxmdAQ— NOF (@nofnetwork) February 12, 2024

The other positive is there aren’t many adjustments on the offensive line because the goal is to beat the blitz by getting the ball out quickly. Snap and go. The last major benefit for linemen is that when the ball comes out quickly, they can play more aggressively, which puts them in a position of strength.

Look at it this way: NFL quarterbacks took 2,911 three-step drops last season. On 65 of those plays (2.2%), the quarterback was sacked. The odds are overwhelmingly good that Carr is going to stay upright if he gets the ball out on time.

So, how big of a piece of the offense will these plays become?

The uptick should be noticeable. The Saints attempted 73 passes last year featuring a three-step drop. The 49ers had 93. The Dolphins (176) and Texans (103), other notable Shanahan offenses, featured even more.

It is also possible Kubiak, who was the passing game coordinator in San Francisco last season, might like the quick game even more than Shanahan. When he was the offensive coordinator in Minnesota in 2021, his team attempted 121 passes featuring a three-step drop. So, at the very least, we should see Carr’s total increase to something around 100 attempts.

Fast will be different. The Saints very badly need something different, and it looks like it’s coming in a hurry.