10 Commandments of John Beck…by Dave Hyde

You can read Dave Hyde over a the Sun-Sentinel. Hyde is a Miami Dolphins beat writer. Normally, I won’t bother to copy an entire article that a journalist wrote, but instead link to alone or quote from it. This however, on the morning of John Becks’ first career NFL start, well…couldn’t pass it up. You can read his full article here, but here are his 10 Commandments of John Beck.

1. Thou shalt not make Dan Marino comparisons.

It’s not just that Marino was, well, Marino. “Look who I had around me on that offense,” Marino said. “I stepped into a team that had just been to the Super Bowl. I had a pretty solid offensive line, veteran guys like Bruce Hardy and Nat Moore and Tony Nathan. Then there were the young guys who had talent, like Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. [Beck] isn’t coming into a situation like that. It’s entirely different.” Which brings up …

2. Thou shalt understand context.

If Beck had started against the Bills, at home, that would have been a safer barometer. “I think [coach Don Shula] starting me at home helped,” Marino said. “[Beck] is starting not just on the road but in one of the tougher places to play in Philadelphia. And the Philadelphia defense is a blitzing defense. That can be tough for any quarterback, especially a guy starting his first game.”

3. Thou shalt look for moments.

Can he throw the deep ball? Does he have the sideline route and short, touch pass in his arsenal? Are there glimpses where the talent shines through the learning and the future hope can be seen? That’s really what you should be looking for in Beck over this season’s final seven games more than the big answer of whether he’s destined for greatness or the NFL gutter.

4. Thou shalt not boo.

You might as well eat your young.

More…

5. Thou shalt laugh, if it helps.

Trent Green went up to Beck this week and said, “I hope your first start begins like mine, but doesn’t end like mine.”

In 1998, Green drove Washington 96 yards for a touchdown in his first possession against San Francisco.

“I think we lost 41-7,” he said.

Green, by the way, was in his fifth NFL season for that start.

6. Thou shalt study his clock management.

This will be a tip-off for how he’s handling the larger game. Is he composed and breaking the huddle in time? Is he confused by the defense and getting delay-of-game penalties? “That’s kind of a first tip-off if there are problems,” Marino said. “If a young quarterback is having repeated trouble handling the clock – everyone has a play or two where it happens – but it might mean he’s having trouble with larger issues.”

7. Thou shalt remember Scott Mitchell. Remember what?

Exactly. In his first substantial playing time in 1993, he replaced the injured Marino and threw for two touchdowns against Cleveland. Then he went 3-1 over the next four games before getting hurt. A giddy split emerged among Dolphins fans. Some wondered if he was the future and Marino should be traded. Of course, defenses adjusted, as did Mitchell, when he was intercepted six times over the final three games [all losses] and the Dolphins missed the playoffs.

8. Thou shalt look at mobility and creativity.

Can he make the first rusher miss, the way a nimble-footed Marino could in the pocket? Or make entire defenses miss the way Steve Young did? “You’re looking to see if he can buy a second or two to make a play,” Marino said.

9. Thou shalt have expectations.

This is the NFL, after all. Don’t expect Tom Brady this first start, but expect more than Marcia Brady. You can judge Beck. You can ask that he know how to run this offense, inspect how he handles adversity, look to see if he remains composed. But …

10. Thou shalt have no conclusions today.

Today could be the start of something wonderful, as it was for Marino, who recovered from those two early interceptions to throw three touchdowns in a loss to Buffalo. More likely, this rest of this season will be as inconclusive toward where Beck ends up as it was for Hall of Fame quarterbacks like Elway, Manning and Young.