re: The reason Mettenberger has so many balls batted down ....

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They are getting knocked down because they are quick 3 step drops that put him.closer to the line of scrimmage. All opposing defenses know that we throw 80% short and they know they cannot get there with the pass rush. So the best way to defend this is to get their hands up.

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Also, we throw 80% of our passes to the outside, so defenders can anticipate the throws in most cases. Typically, the Oline cut blocks for 3 step drops to get the defenders down and create throwing lanes. If the defenders are upright when the throw is made, then the chances of a batted pass are higher.