Author Archives: Chris Johnston

About Chris Johnston

Chris Johnston

The Complete QB Team Clinics and Individual Coaching Sessions are provided by the Complete QB Founder and Director, Christopher Johnston. For over a decade, Coach Johnston has trained young men in the Quarterback position, including high school Quarterbacks who earned HCIAA Honors in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008. His success with Quarterbacks is due to Coach Johnston's approach as a teacher of those playing the position. Coach Johnston was previously the QB and DB Coach at Hudson Catholic Regional High School (2007 Group 3 State Semi-Finalist and 2008 Group 2 State Finalist) in Jersey City, New Jersey. Coach Johnston also served as the Defensive Coordinator, Assistant Head Coach, and Quarterbacks Coach at Xavier High School in New York, New York. Coach Johnston's assessment and coaching skills have earned him a solid reputation for his ability to develop Quarterbacks among his coaching peers and thousands of athletes. Since 2004, in addition to his on-field coaching experience, Coach Johnston's expertise has afforded him multiple opportunities to appear regularly on a variety of Sports Talk Radio Shows regarding the NCAA and NFL Quarterback play. 

SUPER BOWL – PREPARING FOR COLIN KAEPERNICK

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Kaepernick
Overview If ever the Ravens needed two weeks to determine and practice a strategy for defending a Quarterback, that time is now. Colin Kaepernick has been generally electrifying in the run game, while also being more than competent as a passer in most games this season. All this after replacing a guy – Alex Smith – who completed 70% of his passes before losing his job following an injury. The bar has been set high for Kaepernick and he has produced with a combination of quality play and an element … Continue reading →

CHALK TALK: How should the Ravens attack Tom Brady?

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bradyraysack
Stop Tom Brady. If I had a consistently successful blueprint for this, I would have a nicer paycheck and some office space in Foxboro. Coming up with a plan for Brady is tough, but not impossible, and with the way the Ravens’ roster matches up with New England’s from top to bottom, Baltimore may stand the best chance of any team remaining in the playoffs to beat Brady and Co. Potential Ravens Strategy vs. Brady What to Take Away  New England’s #1 WRs (those closest to the sideline) cannot be … Continue reading →

How should the Ravens attack Byron Leftwich?

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The Week of the Backup. There are a number of second-stringers that will play – or should be prepared to play – this Sunday. Byron Leftwich is one of those QBs, and holds at least one advantage over the Ravens heading into the weekend: unfamiliarity. Meaning, the Ravens have no substantial film of Leftwich to review, as he has not taken a significant amount of snaps since 2006 – with the Jaguars. So, the job of the Ravens is to simply prepare for both the offensive personality of the Steelers … Continue reading →

WEEK 9 FOLLOW UP – RAVENS VS. BRANDON WEEDEN

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Weeden
OVERVIEW The Ravens got the best of Cleveland on Sunday, and were largely effective in limiting Brandon Weeden’s big plays. Below is a quick revisit to last week’s strategy opinion piece I wrote, in comparison to what the Ravens did on Sunday. C.J.’s Recommendations Prior to Week 9 1. CB Alignment 
C.J. Wrote: That the Ravens should press #1 receivers at the LOS to prevent clean releases and limit Weeden’s “comfort” throws. 
The Ravens Did: Baltimore played mostly loose coverages with their CBs, especially to twin (two WRs to the … Continue reading →

How should the Ravens attack Brandon Weeden?

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NFL: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens face an improving rookie Quarterback in Cleveland’s Brandon Weeden on Sunday. Among Weeden’s strengths is a top-caliber arm. He is capable of throwing to any spot with velocity. He has been a good play-action passer and is generally good, especially for a rookie, at avoiding sacks. Baltimore enjoyed some success back in September vs. the Browns, and below are some ideas on how best to approach Weeden the second time around. Potential Ravens Strategy vs. Weeden What to Take Away – Weeden’s greatest asset is his arm strength, … Continue reading →

DRAFT QUICK TAKE: ROBERT GRIFFIN III

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OVERVIEW Robert Griffin III played well in 2010, but 2011 was the season in which he burst onto the college football scene in an explosive way. In a memorable Heisman Trophy-winning campaign, Griffin threw 37 TD passes and led Baylor to a 10-win season. Now, as the NFL Combine and Draft approach, Griffin is being mentioned as among the two best Quarterback prospects that will be available on April 26th. Below is a quick evaluation of RG III, as well as the potential fit he could be with a couple … Continue reading →

TOP GUNS: Ranking the remaining QB’s

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OVERVIEW Here’s quick take on the strengths and weaknesses of the Quarterbacks still playing in the NFL playoffs. THE RANKINGS #1 – Tom Brady – New England Brady’s prolific and efficient regular season continued in a big way in the divisional round vs. Denver. The Ravens will need to disrupt Brady immediately at the snap of the ball. Four-man fronts have rarely affected Brady’s accuracy, as they leave Brady too much time to find the best throw. Strengths – Experience in post-season; 2011 performance; Perfect fit and QB personality for … Continue reading →

A QB Coach breaks down Joe Flacco

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Q&A With Chris Johnston Ravens 24×7 took a few minutes to sit down with Chris Johnston of Complete QB. The topic was Joe Flacco and the Raven’s recent Offensive approach. 24×7: Did you notice if the Ravens O-line tipped the Texans with their stances? Chris Johnston: The simple answer is yes, especially on some of last week’s pass plays. That said, this is not entirely unusual for a team with the Ravens’ Offensive personality. Much of the Ravens’ 27 pass attempts vs. Houston were in “obvious” passing situations, so I … Continue reading →

WEEK 15 TOP GUNS – 5 QB PERFORMANCES TO NOTE

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A look at some of this week’s notable Quarterback performances: Matt Ryan – Atlanta Two straight solid performances really can help a QB’s – and a team’s – confidence. Ryan was in control every moment he was on the field vs. Jacksonville, and needed less than three quarters of play to throw 3 TD passes and ensure the Falcons’ fourth win in five games. The uncharacteristically questionable throws and INTs that plagued Ryan for much of the season have disappeared the last two weeks, and Atlanta is in good position … Continue reading →

WEEK 14 TOP GUNS – 5 QB PERFORMANCES TO NOTE

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eli
A mostly veteran roster makes this week’s list. A look at some of this week’s notable Quarterback performances: Matt Ryan – Atlanta The Atlanta QB has been absent from this list of weekly notables for most of 2011, as his play has been below his personal standards. But, if Sunday marks a new trend in Ryan’s performance this season, it comes at a great time for the Falcons. Sunday’s road win vs. the Panthers, which included a rally from a 16-point halftime deficit, kept Atlanta’s wild card hopes alive. Ryan … Continue reading →

THE TEBOW QUESTION

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There has not been a Quarterback debate this fun in the NFL in a long time. Everyone has an opinion on Tim Tebow’s fitness to lead an NFL team. Let’s take a look at some of the positives and negatives of Tebow as a pro Quarterback. POSITIVES 1.       Defensive Unfamiliarity NFL defenses do not see option attacks – either from under center or in the shotgun – very often, except as an occasional play. This is a distinct advantage for Tebow and the Broncos. The convention and roster makeup of … Continue reading →

TOP GUNS: WEEK 13 ~ 5 QB PERFORMANCES TO NOTE

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With only a couple of fresh faces, this week’s list is comprised of the usual suspects. A look at some of this week’s notable Quarterback performances: Philip Rivers – San Diego No team needed to stop the bleeding like San Diego in Week 13. Rivers saw to that, completing better than 75% of his passes, did not throw an INT, and helped open up generous running lanes for the Chargers’ rushing attack. Rivers’ performance, which helped halt a 6-game losing streak for San Diego, may be a turning point for … Continue reading →

WEEK 12 TOP GUNS – 5 QB PERFORMANCES TO NOTE

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Some names from the ranks of the NFL’s “banished” make the list this time around. Also, we cheated a bit this week and added a sixth QB to the list, because Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady’s weekly presence has monopolized this space thus far. A look at some of this week’s notable Quarterback performances: Vince Young – Philadelphia Yes, it was only one game and yes, the Eagles lost, but Young played well enough for the Eagles to expect to win vs. the Patriots. Still showing some of the rust … Continue reading →

A QUICK LOOK AT THE “NO HUDDLE” OFFENSE

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OVERVIEW Everyone loves football when it is played at a fast tempo. There is usually an element of desperation on the part of an offense that is in “no-huddle” mode, and this results in an often exciting, rapid-fire version of the game. The success of the no-huddle can resonate. It is memorable and it often leaves fans with a lasting impression of, “Why don’t they do that all the time?” If it were only that easy… The motivation behind the no-huddle offense is most often based on the concept of … Continue reading →

WEEK 10 TOP GUNS – 5 QB PERFORMANCES TO NOTE

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The appearance of a couple of former Pro Bowlers on this week’s list shakes things up a bit. A look at some of this week’s notable Quarterback performances: Carson Palmer – Oakland You have to give Carson Palmer some credit. In an era of massive Quarterback contracts, his nearly year-long insistence that he play somewhere other than Cincinnati – or not at all – is as principled as it gets. With that as a backdrop, Palmer led the Raiders to a road win vs. San Diego and to first place … Continue reading →

WEEK 9 TOP GUNS – 5 QB PERFORMANCES TO NOTE

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A couple of new names make this week’s list for the first time in 2011, as Quarterback play for several NFL teams was the key to solidifying positions atop their respective divisions . A look at some of this week’s notable Quarterback performances: Joe Flacco – Baltimore Sunday’s final drive vs. the Steelers was likely the best of Flacco’s career, as he took the Ravens 92 yards in 12 plays, and demonstrated the calm and poise of a championship Quarterback. Flacco threw a lot of incompletions (21) and had a … Continue reading →

WEEK 7 TOP GUNS – 5 QB PERFORMANCES TO NOTE

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In the NFL, efficiency and accuracy from the Quarterback position correlates frequently to team success. That theory was illustrated during Week 7, as the explosive numbers posted during the first six weeks of the season were replaced by conservatively effective production – mostly by winning Quarterbacks. A look at some of this week’s notable Quarterback performances: Matt Schaub – Houston Schaub has spent the last couple of games being knocked down, hurried, and sacked. No such bad luck on Sunday vs. Tennessee, as Schaub enjoyed outstanding protection and made great … Continue reading →

WEEK 6 TOP GUNS – 5 QB PERFORMANCES TO NOTE

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The NFL’s unusual start to the season – with passing offenses racing to a fast start early in the year – is shifting a bit. During Week 6, six Quarterbacks posted 300-yard passing days, compared to five weeks previous, when 14 NFL QBs achieved the same results during the first week of games. A look at some of this week’s notable Quarterback performances: Andy Dalton – Cincinnati Dalton’s strength during his college career at TCU was efficiency in the pass game. That was the theme of his effort vs. Indianapolis … Continue reading →

A BUSY 40 SECONDS

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qb_view
The standard NFL play clock is 40 seconds. That is the total time that can elapse from the moment the whistle blows ending one play from scrimmage and the time by which the ball must be snapped to start the next play. (After some “administrative” stoppages, like timeouts, change of possession, measurements, etc., the play clock is set to 25 seconds). During that forty second period, there is much business an NFL Quarterback must handle. A few of the considerations and/or questions for every Quarterback are listed below, followed by … Continue reading →

WEEK 5 TOP GUNS – 5 QB PERFORMANCES TO NOTE

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brees
Week 5 in the NFL was an old-timer’s dream. Five of the top eight passing days (in terms of total yardage) were turned in by Quarterback’s whose teams lost. This reinforces the thought that economy – mixed in with some rushing success and solid defensive play – almost always rules the day in pro football. A look at some of this week’s Quarterback performances: Matt Cassel – Kansas City File this under ‘Stopping the Bleeding’. Matt Cassel’s effort vs. the Colts on Sunday helped erase a 17-point deficit and led … Continue reading →