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What is the "It Factor?"

ThomasRoane

By ThomasRoane
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ThomasRoane

ThomasRoane

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“I had the opportunity to play with him in Carolina. He just has that ‘it factor',” Smith said during Washington Football Kickoff Live on Thursday. “He’s confident, he can make every throw, and he’s not afraid.” ~Torrey Smith on Taylor Heinicke

 

So what exactly is the it factor?  The it factor is often hard to articulate but most people understand what it means.  What makes it so difficult to define is that the it factor often refers to the unmeasurables.  Also known as the intangibles.  

 

We can compare players physically:  height, weight, speed, arm length, hand size, etc.  What is difficult to measure is a players heart.  How dedicated are they?  What is the player willing to sacrifice in order to improve?  How much time is spent on their own?  How does the player respond when pressured or when confronted with adversity?  How does a player handle failure? 

 

Every year you see how difficult this is to get a handle on when the NFL Draft positions of players are reevaluated.  Take Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin as an example.  Campbell was taken in the 2nd round (59th overall).  McLaurin was taken in the third round (76th overall).  You could certainly make the case now that McLaurin (who has the it factor) should have been taken before Campbell and most likely should have been a first round pick.  The Ravens took Marquise Brown 25th overall in the first.  The Ravens would rather have McLaurin than Brown I'll bet.  You could even make the case that only AJ Brown should have been taken before McLaurin. 

 

A lot of people, myself included, feel that Taylor Heinicke has the it factor.  I'll list what I think defines the it factor.

 

  • Performance rises commensurate with the drama of the moment
  • Thrives on a big stage
    • MNF, Thursday night, playoffs, etc.
  • Overcomes mistakes
    • Self-confidence never wavers
    • Not afraid to fail
  • Creative (Adjusts game to counter opponent's strategy)
    • Can take over a game and will the team to win
      • Brady, Mahomes, MJ, etc. (Don't freak out over this.  Not saying TH is at their level)
  • Plays thru pain or sickness (Michael Jordan)
  • Sets team mates up for success
    • Team mates level of play rises
  • Gameday leadership earns confidence of team mates
    • Leads by example
  • Insanely competitive
    • Hates to lose

 

 

I'm sure I'll think of more later on.  It would be interesting to hear what other people have to offer.  Also, who else on the team has the "it factor" besides Heinicke and McLaurin?  Not ready to say Chase Young yet.  I think he freelances a bit too much but he certainly has something special.  His performance needs to match his talent in order to say he has the it factor in my opinion.   

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zCommander

zCommander

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To me the "it" factor is like having the force be with you. You can just do things with just a feeling or confidence.

 

It is like me when I am driving really fast and can change lanes between two cars without looking into the side mirrors because I can feel the clearance I need to go around and between two cars doing 95 MPH (I don't recommend people actually do this if they don't have the force). :)

 

 

 

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ThomasRoane

ThomasRoane

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52 minutes ago, CapsSkins said:

It’s easy to define the “It” factor. Just take Kurt Cousins and do the exact opposite. That’s “it”.

 

I did campaign to keep Kirk but he did not have the it factor.  Whenever things got difficult more often than not he wilted.  (Except for the 'You like that' game vs Tampa).  That was an outlier.  He wasn't a guy who could improvise.  What I liked about him was durability and he was smart when it came to setting protections and getting into the right play.  Good arm too.  I think he's gonna struggle tomorrow vs that Cards defense.  

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Burgold

Burgold

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The "It" factor clearly relates to Stephen King. People with the "It" factor scare the other side.

 

Alex Smith was a good QB at times a very good QB. He rarely scared defenses or defensive coordinators. Not all "it" players are superstars. For example, Fitz scared the heck out of coordinators. Sometimes, his own and sometimes the opponents.

 

 

 

Edit: @Jumbo beat me to the punchline, but I refuse to edit :ols:

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Morneblade

Morneblade

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The "IT" factor. I talked a little about this in the "Hive" thread, about why scouts don't grade this, because you really can't.

 

Sheesh, I can't really remember the last time we had a guy like that. But even though I have not punched my ticket for the TH bandwagon (yet), I see it in Heinicke. After he threw the pick, for the first time in decades, I didn't think the game was over. I still thought we had a chance. Even if the Gstrings score a TD.

 

But, guys like Rex Grossman have a lot of the same traits, and don't have "IT". So it's not easy to pick 'em. A couple of TH's throws could have been picks. If they are, then you just have a guy that thinks he can fit balls in places that he can't, and you get someone that might win a couple games here and there, but that is about it.

 

Tom Brady has "IT". And now for my controversial statement. Peyton Manning didn't. And I've watched him for longer than most people, since he when to college in the city I was born.

When you go 0-4 against your biggest rival, and find multiple ways to loose, you don have "IT".

 

Not sure where TH is yet. If he starts throwing more INT's and making risky decisions that fail, he's Sexy Rexy with legs.

If he keeps playing really good football (and he is playing really good football) and keeps elevating his play, and the play of those around him (which I truly think he is doing right now), then he has "IT".

 

And as some have already suggested, you lock him up contractually.

 

As a QB in the NFL the 2 biggest things you have to be able to do are accurate read a defense and get through your progressions quickly, and be a accurate thrower of the football. Everything else is secondary. If you can do those things and have ice in your veins when things get really tight, and elevate the play of those around you because they KNOW you can do what needs to be done, you have a very rare intangible that is unlearnable and uncoachable. And you hold on to guys like that.

 

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Thinking Skins

Thinking Skins

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Without trying to define it, it's a question of what they do with their chances. I take responses by 3 different guys.  Kirk had a process. RG3 was full of quotes like know your why, diamonds without pressure, etc. TH has been playing like it may be his last chance he gets so he is laying it all on the line. 

 

People have compared him to Romo but I don't like that comparison because Romo didn't really have the it factor. He made so many critical mistakes later in games. I'd hope that TH is closer to Russell Wilson and not trying to be pretty or put up stats lines,  but just winning games and staying healthy. 

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ThomasRoane

ThomasRoane

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17 minutes ago, Morneblade said:

 

Tom Brady has "IT". And now for my controversial statement. Peyton Manning didn't. And I've watched him for longer than most people, since he when to college in the city I was born.

When you go 0-4 against your biggest rival, and find multiple ways to loose, you don have "IT".

 

 

Agree 100%.  Peyton had the prototype size.  Decent arm; no arm after neck surgery.  Peyton was just so good at knowing what the opponent was doing and could counter attack.  The last super bowl he won with his mind.  Just getting Denver into the right play.  But his arm didn't scare anybody.  

 

I hate TB!  The guy has everything every red blooded male wants.  And if that's not enough you know he has "It."  Everybody knew that with no timeouts and less than two minutes left that cowpies were done for in the first game this year.  Not only does he have "it" but he is the GOAT.  Makes me wanna throw up thinking about it but it's a fact.  

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TK

TK

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1 minute ago, Thinking Skins said:

People have compared him to Romo but I don't like that comparison 

Me neither. 

 

Call me crazy because it's a small sample size, but the one name I keep coming back to, to compare his style to is Favre. 

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ThomasRoane

ThomasRoane

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2 minutes ago, Thinking Skins said:

 

People have compared him to Romo but I don't like that comparison because Romo didn't really have the it factor. He made so many critical mistakes later in games. I'd hope that TH is closer to Russell Wilson and not trying to be pretty or put up stats lines,  but just winning games and staying healthy. 

 

Definitely more like Wilson than Romo.  Redskins fans say that Trent Green is the best Redskin comparison.  I'm more partial to Joe Theismann.  Who had a decent arm but was really gutsy and competitive.  Nose broken several times.  Got his teeth knocked out vs the giants and still drove team down to win - Mosely field goal.  He was athletic; even ran back punts early on.  Not tall.  But he was a helluva competitor and a really good leader that the team rallied around.  

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Morneblade

Morneblade

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1 minute ago, TK said:

Me neither. 

 

Call me crazy because it's a small sample size, but the one name I keep coming back to, to compare his style to is Favre. 

 

He's missing a couple of things Favre had, like size and arm strength.

 

I also hope he doesn't have the "NFL all time leader in INT's" thing either. That would be bad.

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