The knee down passing drill is divided into two phases. To begin the drill, the quarterback places his throwing side knee down, and his opposite knee serves as his lead or directional leg.

The catching targets are stationary, positioning themselves at an angle to the QB and 10 yards upfield. It is important to position the catching targets at angles to the QB when emphasizing the warmup phase of any QB workout.

The angles create game-like throws rather than midline throws that seldom occur in competition. The quarterback places the ball on the ground in front of his grounded knee, forcing the passer to re-grip the ball as he must do on every snap from center.

This attention to detail assures that the QB is practicing game-related skills. If only one receiver is available, position him at an angle to the throwing side of the passer for two reps, then flip him to the opposite side for the next two reps. This creates a muscle memory function for the QB’s throwing mechanics. A total of 10 to 12 throws is sufficient for this phase.

For the second phase, place the QB on both knees to execute the next set of reps. The emphases for this phase is the torque needed in a passer's mechanics. This movement allows the QB to rotate his upper body and torso in the direction of the throw, giving energy to the mechanics. This mechanic, when isolated, contributes to velocity and speed of the ball. Again, a total of 10 to 12 reps accomplishes the drill’s objective.

Points of emphasis for this passing drill include:

• Proper grip
• High release point
• Shoulder rotation
• Pronation of throwing wrist
• Targeting the jaw line of the catcher as the strike point.

The winning edge for this drill is found in the eye training of the QB. With each rep, the QB locks his eyes – his sight line – on his target. The receiver's jaw line is established as the strike point, and the QB locks his eyes on this target. He begins the throwing motion and continues to keep his eyes locked until the ball hits the strike point of the receiver.

Training the eyes to focus on the strike point takes concentration and self-discipline – along with lots of repetitions.

It’s always important to play the game with your eyes.

Terry Shea is a longtime football coach at the NFL and college levels, serving as the Rutgers head coach and Chicago Bears offensive coordinator among his stops. He currently is the head coach of the Boston Brawlers of the Fall Experimental Football League and has helped train many NFL quarterbacks, including Robert Griffin III, Matthew Stafford, Sam Bradford, Josh Freeman, Aaron Murray, Blaine Gabbert and Trent Green. Click here to view his book, “Eyes Up,” which instructs and energizes quarterbacks and their coaches to improve on the field.