MLR, what you're talking about, I think of as 'field vision.' The ability to see 21 other guys in motion (or the subset you need to worry about) and know where they're going in space, how that maps against the play, and how to take advantage.
When Brady is asked why he threw a certain pass and he says he 'saw the guy flash.' And you realize he's seeing flashes of color, jersies moving across the field. He may not see the numbers or the faces but just the relative heights and positions of the jersies so he knows who is who and where he needs to throw. Little things that happen so quickly, a safety taking a false step, a CB reacting late, failing to turn his shoulders and even before he takes the next step, a QB knows his man has outside leverage and trusts him to know that and move the right way and inside that same second, the ball leaves the QBs hands.
Plays are over in three seconds. Most of us, no matter how smart we are with numbers or words or people can't slow down that motion enough to give instant meaning to those flashes of color.
Complex capacity. Field vision. Moss and Welker and Brady have it. Asante Samuel, too. Harrison, Bruschi. As we know, Jackson struggled with it.
How do you scout for it when college football is the grammar school of speed and complexity compared to the NFL?
