Why do NFL quarterbacks rarely throw down field?
Preseason games are kept vanilla. Coaches are trying to get the guys up to NFL speed and not get to complicated with the game play. It is exciting to watch them throw 60 yards down field but if you do that all the time you will not win many games. Establish the run first with short passes in between usually wins games. I know its not as exciting but its better to nickle and dime a team down field with a 10 or 12 play drive to eat up the clock and keep the opposing offense off the field. That is more demeaning to a defense to have a team have a 10 or 12 play drive then to beat you on one long pass.
College is completely different from the pros. Odds are in college your star receiver is going to beat the secondary easily. Not so in the pros. These are the best corners and safeties in the business. So you pretty much need Brady and Moss (or an equivalent) to have any chance of pulling it off most plays. In the meantime, you HAVE to get first downs. You HAVE to run the clock and march down the field. If you do not, you will lose. So throwing the ball deep and missing is a wasted play. As a result, most teams save that for a surprise, rather than throwing away plays too frequently. It is ALL about trying to win, not about making it look pretty.
