5 Bold Predictions for Taylor Martinez

[zoogs]

I think it's fair to say that Crouch and Martinez are different types of runners. I don't think that means that one guy can be used on the option and the other guy can't. Is Taylor going to be as good as Crouch and Frazier were running the option? No. And he doesn't need to be, he just needs to be good enough to worry the defense, which he is. The lateral option is one more thing a defense has to prepare for, we don't want to abandon it.

I don't know -- let's use Cody Green as an example, since his play is considered generally as less worthy of defending. Cody Green is an incredible athlete, and really fast. However, he needs a serious running lane where he can pick up steam. He isn't going to do this by moving laterally, and running the option wouldn't be a good fit for him -- unless he were something of an expert in how to run it (vision, decision-making, etc).

I feel it's the same with Taylor. What's the point? The option requires a guy who is great at executing it, in addition to hopefully being very quick and very fast. Elusiveness/power are more important than top-end speed here. So with Taylor, unless he's an option-running expert -- and there are enough other parts of the QB game he has needed to shore up -- it seems like limited returns. Unless he has that crafty vision, pitch-or-keep awareness, etc, it isn't something that is going to maximize his burst very often. And it comes with risks, as well as cost (as a scheme for the entire team that is learning it).

Furthermore, I think it's unfair to blame his running style for Martinez's inability to run the option as well as Crouch or Frazier. It has more to do with the fact that those guys were running the option at QB in high school, and then they ran it for 4 years under one of the greatest OC's who ever lived, or at the very least they were coached by perhaps the greatest option QB who ever lived. Last year was Taylor's first year ever running the option, and Tim Beck is no Tom Osborne, and he's no Turner Gill.

As you put it quite well, for various reasons it isn't something that really plays to his strengths. No doubt they will make improvements the more they run it. Is it worth it?

To put Taylor's freshman year in perspective: despite playing hurt the second half of the season, he was still more efficient statistically - as a runner and as a passer - than Eric Crouch was during his senior season when he won the Heisman and played for the national championship in the Rose Bowl.

Unless you are seriously making the suggestion that Taylor's freshman season was superior to Crouch's Heisman-winning senior season....you know that there's a context for these statistics; namely, the different systems they were running.

 

[The Dude]

his ceiling is through the roof

 

[zoogs]

Wish I knew where to see some of his old highlights. There used to be a clip of Novacek on YouTube faking out a Chiefs LB so bad that the dude fell on his a$$,

Ouch! I hope nobody saw that.

By the way I'm not sure I get the Marlowe to Swift comparisons or this buzz about him being old reliable. Marlowe is actually supposed to be very fast, no? And ... I can't remember from whom I heard this evaluation, but I remember someone or other I usually take seriously saying Marlowe actually is a pretty sloppy route runner. That or knowledge of the playbook, but I can't remember which.

 

[Nobody]

bleacher report

 

[caveman99]

Wish I knew where to see some of his old highlights.  There used to be a clip of Novacek on YouTube faking out a Chiefs LB so bad that the dude fell on his a$$,

Ouch! I hope nobody saw that.

By the way I'm not sure I get the Marlowe to Swift comparisons or this buzz about him being old reliable. Marlowe is actually supposed to be very fast, no? And ... I can't remember from whom I heard this evaluation, but I remember someone or other I usually take seriously saying Marlowe actually is a pretty sloppy route runner. That or knowledge of the playbook, but I can't remember which.

I am a bit too lazy to find them, but if you look up articles from last year about Marlowe they all talk about him being a leader in the WR room and how he just does everything right. Doesn't quite fit with what you were told.

 

[The Dude]

Wish I knew where to see some of his old highlights. There used to be a clip of Novacek on YouTube faking out a Chiefs LB so bad that the dude fell on his a$$,

Ouch! I hope nobody saw that.

I caught that right after I posted it. No one was supposed to notice.

 

[Saunders]

Yeah what Fuzzy said. Crouch was not only a tough SOB, he had great moves. Taylor so far has been more of a, as you say, gap speed guy. Give him a crease and if the defenders are caught just a little out of position, he can be gone. Crouch could steamroll people as well as weave his way through traffic. They're different runners. So I hope we our running attack on the ZR, which is designed to give Taylor those holes, and ditch the option, where he has to run laterally, have good vision, and make good decisions about ball security.

It's not a question of how many rushing yards he gets. It's of how effectively he is used. I'm sure he can be given 20 carries a game and come out with 4-5 yards a carry, but we're looking for something 'extra' from the QB, and not just what the workhorse back is supposed to do. The homerun threat, the misdirection, etc.

I think it's fair to say that Crouch and Martinez are different types of runners. I don't think that means that one guy can be used on the option and the other guy can't. Is Taylor going to be as good as Crouch and Frazier were running the option? No. And he doesn't need to be, he just needs to be good enough to worry the defense, which he is. The lateral option is one more thing a defense has to prepare for, we don't want to abandon it.

Furthermore, I think it's unfair to blame his running style for Martinez's inability to run the option as well as Crouch or Frazier. It has more to do with the fact that those guys were running the option at QB in high school, and then they ran it for 4 years under one of the greatest OC's who ever lived, or at the very least they were coached by perhaps the greatest option QB who ever lived. Last year was Taylor's first year ever running the option, and Tim Beck is no Tom Osborne, and he's no Turner Gill. Both Beck and Taylor will keep getting better at it the more they run it.

And since you brought up ypc, I thought I would throw these into the conversation:

Crouch ypc:

1998: 4.8

1999: 4.9

2000: 5.7

2001: 5.5

Martinez ypc:

2010: 6.0

2011: 4.6

I'd say Martinez holds his own there. He also blows Crouch away in terms of throwing the ball:

Crouch:

1998: 48.5%, 6.0 avg, 4 TDs, 4 int's

1999: 51.9%, 7.9 avg, 7 TDs, 4 int's

2000: 48.1%, 7.1 avg, 11 TDs, 7 int's

2001: 55.6%, 8.0 avg, 7 TDs, 10 int's

Martinez:

2010: 59.2%, 8.3 avg, 10 TDs, 7 int's

2011: 56.3%, 7.3 avg, 13 TDs, 8 int's

To put Taylor's freshman year in perspective: despite playing hurt the second half of the season, he was still more efficient statistically - as a runner and as a passer - than Eric Crouch was during his senior season when he won the Heisman and played for the national championship in the Rose Bowl.

So... How about we stop talking about how Taylor Martinez matches up against Eric Crouch and start talking about how Cole Pensick compares to Dominic Raiola or how Andrew Rodriguez compares to Toniu Fonoti?

 

[Hercules]

Furthermore, I think it's unfair to blame his running style for Martinez's inability to run the option as well as Crouch or Frazier. It has more to do with the fact that those guys were running the option at QB in high school, and then they ran it for 4 years under one of the greatest OC's who ever lived, or at the very least they were coached by perhaps the greatest option QB who ever lived. Last year was Taylor's first year ever running the option, and Tim Beck is no Tom Osborne, and he's no Turner Gill.

As you put it quite well, for various reasons it isn't something that really plays to his strengths. No doubt they will make improvements the more they run it. Is it worth it?

Yes, I think so.

To put Taylor's freshman year in perspective: despite playing hurt the second half of the season, he was still more efficient statistically - as a runner and as a passer - than Eric Crouch was during his senior season when he won the Heisman and played for the national championship in the Rose Bowl.

Unless you are seriously making the suggestion that Taylor's freshman season was superior to Crouch's Heisman-winning senior season....you know that there's a context for these statistics; namely, the different systems they were running.

The ONLY way you can justify the "different systems" argument is by saying that Crouch rushed more often and was expected to pick up smaller gains more consistently. He did have more carries, and finished with more yards. However, the "different systems" argument carries no weight when it comes to the passing statistics. Crouch's offense was more about going deep with playaction, which might have resulted in a lower completion percentage, but should have resulted in more yards per completion - it didn't.

Anyways, the point of bringing the statistics out in the first place is to say that unless Taylor gets worse, we have bigger worries.

 

[zoogs]

Hercules, if that holds, then are we all to declare that Taylor, as a freshman, was better than Crouch, as a senior?

 

[skersfan]

It still amazes me that Taylor was selected as a Freshman All American and we keep having these debates. He is the best that has played the position at Nebraska with that in his pocket, his passing percentages are better, and he plays behind a giant line of swiss cheese. Give this kid Crouch' s or Frazier's lines then compare them. Plus they had Osborne and this kid has had Watson and Beck, not quite on the same level either. I hope he puts it all together this year. I have met him, and I like him a lot. He bleeds Nebraska tthru and thru. Give the kid a break, get behind him and support hime now when he needs it.

OH and by they way thanks for mentioning my cousin, Jay. Never have met him, but he is a second cousin. He got all the talent though.

 

[zoogs]

"Taylor is the best that has played the position at Nebraska" is one hell of a statement! I'm sort of amazed that you can be so down on Coach Bo while being so unfailingly optimistic about Taylor. And I'm not even trashing him, although again that seems to be the implication. There are parts of his game we can be realistic about, and you can blame it on the coaching he didn't have I guess, if you want this to be about blame (which it isn't).

I'm happy to cheer for Taylor, but I'm not about to anoint him as the best to play the position here. Anyway, I was simply piggybacking on a discussion about what kind of a runner Taylor is qualitatively, or so I thought

 

[True2tRA]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z9h77w0kb4&feature=related

You look at videos like this and think about it though. Jamal Turner, Kenny Bell, Ameer Abdullah, Quincy Enunwa, Rex Burkhead, Ben Cotton. Kyler Reed and some new young players possibly seeing time. This is a very stacked offense. Lot's of potential, and big time play makers. If Taylor can truly find his rhythm this year, this Nebraska offense could be scary scary good.

 

[True2tRA]

It still amazes me that Taylor was selected as a Freshman All American and we keep having these debates. He is the best that has played the position at Nebraska with that in his pocket, his passing percentages are better, and he plays behind a giant line of swiss cheese. Give this kid Crouch' s or Frazier's lines then compare them. Plus they had Osborne and this kid has had Watson and Beck, not quite on the same level either. I hope he puts it all together this year. I have met him, and I like him a lot. He bleeds Nebraska tthru and thru. Give the kid a break, get behind him and support hime now when he needs it.

OH and by they way thanks for mentioning my cousin, Jay. Never have met him, but he is a second cousin. He got all the talent though.

:huh: :ahhhhhhhh :wasted :nutz

 

[skersfan]

I think you guys are looking overall, and with the wins the others have had makes them shine. If Taylor had the surround characters that the other two had, what would the results be.

Again I am not down on Bo. I just do not feel he is qualified to be our head coach, not ready for the job, not ready to select assistants that are truly qualified. I am hoping he proves me wrong this year. But he has not in the past.

 

['SkersRule]

1. Taylor hasn't rushed for over 1,000 yards yet so what makes anyone think it'll happen the year, especially since Bo has said he wants more offensive balance.

I think it is highly possible that he does break 1000. Considering that he had 965 yards rushing in 2010 and was hurt for a 3rd of the season, I think it is fair to say he would have exceeded 1000 yards rushing if he stayed healthy. He didn't seem as explosive last year, if the rumors are right that he has gained his explosion back then why not 1000 yes rushing?

I see what you're saying. My guess is that Taylor's rushing will go down because Bo has said he wants more offensive balance. More throws equals less rushing yards for both Taylor and the RBs.