new rb coach

[knapplc]

Just trying to clear up some complete misconceptions, IMO, about Watson as a QB coach. The only thing is that Watson's QB coaching was probably a poor fit for where we want to go with QBs, which again my opinion, speaks more poorly about where we want to go than his QB coaching abilities. In any case, folks expecting a step up in the QB coaching department are probably going to be left wanting.

 

If Watson's failure depended entirely on his inability to teach a running QB how to run this offense, and we bring in a guy (Beck?) who can teach that, I doubt seriously if we'll be left wanting.

 

Frankly, if we simply get play calls to the huddle in a timely manner, that will be a marked improvement over the past three seasons. For an OC with such fantastic QB skills, Watson seemed way below average in getting plays to his QB in such a manner that he could get to the line in time to make necessary adjustments to alignment, etc. If Beck is the guy, and he can have plays ready and to the huddle with 20 seconds left on the play clock, that will be a drastic improvement already.

[kchusker_chris]

I just don't think - personally - I'd need an entire offseason to learn how to rotate my body 45 degrees to either my left or right, and throw the ball past the thick white line that surrounds the field when I feel pressure I can't escape. Maybe his time was too dominated by game-prep to work on that - but I'm not buyin it.

[robsker]

Another thing said at the beginning of the year by a LOT of folks: Taylor's issues are so fundamental and encompassing in nature, that it's the sort of thing you need an offseason to address and hope he throws himself into making a quantum leap of progression.

 

In a live fire season, you are consumed with gameplans each week. If you want to spend that time instead taking one guy aside and working on drilling his mechanics, you can do that...if he's taking a redshirt year, or isn't the starter or backup.

 

Taylor's chance is now to improve those skills.

 

And on Ganz, it isn't even about experience at all. He is just not the right kind of guy to coach QBs here. It isn't a knock on Joe, who I think could be a great QBs coach in an offense similar to Watson/BC's O that he grew up in. But for whatever reason, that's not what we want anymore. So bye-bye Watson, bye-bye Joey.

 

Some of you guys are honestly expecting sheer impossibilities. If you follow Green/Taylor's recruiting, it is hardly a secret how completely raw they were at QB. I don't care how good a coach is, he can't turn a player into something he's not overnight, and maybe not ever, which is why the word project comes up. It would be like if we moved Curenski Gilleylen to QB right now. Serious, serious wheels, but I can guarantee you he won't be much of a thrower come the Fall, and that's regardless of who is coaching him as a QB.

 

 

I don't know... how long does it take to have this conversation:

 

QB Coach: Yo, Taylor.... when no one is open and you are 6-7 yards back... and the pressure is on and you have people on or nearly on you... do not duck, try to spin, or anything else (unless a clear step-up path is before you)... throw the ball away and do not take a 7-8 yard loss.

 

What 1 minute. Then you drill this like we do with the JR. High kids we coach.

 

But... never have I seen any QB take as many unnecessary sacks as TMart did the second half of the season... and not one... not once.. did he attempt to throw the ball away. He ate the ball... over, and over, and over, and over again.

 

 

No... no one who is a solid QB coach allows their QB's to have the mechanics and systemic problems that our QB's have. And, many of these issues are relatively easy fixes... the likes of which solid coaches all over the country fix routinely. Some of the issues are not so easy. But there has been little to no improvement in any technical area for our QB's --- testimony of poor coaching.

[zoogs]

Martinez was a total headcase at the end of the year. All on Taylor. Isn't as if he doesn't know how to do that. He just did it anyway. It isn't as if Watson actually forget to say "OK kid, if you're rolling out of the pocket on a scramble, don't flip it underhand right in front of you to nobody." If you put it that way, it isn't hard to teach anyone to do anything. It was just a meltdown, honestly. To be fair to Taylor, the breakdown in his footwork and so on, where everything regressed, seemed like it was due largely to his injury.

[kchusker_chris]

was waiting for the injury to crop in there and explain away everything

[Hunter94]

Another thing said at the beginning of the year by a LOT of folks: Taylor's issues are so fundamental and encompassing in nature, that it's the sort of thing you need an offseason to address and hope he throws himself into making a quantum leap of progression.

 

In a live fire season, you are consumed with gameplans each week. If you want to spend that time instead taking one guy aside and working on drilling his mechanics, you can do that...if he's taking a redshirt year, or isn't the starter or backup.

 

Taylor's chance is now to improve those skills.

 

And on Ganz, it isn't even about experience at all. He is just not the right kind of guy to coach QBs here. It isn't a knock on Joe, who I think could be a great QBs coach in an offense similar to Watson/BC's O that he grew up in. But for whatever reason, that's not what we want anymore. So bye-bye Watson, bye-bye Joey.

 

Some of you guys are honestly expecting sheer impossibilities. If you follow Green/Taylor's recruiting, it is hardly a secret how completely raw they were at QB. I don't care how good a coach is, he can't turn a player into something he's not overnight, and maybe not ever, which is why the word project comes up. It would be like if we moved Curenski Gilleylen to QB right now. Serious, serious wheels, but I can guarantee you he won't be much of a thrower come the Fall, and that's regardless of who is coaching him as a QB.

 

 

I don't know... how long does it take to have this conversation:

 

QB Coach: Yo, Taylor.... when no one is open and you are 6-7 yards back... and the pressure is on and you have people on or nearly on you... do not duck, try to spin, or anything else (unless a clear step-up path is before you)... throw the ball away and do not take a 7-8 yard loss.

 

What 1 minute. Then you drill this like we do with the JR. High kids we coach.

 

But... never have I seen any QB take as many unnecessary sacks as TMart did the second half of the season... and not one... not once.. did he attempt to throw the ball away. He ate the ball... over, and over, and over, and over again.

 

 

No... no one who is a solid QB coach allows their QB's to have the mechanics and systemic problems that our QB's have. And, many of these issues are relatively easy fixes... the likes of which solid coaches all over the country fix routinely. Some of the issues are not so easy. But there has been little to no improvement in any technical area for our QB's --- testimony of poor coaching.

 

agreed, QB and OL coaching, nowhere to be found.

[zoogs]

was waiting for the injury to crop in there and explain away everything

 

It's in Taylor's defense and it's completely fair. If you want to discount that, then Taylor really has no business at all being a quarterback here next year.

[The Dude]

And on Ganz, it isn't even about experience at all. He is just not the right kind of guy to coach QBs here. It isn't a knock on Joe, who I think could be a great QBs coach in an offense similar to Watson/BC's O that he grew up in. But for whatever reason, that's not what we want anymore. So bye-bye Watson, bye-bye Joey.

I think it's pretty obvious why we don't want that kind of offense. We have trouble recruiting the types of players to run that kind of offense. Always have, always will.

[knapplc]

Martinez was a total headcase at the end of the year. All on Taylor.

 

In some programs, position coaches are responsible for getting their players in the right frame of mind for the game. Apparently you don't feel that way.

[zoogs]

Why was Taylor so flappable? Why did Cody Green have that deer in the headlights look? Why is Zac Lee not a gamer, but Joe Ganz is?

 

Different people have different temperaments, and different levels of readiness. Taylor being a headcase is more about him being a freshman and not being a polished quarterback than anything else. We didn't pick the guy to start that had the most solid frame of mind, that was a calculated decision. The risk of Taylor being a liability like that in games - a side effect of that decision.

[knapplc]

Why was Taylor so flappable? Why did Cody Green have that deer in the headlights look? Why is Zac Lee not a gamer, but Joe Ganz is?

 

Different people have different temperaments, and different levels of readiness. Taylor being a headcase is more about him being a freshman and not being a polished quarterback than anything else. We didn't pick the guy to start that had the most solid frame of mind, that was a calculated decision. The risk of Taylor being a liability like that in games - a side effect of that decision.

 

Ever notice how NOTHING is Shawn Watson's fault? It's either the guy above him (Bo) or the guys below him (his QBs) or the guys around him (the subordinate position coaches), but never, ever Watson's fault.

 

It is impossible that nothing is Watson's fault, zoogies. Impossible.

[Fuzzy]

if only we were as good as recruiting coaching staff as recruiting players we wouldn't have this problem

[Pedro Guerrero]

Ever notice how NOTHING is Shawn Watson's fault? It's either the guy above him (Bo) or the guys below him (his QBs) or the guys around him (the subordinate position coaches), but never, ever Watson's fault.

 

It is impossible that nothing is Watson's fault, zoogies. Impossible.

 

It's ALL 3 of their faults.

 

1A. Bo

1B. Watson

1C. Martinez

[zoogs]

Why was Taylor so flappable? Why did Cody Green have that deer in the headlights look? Why is Zac Lee not a gamer, but Joe Ganz is?

 

Different people have different temperaments, and different levels of readiness. Taylor being a headcase is more about him being a freshman and not being a polished quarterback than anything else. We didn't pick the guy to start that had the most solid frame of mind, that was a calculated decision. The risk of Taylor being a liability like that in games - a side effect of that decision.

 

Ever notice how NOTHING is Shawn Watson's fault? It's either the guy above him (Bo) or the guys below him (his QBs) or the guys around him (the subordinate position coaches), but never, ever Watson's fault.

 

It is impossible that nothing is Watson's fault, zoogies. Impossible.

 

Trying to wed WCO passing principles and the spread option attack was a big mistake in hindsight and it didn't work. Watson also has faced criticism (fairly, I think) for not always being the best playcaller for this offense. Pretty big faults and why he is leaving, probably.

 

So this particular argument we are having deals with Taylor not being a polished passer or having gotten to that point by the end of his redshirt freshman season. But you coulda told anyone that last March.

[knapplc]

Ever notice how NOTHING is Shawn Watson's fault? It's either the guy above him (Bo) or the guys below him (his QBs) or the guys around him (the subordinate position coaches), but never, ever Watson's fault.

 

It is impossible that nothing is Watson's fault, zoogies. Impossible.

 

It's ALL 3 of their faults.

 

1A. Bo

1B. Watson

1C. Martinez

 

As I have been saying all along. Where we get sidetracked is when people refuse to admit to the possibility that any one of those three is to blame. The people giving Bo a complete pass are just as wrong as those giving Watson or Martinez a complete pass. And I've gone to bat against all three of them.