"It's déjà vu all over again" for the offense...

[VectorVictor]

Guys--I keep seeing ourselves going around and around about the Rexcat, or putting more RBs in, or Taylor Martinez calling his own number too much in audible situations, or Taylor Martinez not checking down properly. I *can't* be the only person with a strong sense of déjà vu when I read these posts.

 

Ultimately, there is only so much we can do running when teams are content to put 7+ in the box and go man-to-man in pass coverage. We *MUST* pass to keep defenses honest--it's football 101. It's why so many folks here griped and complained about Watson not going down the field enough--you have to stretch a defense to keep it honest and allow your running game to flourish.

 

And while this year is different in that we have both an offensive coordinator that *is* calling the necessary passing plays to win and we have good young WRs that catch the ball and fight for YAC, we have maintained excellent RBs and TEs, just like last year. Hell, even our O-Line is progressing, despite its youth, and looks to be a stout and hardy group in the years to come. We're getting close to getting a 'pipeline' back in Lincoln.

 

The *only* thing that has not progressed since last year on offense is Martinez, folks--we've improved or maintained at all other positions (including OC), but we've effectively regressed or stagnated at QB.

 

As Yogi Berra said, "It's Deja Vu all over again."

 

And if Bo isn't willing to make the necessary changes and start putting in a competent run/pass threat at QB, then we may as well search for our old 2010 threads, dust them off, replace Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, and Oklahoma State with the likes of Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Michigan, and be done with this season.

 

I would honestly rather we make the necessary changes, especially now against a weak tOSU and going into a bye week to face underwhelming Minnesota and Michigan State teams to get whomever that needs to be at QB the necessary reps to make them comfortable and avoid another Cody Green problem like last year.

 

Otherwise, when we play Wisconsin for the Big 10 title (and I still believe that we will win our division), the Fox Sports announcers are going to be pulling out the Yogi Berra quote early and often, and deservedly so.

[zoogs]

In my opinion, the offense has so many potential playmakers everywhere you turn - most of them young. We have a junior RB who is a swiss army knife and solid as a rock. Even the OL is gelling together.

 

The problem is we have not been able to make good use of those playmakers. I think the criticisms of the offense being too predicated on Taylor are well-founded. In order to succeed, we have to take the ball out of his hands more. The question becomes, can he distribute the ball to those playmakers effectively?

 

Let's hope he can. Imagine what a QB like Wilson could do with the tools that would be at his disposal on this team...I don't think Taylor will transform his game, but I think he can and will do better than so far.

[onlyHskrfaninIL]

Stop it. The offense is fine. They got away from the game plan and it proved very costly. I don't think you will see it happen again. The defense continues to be the problem. Not gonna be a very good team when you have to score 40 or 50 to win.

[VectorVictor]

In my opinion, the offense has so many potential playmakers everywhere you turn - most of them young. We have a junior RB who is a swiss army knife and solid as a rock. Even the OL is gelling together.

 

The problem is we have not been able to make good use of those playmakers. I think the criticisms of the offense being too predicated on Taylor are well-founded. In order to succeed, we have to take the ball out of his hands more. The question becomes, can he distribute the ball to those playmakers effectively?

 

Let's hope he can. Imagine what a QB like Wilson could do with the tools that would be at his disposal on this team...I don't think Taylor will transform his game, but I think he can and will do better than so far.

 

I think we're on the same page zoogies, though I understand you would like to keep Martinez and I don't believe he's progressed any from last year's healthy iteration of himself.

 

What doesn't help matters is that the last time we saw Martinez's replacement, he was achieving a similar level of success in the Red/White game. As far as the fans know from on-the-field action (in a controlled scrimmage), we have a more capable passer waiting in the wings.

 

The question is, how many times are we going to go through this similar exercise of watching defenses put 7+ in the box just to watch us flounder on the Uncle Rico arm of Martinez? It's not going to take much now to stop this QB--just a competent, assignment-sound defense.

 

---

 

And HFinIL, no, it's not *just* the defense, and it's not the defense en masse--it's the secondary, sans Fonz, and possibly the LB corps. Until we have a competent secondary, our D-Line and LBs will have problems exerting pressure and getting to the QB.

 

Plus, we're not back in 1995--we simply can't bowl over teams with weight-room borne prowess when they put 7+ in the box on us--teams have to throw to open up the run and keep a defense honest. It *was* this way when Dr. Tom was around--people just choose to romanticize that period of time and think we simply showed up and ran 60 straight-ahead running plays while giving the opposing defense our offensive playbook at the pre-game handshake.

 

We have the necessary skill position players and youth at WR, TE, and RB/FB--instead of a QB that checks down to himself all too often (see 2010 criticisms of Taylor Martinez...), perhaps we should see if we have a QB that can properly distribute the ball, as Zoogies mentioned. If Martinez can be this QB, then why haven't we seen this improvement from year one to year two, especially when it counts? And why do we see this in younger QBs from other programs but not our own?

[zoogs]

Recognizing that it is a very fluid situation - at this point in time, I have little to no faith in Taylor ever getting there. I just don't think it is in his strengths as a football player. I don't think he can be a quarterback. I think he's electric with the ball in his hands and I don't think he is bad at making throws. I appreciate what he can bring to the team - but I think he is a 15-20 snaps a game Wildcat QB, and not more than that.

 

The rest of the game, I want that QB who can really run the offense, understand and attack the defense, be in command of the field and know what to do - whatever his mechanics are, as long as he gets the ball to his playmakers.

 

The reason I don't call for Martinez's benching is less about him being likely to turn into that guy than it is about Carnes not being ready. I think Carnes would bring a lot of those different things to the table, but we'd go through a lot of growing pains right now. And we don't want growing pains.

 

Switching QBs and going through growing pains is just asking for a fracturing and divisive QB controversy. Taylor's the best we've got and we have to figure out a way to get by with him, at least this year. Open up the competition in the Spring if he doesn't rise to the occasion. Or maybe as the year goes on, he will. Either way, it's a win-win. I'd say I hope Bo is that patient, but I am pretty sure he is. I guess I should say - I hope Bo is as open-minded as to be willing to have a wide-open jobs audition once this season is over if Taylor doesn't grow greatly from where he is now.

[treyball3]

Guys--I keep seeing ourselves going around and around about the Rexcat, or putting more RBs in, or Taylor Martinez calling his own number too much in audible situations, or Taylor Martinez not checking down properly. I *can't* be the only person with a strong sense of déjà vu when I read these posts.

 

Ultimately, there is only so much we can do running when teams are content to put 7+ in the box and go man-to-man in pass coverage. We *MUST* pass to keep defenses honest--it's football 101. It's why so many folks here griped and complained about Watson not going down the field enough--you have to stretch a defense to keep it honest and allow your running game to flourish.

 

And while this year is different in that we have both an offensive coordinator that *is* calling the necessary passing plays to win and we have good young WRs that catch the ball and fight for YAC, we have maintained excellent RBs and TEs, just like last year. Hell, even our O-Line is progressing, despite its youth, and looks to be a stout and hardy group in the years to come. We're getting close to getting a 'pipeline' back in Lincoln.

 

The *only* thing that has not progressed since last year on offense is Martinez, folks--we've improved or maintained at all other positions (including OC), but we've effectively regressed or stagnated at QB.

 

As Yogi Berra said, "It's Deja Vu all over again."

 

And if Bo isn't willing to make the necessary changes and start putting in a competent run/pass threat at QB, then we may as well search for our old 2010 threads, dust them off, replace Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, and Oklahoma State with the likes of Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Michigan, and be done with this season.

 

I would honestly rather we make the necessary changes, especially now against a weak tOSU and going into a bye week to face underwhelming Minnesota and Michigan State teams to get whomever that needs to be at QB the necessary reps to make them comfortable and avoid another Cody Green problem like last year.

 

Otherwise, when we play Wisconsin for the Big 10 title (and I still believe that we will win our division), the Fox Sports announcers are going to be pulling out the Yogi Berra quote early and often, and deservedly so.

 

Exactly. Now is the perfect time in the season. If it doesn't happen now, it's not going to happen, barring an injury to Taylor. I hate that we have SO much talent on this team, but we can't get the ball to them.

[The Duke]

In my opinion, the offense has so many potential playmakers everywhere you turn - most of them young. We have a junior RB who is a swiss army knife and solid as a rock. Even the OL is gelling together.

 

The problem is we have not been able to make good use of those playmakers. I think the criticisms of the offense being too predicated on Taylor are well-founded. In order to succeed, we have to take the ball out of his hands more. The question becomes, can he distribute the ball to those playmakers effectively?

 

Let's hope he can. Imagine what a QB like Wilson could do with the tools that would be at his disposal on this team...I don't think Taylor will transform his game, but I think he can and will do better than so far.

 

I agree zoogies. The amount of talent we have on offense, especially at the skill positions is crazy. We just have to find a way to get those guys more involved with the game plan. I think right now we are relying too much on Taylor to win games for us, where instead we just need for him to manage the game.

 

Maybe I am wrong here on this, and if I am feel free to let me know, you won't hurt my feelings, but this year reminds me of a complete reversal from when we had Eric Crouch. When Crouch played for Nebraska it seemed he was our entire offense because we lacked high caliber players at the other skill positions. Whereas this year we have talent across the board. We just need to find a better way to get players like Jamal Turner, Rex Burkhead, Kenny Bell, Kyler Reed, etc more involved, and make the defenses have to worry about a number of different threats....and not just Taylor.

[VectorVictor]

Thank you Zoogies. And please understand I'm not trying to assassinate Martinez's character (a concern Knapplc brought up elsewhere IIRC). Martinez would make a good Wildcat QB or even a WR, and I don't think this is personal--I'm just trying to call out an observation borne from seeing similar mistakes and miscues as a freshman and an experienced sophomore.

 

And Carnes may not be 100% ready, wouldn't now be a perfect time to break in Carnes? The Big 10 is relatively pillowy-soft (as far as the Big 10 gets) between now and Michigan (tOSU, Minnesota, Michigan State)--this would be a perfect time to put Carnes in live-fire situiations and give him at least 1.5 games worth of experience between these three contests. And even if we're letting Carnes learn the ropes, I believe we'll have enough playmakers to persevere against the likes of these soft teams (this year).

 

Because next year, you're going to have Iowa, Michigan, and likely Penn State significantly better, a new HC at tOSU who won't squander talent like the current interim HC, and only Wisconsin (and maybe Michigan State?) possibly on the wane. I'd much rather take our lumps this year with Carnes than next, because I don't think we're ever going to have another opening like now again in the next year or more.

[Cina]

I don't really have anything to add to the conversation, I just wanted to applaud members of Huskerboard who are capable of having a good, levelheaded, articulated discussion about football without reverting to junior high. You guys restore my faith in humanity.