Armstrong Leading the QB Race

[lo country]

I think they're putting the jet sweep plays in to combat some of those stacked boxes. A Safety has to account for the sweep man, taking him out of the box at the point of the snap, meaning one less defender heading toward the LOS. Run that sweep toward the TE and you've got hat-on-hat blocking.

Or you could pull the handoff, run the tight end up the seam and see where that gets you. Basically a modern version of Osborne's run/pass Option play, where we had one tight end with like 12 career catches & 10 TDs or some such thing. Cethan Carter, presuming his hands have softened, would be excellent in this play.

This. Just like TF. Not a lot of passes, but they went for TD's or in the dirt and didn't get many INT's. Crazy QB rating as well. Lean on the run.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Just based on the tweets, we still have a QB game that is a liability and not an asset at this point. We need to lean on the run and hope for some Connor Cook like improvement as the season goes on.

Pardon my stubbornness but, I'm not going to take the word of a couple outside reporters that watched one day of practice when they were working on 3rd down plays to decide if our passing game sucks.

 

[True2tRA]

I think they're putting the jet sweep plays in to combat some of those stacked boxes. A Safety has to account for the sweep man, taking him out of the box at the point of the snap, meaning one less defender heading toward the LOS. Run that sweep toward the TE and you've got hat-on-hat blocking.Or you could pull the handoff, run the tight end up the seam and see where that gets you. Basically a modern version of Osborne's run/pass Option play, where we had one tight end with like 12 career catches & 10 TDs or some such thing. Cethan Carter, presuming his hands have softened, would be excellent in this play.

I think we actually tried that TE Seam throw a few times with Tommy last season. Maybe not off the PA jet Sweep, but still, that TE was always wide open Tommy's throws just sailed a bit. This is the benefit of such a successful run game. The LB'ers eyes and the safeties as well, can be caught in the backfield. These a exactly the types of plays that need to be capitalized on. They change games. You hit that once a game, and instantly the opposing defenses mindset changes. It causes hesitation, and hesitation, that split second, can make a play. Especially for a guy like Abdullah, who will expose those LB'ers if they take one misstep.

I also really like Cethan Carter's ability. Though he hasn't reached his potential. I'd like to see Nebraska use him more like we used to use Mike McNeill. My favorite aspect of the TE position is selling a block and finding the gap in the defense. It's usually a quick throw, a short out route or curl, but if a guy can sell that block well, it's a high percentage play and easily five to ten yards every time. Again, this also benefits the run game when an opposing LB'er has to pause and read that TE, it can work wonders for us.

 

[HUSKER FREAK]

Yes we need to get Cethan Carter the ball more this year. He is going to be a really good TE for us. I really think Tommy is going to shut most of his critics up and I would be just fine with that. Wont make everyone happy but he doesn't need to.

 

[74Hunter]

I really think Tommy is going to shut most of his critics up and I would be just fine with that. Wont make everyone happy but he doesn't need to.

I hope so. I'd like nothing more than our starting. QB to bring more than just confidence and supposed leadership to the table. Consistently making plays and not being a turnover machine would be great.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Just based on the tweets, we still have a QB game that is a liability and not an asset at this point. We need to lean on the run and hope for some Connor Cook like improvement as the season goes on.

Pardon my stubbornness but, I'm not going to take the word of a couple outside reporters that watched one day of practice when they were working on 3rd down plays to decide if our passing game sucks.

Right, forget the 8 starts from last year. Need a better sample size before we jump to conclusions.

 

[Husker_x]

Just based on the tweets, we still have a QB game that is a liability and not an asset at this point. We need to lean on the run and hope for some Connor Cook like improvement as the season goes on.

Pardon my stubbornness but, I'm not going to take the word of a couple outside reporters that watched one day of practice when they were working on 3rd down plays to decide if our passing game sucks.

Right, forget the 8 starts from last year. Need a better sample size before we jump to conclusions.

Sarcastic or not, that's exactly right. We do need a bigger sample size because the sample we have is muddled by a whole lot of external factors.

Starting a week from Saturday we're going to see an offense that's (hopefully) built around TA's skill set and that he has actually prepared for a full offseason to run. Ideally this version of the offense will not rely on a dropback passer slinging it around fifty times a game. Tommy's prowess throwing the ball had better not be the difference between a good season and a season that goes into the toilet, or we are likely looking at a season about to go into the toilet.

Give me a QB who is neither a liability nor an asset. Abdullah, Cross, Bell, Newby, Turner, etc. are the assets. Lean on them and watch Tommy grow into his role. Hopefully by season's end he's opened some eyes.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

A lot of what we're describing as our dream offense is actually the West Coast Offense.

The WCO was never a pass-happy offense and the playbook didn't have to be huge. It was a way to use all your offensive threats in high-percentage executions, making it hard for a defense to clamp down on anything. It never hurt to be Joe Montana or Brett Favre, but several thousand of their yards came on short outlet passes to wide open receivers, often the RB or fullback who just slipped out of a block, or tight ends waiting safely on the sideline. They ran first, but they were never afraid to pass. When defenses committed to stopping the run -- which they often did -- the passing game could maintain sustained drives with a dink & dunk. A lot of the long bombs we see in football are the result of a wide receiver lobbying the quarterback, because he's consistently beating his man deep.

I hope we play smart with Tommy. That doesn't mean we have to be timid.

 

[The Dude]

I really think Tommy is going to shut most of his critics up and I would be just fine with that. Wont make everyone happy but he doesn't need to.

I hope so. I'd like nothing more than our starting. QB to bring more than just confidence and supposed leadership to the table. Consistently making plays and not being a turnover machine would be great.

At this point I think your concerns are sufficiently documented. Why not give him some time to develop and see what becomes of him? If he's still making all these mistakes in the middle of his Junior year after 20+ starts, blast away.

But holy crap, man, give it a rest already.

 

[sd'sker]

kid's name is "armstrong". he has the goods, you guys.

 

[Mavric]

Several reports of working on TEs down the seam the last several practices. Sounds like TA hit Carter with a nice pass today. That route was open many times last year but we really struggled to get the ball to the TE. I could see that being a big play for us this year.

 

[caveman99]

Several reports of working on TEs down the seam the last several practices. Sounds like TA hit Carter with a nice pass today. That route was open many times last year but we really struggled to get the ball to the TE. I could see that being a big play for us this year.

Yeah that play action pass play off of the Zone Read and the TE up the seam is a nifty play that was open every time, TA and RK just couldn't seem to hit it. I think we only hit it once or twice in the regular season, but they did run it much better in the bowl game so I am guessing the extra bowl practices helped a lot in that regard.

 

[lo country]

Several reports of working on TEs down the seam the last several practices. Sounds like TA hit Carter with a nice pass today. That route was open many times last year but we really struggled to get the ball to the TE. I could see that being a big play for us this year.

Yeah that play action pass play off of the Zone Read and the TE up the seam is a nifty play that was open every time, TA and RK just couldn't seem to hit it. I think we only hit it once or twice in the regular season, but they did run it much better in the bowl game so I am guessing the extra bowl practices helped a lot in that regard.

I would love to see the TE again become the focal point of our passing attack. Other teams seem to kill us with routes to TE's.

 

[Warrior10]

Several reports of working on TEs down the seam the last several practices. Sounds like TA hit Carter with a nice pass today. That route was open many times last year but we really struggled to get the ball to the TE. I could see that being a big play for us this year.

Yeah that play action pass play off of the Zone Read and the TE up the seam is a nifty play that was open every time, TA and RK just couldn't seem to hit it. I think we only hit it once or twice in the regular season, but they did run it much better in the bowl game so I am guessing the extra bowl practices helped a lot in that regard.

I would love to see the TE again become the focal point of our passing attack. Other teams seem to kill us with routes to TE's.

The Minnesota TE just drug across the middle and caught another....

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Just based on the tweets, we still have a QB game that is a liability and not an asset at this point. We need to lean on the run and hope for some Connor Cook like improvement as the season goes on.

Pardon my stubbornness but, I'm not going to take the word of a couple outside reporters that watched one day of practice when they were working on 3rd down plays to decide if our passing game sucks.

Right, forget the 8 starts from last year. Need a better sample size before we jump to conclusions.

Sarcastic or not, that's exactly right. We do need a bigger sample size because the sample we have is muddled by a whole lot of external factors.

Starting a week from Saturday we're going to see an offense that's (hopefully) built around TA's skill set and that he has actually prepared for a full offseason to run. Ideally this version of the offense will not rely on a dropback passer slinging it around fifty times a game. Tommy's prowess throwing the ball had better not be the difference between a good season and a season that goes into the toilet, or we are likely looking at a season about to go into the toilet.

Give me a QB who is neither a liability nor an asset. Abdullah, Cross, Bell, Newby, Turner, etc. are the assets. Lean on them and watch Tommy grow into his role. Hopefully by season's end he's opened some eyes.

I don't agree with the statement that we can win the conference with a QB who's just a 'game manager'. Unfortunately with the schedules of Iowa and Wisconsin, we have no room for error this season. We have to develop a QB who is an asset in order to win the division and conference.

Now, I would say if our offensive identity has been option oriented for several seasons, and something we've recruited specifically for, I might agree with you. But moving to a option offense (or not sticking with any identity on offense) on the fly during one season and through fall camp is not ideal.