Coaches Cautious with Martinez

[Saunders]

I beg to differ, he was much better at it last year. Did you watch the CCG? Probably the greatest scramble of all time! He's actually a lot more mobile in the pocket than people give him credit for, he's just not very heady about where he goes. I can remember a pretty nice sideline catch in the bowl game that came off a scramblel.

So maybe I agree, but he definitely improved last year compared to years past.

I did, and that's not scrambling. He escaped and runs - almost exclusively when the pocket breaks down. It's not the same. I bet I can count on one hand the number of times he extended a pass play with his feet last season. That's his issue - pocket breaks down, he's going to tuck and run. He's no longer a threat down-field. The fact that he's elusive could make him very, very dangerous if he didn't get flustered as the pocket breaks down...if he could better maintain his composure and allow our WRs to get open. You know he doesn't do that - because you never see him throw the ball away. How many times have we seen him run out of bounds 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage? If he's scrambling, he's no longer thinking pass.

A quarterback scramble or scramble is an impromptu maneuver or run in American football and Canadian football by aquarterback. If a quarterback is under pressure by an opposing team's defense, he may run forward, backward, or laterally in an attempt to avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage—a quarterback sack. A scramble is not usually a designed play, but instead is the action of a quarterback to avoid being sacked by the defense or an improvised run forward to gain yardage if an opportunity presents itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarterback_scramble

 

[Landlord]

When he missed the open receiver (Ben Cotton) and drags the play out to the sideline? He completes that pass 1 in a 50 times, or he could have thrown the 80 percenter and hit the rollout 5 steps into that scramble.

I mean yeah sure...if you're going to insist on moaning about something ad nauseum, I won't be able to convince you otherwise. However, on that specific play, it was a smart move not to throw the pass to Ben in the flat because there was an incoming defender, Ben was only 5 yards downfield and it was 3rd down and 13 yards to go. That play resulted in a first down because A. Taylor didn't throw it to him at the first available moment and B. Taylor kept the play alive long enough for him to get to the sticks to get a first.

And I don't know why you don't think the B1G Championship Game one counts - his eyes were downfield looking to pass the entire time that he was scrambling around behind the line of scrimmage.

Here's a few more examples:



http://www.youtube.c...8sJsAjnU#t=931s

http://www.youtube.c...8sJsAjnU#t=942s

http://www.youtube.c...sJsAjnU#t=1120s

Further, I can't find video, but in the Northwestern game, two straight 3rd and 10+ yard situations Taylor kept alive with his feet and completed passes for first downs, despite penalties rendering both efforts void, and then he did it again.

So you're going to need two hands after all.

 

[kchusker_chris]

When he missed the open receiver (Ben Cotton) and drags the play out to the sideline? He completes that pass 1 in a 50 times, or he could have thrown the 80 percenter and hit the rollout 5 steps into that scramble.

I mean yeah sure...if you're going to insist on moaning about something ad nauseum, I won't be able to convince you otherwise. However, on that specific play, it was a smart move not to throw the pass to Ben in the flat because there was an incoming defender, Ben was only 5 yards downfield and it was 3rd down and 13 yards to go. That play resulted in a first down because A. Taylor didn't throw it to him at the first available moment and B. Taylor kept the play alive long enough for him to get to the sticks to get a first.

I see what you're saying - but it was a very low percentage throw. We're on the 37 at the time, a 52 yard field goal. If he throws the high percentage pass we're looking at a 45-47 yard field goal. That's a pretty big difference in field goal %.

What he did turned out ok. But, I think it kind of goes back to playing within the offense, and not trying to do too much. The play before that was a perfect example of him getting flustered scrambling, and I think the next play you mentioned is a perfect example of Martinez trying to do a little too much. Cotton had a spectacular catch to get that 1st down. And Cotton was very reliable with those - he had a bunch of those last season which is why I think he'll be playing on Sundays in the next few years.

I think this offense can score almost every possession. But so much of that relies on Taylor, and the decisions he makes. I think he can greatly improve in this particular area (extending pass plays, not tucking and running) and he certainly has the tools to do it.

 

[Ulty]

Seeing kchusker talk about scrambling is like hearing Mr. Burns talk about sideburns:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzpk5dMhVE4

Just bustin' your balls, man. chuckleshuffle