Martinez injured?

[Hercules]

Don't get me wrong. There is a lot I admire about Martinez, and I believe he has a skill set not a lot of quarterbacks have, but his throwing motion is just awful. I really wish he could throw a better ball - quicker and more fluid - because with the receivers we have this year, it would open a whole new level in our offense.

I don't really look it at that way... I mean, Martinez has accuracy issues that I'm sure are due to his passing mechanics, but I don't think his accuracy is usually what gets him in trouble...

Take the first half from yesterday's game - we got to halftime with the ESPN douchebags railing on his mechanics, but what did his mechanics have to do with anything in the first half? Nobody was open, or he had guys right in his face as he made a throw - there was just no place to go with the ball, that I could see on TV. Now my guess is that there probably was someplace to go with the ball, and Taylor just wasn't able to find it before the pressure forced him to get rid of the ball or take the sack, but that's not an accuracy/mechanics issue.

In general, while he does make some inaccurate passes sometimes, it's always been his ability (or inability) to see the field and read the coverage that gets him in trouble. When he's able to read the defense and find his open receivers, he's accurate enough (see yesterday's second half).

 

[In the Deed the Glory]

So back to the original post...

What's the over/under on number of times Bo says "He's fine" in the presser Monday?

 

[The Dude]

His decision making is improving, methinks. Yesterday I remember a screen play that was covered and he had the presence of mind not to make the throw. Sure, he took a sack but if he would have thrown it, we're watching a pick-6. Sometimes taking the sack is the best play.

 

[HskerFever73]

His decision making is improving, methinks. Yesterday I remember a screen play that was covered and he had the presence of mind not to make the throw. Sure, he took a sack but if he would have thrown it, we're watching a pick-6. Sometimes taking the sack is the best play.

Good point, a better decision is throwing it away. Way up in the stands...hopefully right at the freaking guy with the chicken hat and blood soaked clothes.

 

[Hercules]

His decision making is improving, methinks. Yesterday I remember a screen play that was covered and he had the presence of mind not to make the throw. Sure, he took a sack but if he would have thrown it, we're watching a pick-6. Sometimes taking the sack is the best play.

Good point, a better decision is throwing it away. Way up in the stands...hopefully right at the freaking guy with the chicken hat and blood soaked clothes.

You can't do that when you're in the pocket though... He would have needed to throw it in the area of the receiver... I was happy he took a sack on that screen pass.

 

[zoogs]

His decision making is improving, methinks. Yesterday I remember a screen play that was covered and he had the presence of mind not to make the throw. Sure, he took a sack but if he would have thrown it, we're watching a pick-6. Sometimes taking the sack is the best play.

That probably isn't the best example of improved decision-making :lol:

But one thing da skers mentioned last week is that Taylor tries really hard to play within the offense, and you can tell from the slides he is making. I think there was one time where he had a guy open deep and he took the checkdown yesterday, and Meyer mentioned it. That would be another example, which isn't the best decision, but better that than forcing it.

Screen plays...you should never not make a throw, if you know there's an unblocked DL coming at you. Loss of yards and a potential fumble are much more dangerous than just throwing it high at the RB and launching it into the stands. You can absolutely do that when you are in the pocket.

 

[Hercules]

His decision making is improving, methinks. Yesterday I remember a screen play that was covered and he had the presence of mind not to make the throw. Sure, he took a sack but if he would have thrown it, we're watching a pick-6. Sometimes taking the sack is the best play.

That probably isn't the best example of improved decision-making :lol:

But one thing da skers mentioned last week is that Taylor tries really hard to play within the offense, and you can tell from the slides he is making. I think there was one time where he had a guy open deep and he took the checkdown yesterday, and Meyer mentioned it. That would be another example, which isn't the best decision, but better that than forcing it.

Screen plays...you should never not make a throw, if you know there's an unblocked DL coming at you. Loss of yards and a potential fumble are much more dangerous than just throwing it high at the RB and launching it into the stands. You can absolutely do that when you are in the pocket.

If the ball is obviously thrown out of bounds, but goes over a receiver's head and is obviously being thrown away, does that count as having a receiver "in the area," making it not intentional grounding? I thought in college football, the ball had to be somewhat catchable.

I remember Blaine Gabbert or someone last year throwing a ball in the dirt about 2 yards in front of his screen checkdown, but the ref still called it intentional grounding, because the ball wasn't remotely catchable and it was obviously "intentional grounding."

 

[jsneb83]

So back to the original post...

What's the over/under on number of times Bo says "He's fine" in the presser Monday?

Three, then Bo rips on Dirk for asking stupid questions.

 

[corncraze]

Why does it seem the rumormill is always connected to Martinez?

I can't ever remember seeing so many internet rumors connected to one player here. This poor kid just can't seem to avoid this stuff!

 

[HskerFever73]

His decision making is improving, methinks. Yesterday I remember a screen play that was covered and he had the presence of mind not to make the throw. Sure, he took a sack but if he would have thrown it, we're watching a pick-6. Sometimes taking the sack is the best play.

Good point, a better decision is throwing it away. Way up in the stands...hopefully right at the freaking guy with the chicken hat and blood soaked clothes.

You can't do that when you're in the pocket though... He would have needed to throw it in the area of the receiver... I was happy he took a sack on that screen pass.

If it goes over the receivers head it would be legal, correct?

 

[zoogs]

If the ball is obviously thrown out of bounds, but goes over a receiver's head and is obviously being thrown away, does that count as having a receiver "in the area," making it not intentional grounding? I thought in college football, the ball had to be somewhat catchable.

I remember Blaine Gabbert or someone last year throwing a ball in the dirt about 2 yards in front of his screen checkdown, but the ref still called it intentional grounding, because the ball wasn't remotely catchable and it was obviously "intentional grounding."

I think catchable only applies to PI. You see QBs just throw it into the ground at receivers close to them all the time. I don't remember that out of Gabbert so perhaps you are right, although I don't think Meyer would have given him that advice if it were intentional grounding.

 

[Husker_x]

Not sure if this is exactly on topic, but after to the Wisconsin debacle I've been pretty impressed with both Beck and Martinez. The win yesterday has me wanting to buy more stock. Beck is designing gameplans that limit Taylor's exposure. Taylor is reading the game and managing it well. We're seeing the kind of efficiency that keeps him from thinking he has to win the game by himself and force things. Sparty helped us all day with penalties, true, but I saw some things even on busted plays where Taylor made the smart call.

Bottom line: we've been seeing some very encouraging signs these past few weeks. Beck's engineered the best rushing attack in the B1G, and Taylor is executing it well. Hope it stays that way. If the defense holds up their end the rest of the season, we'll be seeing Wiscy again in December.

 

[Rocketsocks]

I like how you worded that Husker_x. We have to limit Taylor's exposure. We have to make him stop throwing balls more than twenty yards downfield because his windup takes two hours. But if Beck calls plays that let him focus on what he is best at then he can excel. Don't pound a square peg into a round hole.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Don't get me wrong. There is a lot I admire about Martinez, and I believe he has a skill set not a lot of quarterbacks have, but his throwing motion is just awful. I really wish he could throw a better ball - quicker and more fluid - because with the receivers we have this year, it would open a whole new level in our offense.

See, I was hoping the receivers we have this year would catch a few more of those well-placed passes Martinez has been throwing.

We still need the passing game. And 20 passing attempts is not too many. Those big second half completions sustained the drives every bit as much as Burkhead's 4 yard gains.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

I also think it's a big relief to Martinez that Burkhead has taken much of the spotlight, both in playcalling and in expectation management.