Thanks, Watson...
- Thread starter John BarleyCorn
- Start date
SuperBigFan69
Head Coach
Look,
I know there are Watson lovers here, or BCers as they are usually called and of course there are Watson haters here too. Just like every board, this board is not as bad as HI, where the amount of virgins is staggering and the love for Watson is almost at a homo-erotic level by about two or three posters, but the fact remains the same. When Watson goes up against above average defenses, he tends to look average at best. Its really just fact. I know some people will point out the Arizona game and there is no denying that He called a very good game but look at other game vs top 50 defenses.
He is just, at best, an average OC. Last night was pretty much like watching two BC's go at it, BC was amazing at getting out schemed by good defenses, so is Watson and so is Sherman.
The only thing that Sherman did better was realize that he is average at calling plays so he just started to hand the ball off. Watson seems to have a hard time figuring out that he is average and it hurts him.
For instance, when Green was in at QB, the only three types of plays they should run are deep passes, very deep, vs the man-man coverage, let your wide outs try to make a play or maybe get a call (or maybe not), the second would be hand offs and the third would be QB draws, right up the middle, where he doesnt have to move side to side because lord knows he is slow but he is a huge kid and could gain yards going forward.
I know there are Watson lovers here, or BCers as they are usually called and of course there are Watson haters here too. Just like every board, this board is not as bad as HI, where the amount of virgins is staggering and the love for Watson is almost at a homo-erotic level by about two or three posters, but the fact remains the same. When Watson goes up against above average defenses, he tends to look average at best. Its really just fact. I know some people will point out the Arizona game and there is no denying that He called a very good game but look at other game vs top 50 defenses.
He is just, at best, an average OC. Last night was pretty much like watching two BC's go at it, BC was amazing at getting out schemed by good defenses, so is Watson and so is Sherman.
The only thing that Sherman did better was realize that he is average at calling plays so he just started to hand the ball off. Watson seems to have a hard time figuring out that he is average and it hurts him.
For instance, when Green was in at QB, the only three types of plays they should run are deep passes, very deep, vs the man-man coverage, let your wide outs try to make a play or maybe get a call (or maybe not), the second would be hand offs and the third would be QB draws, right up the middle, where he doesnt have to move side to side because lord knows he is slow but he is a huge kid and could gain yards going forward.
NU fan in Denver
Starter
Watson's playcalling was mediocre at best. The play action pass off the zone read fake was open all night. I can't believe he didn't call it. Their db's were crashing hard on the run. We've ran the play before. uuuhhhh. So frustrating. Please hire him Colorado!!!
BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA
All-American
I just checked the play by play and it appears that Helu wasn't back in the game after his 31 yard run. That was the reason for my original question whether Helu got hurt.
zoogs
Assistant Coach
My bad: you're right. A question worth getting answered, hopefully someone has it.
Just Cotton and Gilmore after the season ends.
Long, long overdue and not a knee-jerk reaction to one game.
To me, this has absolutely NOTHING to do with the play-calling. I think the play-calling was pretty good for the most part.
This all boils do to if the play works than nobody says anything and we go on talking about other things.
The problem lies with the fact that our players just simply don't execute consistently enough to be considered a top-tier offense. We call good plays, and we have pretty good play-makers, yet there are always one-two players (or entire units) that mess up any given play thus resulting in us three-and-out or turning the ball over.
Take the offensive line, for example. We have a pretty veteran group of guys up there only having lost one starter, and most of them are relatively healthy. Yet, they got pushed around all night by a defensive front that really shouldn't have been having that much success.
Then, take the receivers. We either had receivers out of place on their routes, dropping balls, or just making mental errors while trying to block downfield.
Martinez can't be a one man show every game. He is going to make mistakes and he is injured. A different quarterback in the game shouldn't mean that our line blocks worse, our receivers don't get open, or our running backs can't find holes.
I have no problem with Watson's play-calling. But ever since he first got here and even until this day, I question his ability to coach players and build depth on the offensive side of the ball. Offenses struggle, yes, but offenses shouldn't struggle this bad when the only significant injury is a quarterback, especially when we consider that the offense has struggled against defenses it shouldn't have struggled against.
IMHO, Watson was purely kept on this staff because T.O. and Pelini didn't want to revamp both sides of the ball at once. Well, I think we've hit a road block for Watson. We can't continually dominate OOC teams, play mediocre against average teams, and then play far below expectations against good/bad teams alike. There is no consistency here
The defense generally plays well against all levels of competition. Why isn't the offense?
This all boils do to if the play works than nobody says anything and we go on talking about other things.
The problem lies with the fact that our players just simply don't execute consistently enough to be considered a top-tier offense. We call good plays, and we have pretty good play-makers, yet there are always one-two players (or entire units) that mess up any given play thus resulting in us three-and-out or turning the ball over.
Take the offensive line, for example. We have a pretty veteran group of guys up there only having lost one starter, and most of them are relatively healthy. Yet, they got pushed around all night by a defensive front that really shouldn't have been having that much success.
Then, take the receivers. We either had receivers out of place on their routes, dropping balls, or just making mental errors while trying to block downfield.
Martinez can't be a one man show every game. He is going to make mistakes and he is injured. A different quarterback in the game shouldn't mean that our line blocks worse, our receivers don't get open, or our running backs can't find holes.
I have no problem with Watson's play-calling. But ever since he first got here and even until this day, I question his ability to coach players and build depth on the offensive side of the ball. Offenses struggle, yes, but offenses shouldn't struggle this bad when the only significant injury is a quarterback, especially when we consider that the offense has struggled against defenses it shouldn't have struggled against.
IMHO, Watson was purely kept on this staff because T.O. and Pelini didn't want to revamp both sides of the ball at once. Well, I think we've hit a road block for Watson. We can't continually dominate OOC teams, play mediocre against average teams, and then play far below expectations against good/bad teams alike. There is no consistency here
The defense generally plays well against all levels of competition. Why isn't the offense?
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Jason Sitoke
All-Conference
Watson's game coaching performance is not one to be evaluated on one game. It is true that there are times when a play is set up perfectly by the OC, only to have a DLineman waste it by punking the Oline, or the QB making the wrong read. However, after UT (last year and this year), OU, VaTech, and A&M, that's 5 big time games where his offense failed to get into the endzone legitimately (I don't count a 1 yd drive set up by an INT against OU). That is a deep rooted problem that goes back to how this team prepares. I'm not on the practice field, so I can't sit here and give you any succinct reason why the coaching is terrible, but I have the results, and they are not where they need to be. I've seen enough. I'm not angrily calling for his head on a platter. I just think Watson and NU need to part company at the end of the year.I would give Watson a B on play calling. We had a healthy runass ratio. In spite of not scoring any touchdowns, we were able to move the ball fairly well against arguably the best defense we've seen this year. And our pass plays would've been much more effective if our QBs would've made better throws and/or better decisions. Two crucial pass plays come to mind immediately: Martinez INT, and the 3rd and 7 pass that was broken up forcing us to settle for a field goal to tie the game at 6.
Martinez INT - he has connected a few times with Reed on that exact play several times this year, and on every one of those connections Reed ran a skinny post, and that was the route he ran again tonight. But for some reason, Martinez threw it like Reed was running a straight-line seam route. That was a perfect play call at that time, and could've even been a TD to put us of 10-3. The INT was completely on Martinez' shoulders, not Watson.
The 3rd and 7 pass to Kinnie that was broken up - while I think the initial flag (PI on aTm CB) was legit and should not have been waived off by the refs, I think Martinez made a poor decision to pass it to Kinnie in the 1st place. After replaying the routes on that play, I noticed McNeil ran a beautiful corner route behind Kinnie, and he had his man beat by 2-3 yards for what would've been an easy TD and huge blow to aTm.
These were game-changing plays that Martinez will learn from. And they were the right play calls by Watson. In fact, I'd say when Watson did call a pass play, they were solid, especially the slant routes and the out patterns. We converted several key 3rd downs on good pass plays.
TripleOption
Starter
Personally, I'm hoping that somebody picks him up for a HC job somewhere else after the season is over. I'm guessing NE won't want to fire him. He's done some good things here, but the inconsistency is very frustrating. I do question his ability to really develop the team in the way they need. The D is tough as nails again. But the offense is too often, and too easily dominated.
I don't think it's play calling, per se, or anything easy to point at. I'm tempted to say it's a mental toughness thing. We have these flashes of brilliance, but that only serves to make us more angry when we fail to show up the next week for no apparent reason. And the penalties are just ridiculous....
I don't think it's play calling, per se, or anything easy to point at. I'm tempted to say it's a mental toughness thing. We have these flashes of brilliance, but that only serves to make us more angry when we fail to show up the next week for no apparent reason. And the penalties are just ridiculous....
bshirt
Banned
I'm sure SW is a good guy too. But being a OC at NU is not working for the post office. Results are "required".
Offensive production the last two years.
2009
VT = zero TDs
TT = one garbage TD
Iowa St = one TD
OU = one TD (1 yd dr due to pick)
Texas = zero TDs
2010 (so far)
SDSU = two Tds
Texas = zero Tds
Kansas = two Tds
TAM = zero Tds
How is NU to return to a premier program with production like that? Arguably the two Tds vs Kansas & SDSU are the biggest total failures. We're talking two grossly inept/untalented defenses that we struggled mightily with.
Offensive production the last two years.
2009
VT = zero TDs
TT = one garbage TD
Iowa St = one TD
OU = one TD (1 yd dr due to pick)
Texas = zero TDs
2010 (so far)
SDSU = two Tds
Texas = zero Tds
Kansas = two Tds
TAM = zero Tds
How is NU to return to a premier program with production like that? Arguably the two Tds vs Kansas & SDSU are the biggest total failures. We're talking two grossly inept/untalented defenses that we struggled mightily with.
TheCheshireCat
Starter
I guarantee a dude like Holgerson would have our offense humming by this point of the year.
mmmtodd
All-Conference
that is absolutely disgusting to look at. youve got a corn cob up your backside if you defend watson. bo took one of the worst defenses in the country and has turned them into one of the best in three years. granted, bo is the head coach so he's culpable with the offensive pee fest as well, but he's obviously a defensive minded one, and shawn watson has the exact same resources as bo to get his sh#t together on that side of the ball. its simply not happening. watson needs to go the way of the cosgrove.
John BarleyCorn
Three-Star Recruit
Watson has got to go, like I previously stated. If you don't have the horses to run at will on a good defense, that's when you have to get creative and think outside the box. That's where Watson fails.
The only thing, I fear, is that Bo may promote Barney Cotton to OC.
The only thing, I fear, is that Bo may promote Barney Cotton to OC.