Triaging the QB room
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gobiggergoredder
Active member
QB rating is flat YoY.
The percentage from 2010 to 2012 accounts for approximately 1.25 completions per game.
Cdog923
New member
gossamorharpy
New member
I'm sorry but as a former player and GA for various D2 and jucos after college, i can tell you your bolded statement above is 100% false. Mechanics is more than just arm angle- its dropback/step back cadence and timing depending on the play, its consistent footwork that is always in motion and ready to throw at a moments notice and not being off balanced, its about maintaining proper balance in and out of the pocket so you're not leaning back (as the TM video above tried to point out), its about engaging the core and hips in the right way so you're using your whole body to throw with power (not just with pure arm strength), accuracy and consistency. All of which is before we even get to arm angles/releases and timing w/ receivers. I haven't even touched on head movement/eye movement to not telegraph where you're throwing and deceive a DB into covering a guy you aren't throwing to. All of this (and much more) falls in QB mechanics
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Undone
New member
Agreed. I just don't really think it's even a subconscious preference towards Haarberg because he's an in-state kid. I mean I'm sure there are a few people out there that are taking him over Sims for that reason, but I don't think they're a large portion of the fans on Team Ricky.
I do agree with this one. But being a former star player of the team is surely on a different level than just being a recruit from Kearney, right?
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gobiggergoredder
Active member
These are all great "nuggets" that had almost no impact on the performance TM. AM, in my opinion, had poor field vision and/or didn't understand coverages. He was always late.
I feel like everytime we start to have these mechanics discussions I always go back to the pirate. I remember him on game day talking about how he really only looked for one thing in a high school QB....accuracy. I wish I could find the clip, but I've never been able to. All I have is this.
Mike Leach: "If a quarterback isn't accurate, you shouldn't recruit him" - Footballscoop
I played D2 ball too. I was a DB. We didn’t have a position coach, just a GA. My GAs were a D lineman and a running back. I’m with Mike.
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Husker in WI
New member
I think the in-state thing is playing a significant role - not in preferring him over Sims, because setting aside all stats and how they've played it's hard to pick the 0-2 guy over the 4-1 guy. But Haarberg is not playing particularly well overall, and a lot of the defense of his play I think is coming from the fact that people really want him to succeed as the Nebraska kid. I think the criticisms of QB play would be louder in spite of the 4-1 record if it was Purdy, or Sims, or Smothers with identical performances.
Undone
New member
If this board is an accurate cross section of Husker Nation, I'd say the criticism of Haarberg is very loud.
After the LA Tech game, I thought I had seen enough of Haarberg to say he was less mistake-prone and offered more than Sims did. After I watched a few more games I'm starting to feel like Sims should have maybe gotten the nod against Illinois.
But to be clear this is analysis and not "complaining." Yes, I'm glad we have a guy, period, that is 4-1 and our team is 4-3. I really don't give the situation any kind of an extra boost in favor of Haarberg because he's from NE.
gossamorharpy
New member
I think its a stretch to say they had no impact on TM. TM had a horrendous throwing motion that was somewhat effective when he could outrun everyone on the field-- when his toe issues arose and his running was hindered, he was never the same qb (imo). Let's say he had that same speed but learned early on the proper way to throw football? I guess we'll never know, but, on average, I would venture to say he might've been a bit more effective with his arm when his running game was hindered if he had better mechanics. He did show some improvements part of the way here but usually reverted back to that lean back, shotput esque motion that he probably learned when he was 10 (old habits are hard to break)
For 2 am- how often did we hear that ponzi scheme of a qb Verdusco talk about putting 2am through unorthodox drills that Pat mahomes does because thats the new way of qb play? Yet on game day, how often did we see 2AM air mail a throw to the flat or over a receivers head? On so many of those throws you look at the tape and see him throwing off his back foot which often times leads to air mail throws and subpar accuracy. Sure, there will always be outliers who can overcome poor mechanics and have success but I'd put the % of those qbs who can actually get away with that in P5 to maybe 10% of QBs, if that?
I love Leach (RIP), legend of the game that is sorely missed. His quote is spot on- you can't teach accuracy simply through mechanics change. I'd venture to bet tho that Leach and his assistants were not recruiting qbs who were starting off with poor and non existent mechanics. Perhaps in HS a qb can get away with poor mechanics and still throw accurately- but 99% of the time this changes at the next level when defenders are that much bigger, faster and talented than what you face in HS.
Also, great to cross paths with another former player. I wasnt trying to big time you with my playing/ga reference but sometimes I read things on forums and am compelled to reference lol.
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MyBloodIsRed16
Active member
one of the biggest problems most of the QBs in recent history had with their mechanics was their footwork. A lot of inaccuracy comes from foot position at the time of the throw. How many times have we seen our qbs throwing off their back foot or with their feet parallel. Granted the lines have been bad and its a miracle sometime that qbs can get the ball off. But its happened plenty when they have had time to throw.
gossamorharpy
New member
footwork is so critical. Throwing at scale, you simply wont get the desired results at the % you want if the base isn't set. Same can be said for really any sport.
gossamorharpy
New member
Also to clarify, outside of HH's relatively low arm angle/release, his mechanics is not even close to the top of worries for me. The injuries and complete lack of playmakers is, by far, the biggest thing holding this offense back. O line, while improved, is 2nd biggest for me.
Sure, there are some route misses he could've had big plays with but this can be addressed in the film room, studying progressions, and getting quicker on the decision making. Even a legit throwing Qb would struggle at times in this offense as presently constructred when we're trotting out either fringe P5 guys or young freshman at key skill spots. The attrition to the WR and RB room has been so devastating
Sure, there are some route misses he could've had big plays with but this can be addressed in the film room, studying progressions, and getting quicker on the decision making. Even a legit throwing Qb would struggle at times in this offense as presently constructred when we're trotting out either fringe P5 guys or young freshman at key skill spots. The attrition to the WR and RB room has been so devastating
BigRedBuster
Well-known member
Yes. Are the new young WRs running the right routes? Saturday, there was a play towards the side lines where we ended up with two WRs in the same area and it was easily defended because there were then two defenders there. Someone messed up and it wasn't necessarily HH. Yes, HH has a lot of room for improvement, but sometimes the mistake isn't on him. And....now, we are going to have even more new players out there.
Toe
Active member
I'll just say this: Haarberg to date has been a luckier QB than Sims. Don't mistake that for being a better QB...
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