kerouac9
Klowned by Keim
I didn't really have enough for a series of threads, but I wanted to know what other people were thinking about this stuff:
(1) 13/20, 153 yds, 7.65 ypa, 1 TD, 2INT
Those are Caleb Hanie's stats from the NFC Championship game. Third year player and former undrafted free agent. When a 3rd quarterback enters a game, he provides an excellent tactical advantage to the offense, because no defense has time to prepare a game plan for a 3rd QB, and there's little film on most 3rd quarterbacks, anyway. Hanie had 14 career passing attempts before coming in relief of Todd Collins. If a 3rd quarterback has NFL skills at all, he should have some success.
The reason why 3rd quarterbacks and backups don't become starters frequently is because the NFL figures everyone out, and once the tape becomes available, it becomes clear that a guy just doesn't have the skills to play in the NFL and make the necessary adjustments, whether mental or physical, to counter opposing defenses.
(2) 15/37, 146 yds, 3.9 YPA, 0 TD, 0 INT
Those are John Skelton's stats from his first career start against an overmatched and undermotivated Denver Broncos team. There's some discussion here that Skelton deserves consideration as a future starting quarterback. But when factors were overwhelmingly in Skelton's favor in his first couple of starts (teams with nothing to play for, superior surrounding cast, etc), Skelton didn't put together results that show up on the stat sheet.
The most disturbing fact about Skelton is frustrating accuracy problems. Skelton can develop greater command of the offense, but he's not suddenly going to be able to put the ball on a receiver. Skelton has great physical skills, but without the accuracy that's necessary to complete passes at the NFL level, it will be impossible to put faith in him as a starter.
Aaron Rogers attempted 59 passes before being named the starter for the Green Bay Packers in his fourth season. He completed 35 of them (59%).
(3) The proliferation of the spread offense in NCAA has caused some challenges for scouting and projecting players to the pro level. The spread offense inflates the completion percentage of quarterbacks as well as their YPA because receivers gain much of their yardage after the catch. The stats don't tell the whole story on spread quarterbacks.
When evaluating shotgun spread quarterbacks, you have to watch them play. Not highlight reels, but actual games. How long do they spend in the pocket? What happens when their first option isn't available? Can they fit the ball into tight windows? How do they perform when the pocket collapses around them? Can they get the ball outside the hashes with NFL speed and accuracy?
The problem with scouting spread quarterbacks from a fan's perspective is that we don't have access to coach's film (which shows the entire field from behind the QB), and we don't have the opportunity to interview the player. In the meeting rooms at the Combine, spread quarterbacks are likely grilled by scouts and coaching staffs to walk through their decision-making process against defensive looks. And even then, those conversations have to happen in seconds instead of minutes when the bullets are live.
(1) 13/20, 153 yds, 7.65 ypa, 1 TD, 2INT
Those are Caleb Hanie's stats from the NFC Championship game. Third year player and former undrafted free agent. When a 3rd quarterback enters a game, he provides an excellent tactical advantage to the offense, because no defense has time to prepare a game plan for a 3rd QB, and there's little film on most 3rd quarterbacks, anyway. Hanie had 14 career passing attempts before coming in relief of Todd Collins. If a 3rd quarterback has NFL skills at all, he should have some success.
The reason why 3rd quarterbacks and backups don't become starters frequently is because the NFL figures everyone out, and once the tape becomes available, it becomes clear that a guy just doesn't have the skills to play in the NFL and make the necessary adjustments, whether mental or physical, to counter opposing defenses.
(2) 15/37, 146 yds, 3.9 YPA, 0 TD, 0 INT
Those are John Skelton's stats from his first career start against an overmatched and undermotivated Denver Broncos team. There's some discussion here that Skelton deserves consideration as a future starting quarterback. But when factors were overwhelmingly in Skelton's favor in his first couple of starts (teams with nothing to play for, superior surrounding cast, etc), Skelton didn't put together results that show up on the stat sheet.
The most disturbing fact about Skelton is frustrating accuracy problems. Skelton can develop greater command of the offense, but he's not suddenly going to be able to put the ball on a receiver. Skelton has great physical skills, but without the accuracy that's necessary to complete passes at the NFL level, it will be impossible to put faith in him as a starter.
Aaron Rogers attempted 59 passes before being named the starter for the Green Bay Packers in his fourth season. He completed 35 of them (59%).
(3) The proliferation of the spread offense in NCAA has caused some challenges for scouting and projecting players to the pro level. The spread offense inflates the completion percentage of quarterbacks as well as their YPA because receivers gain much of their yardage after the catch. The stats don't tell the whole story on spread quarterbacks.
When evaluating shotgun spread quarterbacks, you have to watch them play. Not highlight reels, but actual games. How long do they spend in the pocket? What happens when their first option isn't available? Can they fit the ball into tight windows? How do they perform when the pocket collapses around them? Can they get the ball outside the hashes with NFL speed and accuracy?
The problem with scouting spread quarterbacks from a fan's perspective is that we don't have access to coach's film (which shows the entire field from behind the QB), and we don't have the opportunity to interview the player. In the meeting rooms at the Combine, spread quarterbacks are likely grilled by scouts and coaching staffs to walk through their decision-making process against defensive looks. And even then, those conversations have to happen in seconds instead of minutes when the bullets are live.
