QB Controversy, Problem in locker room, one and the same?
Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:09 pm
Just curious if this has crossed anyone's mind. This is not meant to be a pro-Padron or anti-JJMcD post... just describing what I see, and thoughts that crossed my mind.
Facts:
Speculation:
Conclusion:
I'm not saying who I think is being *more* immature here (coach vs. players) and certainly, I could be wrong about what is wrong in the locker room. I'd be interested in other's thoughts.
Facts:
- We have one QB who is more accurate, and one who makes decisions faster. Neither is going to appear on any Heisman ballots.
- Our coach, fed up with no increase in decision making speed over the past two years, decides to go with the less accurate arm.
- The more accurate QB got very small doses of playtime following the switch, but was rarely allowed to throw the ball. Now he, and everyone else, gets none.
- The less accurate QB is also extremely immobile, and an offensive line that was viewed as the conference's best with a QB who had avoidance skills, now is questioned loudly for the number of sacks they give up.
Speculation:
- Our receivers, some of whom have aspirations of playing at the next level, may feel that throws that are nowhere near catchable are costing them stats, and therefore draft position. (They are also dropping their fair share of balls, but the receivers, like most of us, choose to focus on the plays that *others* didn't make, as opposed to the ones that *they* didn't make.)
- Our offensive line, some of whom have aspirations of playing at the next level, may feel that an immobile QB is making them look bad, and therefore costing them draft position. (However, it's true that they let through massive pressure with the mobile QB, too... he was just better at running away.)
- The more accurate, but slower with decisions, QB has shown a consistent good attitude following the game where he was pulled, and has been a pretty visible cheerleader on the sideline. He's the first to congratulate good plays, and at least appears to be a fairly vocal force on the sideline.
- The past two weeks on the road, a strong sideline presence has not traveled due to injury, and words consistently used to describe the team were: lifeless, emotionless, flat.
Conclusion:
- We may have a situation where the coaching staff solidly supports one starting quarterback, and the team quite possibly supports the other.
- Further, this divide between coaches and players (or *possibly* even assistant coaches and players vs. the head coach) has become so serious that it has affected performance in practice and during games.
- The coach is aware of the divide, and avoids giving any other QB even a speck of playtime, to avoid the perception that he's giving in to the team's desires, which he disagrees with.
I'm not saying who I think is being *more* immature here (coach vs. players) and certainly, I could be wrong about what is wrong in the locker room. I'd be interested in other's thoughts.