Stidham's Accuracy

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,676]

I really wanted to be lenient on how I felt about JS outside of just deep throwing, but the stats haven't been condemning enough IMO. He's missed touch passes in the flats, have made guys come back to the ball even further on screens (Ryan Davis several times), and threw behind the guys on a couple slants/mid posts (namely the first Seth catch vs LSU). 

I'll give him this, I think its mental. But I think he's showed flashes of being scared in the previous season. He gets hit alot Ill give him that, but you do a disservice to the team when you're gonna get hit and you either throw up nonsense or just do nothing and get hit. What will he do when facing the Bears D or the Rams front...just quit on the passing game when someone just threw a first rounder at you???

 

That's the only problem when you recruit someone for this gritty offense that played in a finesse system for a finesse team in a finesse conference. You dont know how they'll react to things. I like KB because he can give it all on the line and will (hope we actually get him while im saying all this)

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,676]

Its not directly because of Jarrett, but I'd like to see us work on some reps for the backups throwing in game, A. to know if the system has actually improved and JS isnt making all the reads B. so in case we have to pull JS (which wont happen), we dont have a bad transition in terms of game knowledge

 

I know this wont happen but humor me 

[Linayus 676]

10 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

Its not directly because of Jarrett, but I'd like to see us work on some reps for the backups throwing in game, A. to know if the system has actually improved and JS isnt making all the reads B. so in case we have to pull JS (which wont happen), we dont have a bad transition in terms of game knowledge

 

I know this wont happen but humor me 

Malik looks like he'd rather run the ball himself. lol I'd like to see Cord making throws around the field though. You know that man isn't afraid of taking some hits in the pocket!

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

On 9/23/2018 at 1:58 AM, AUght2win said:

Spot on. It's mental, and from how much he bails you can tell he isn't comfortable and focusing on the throw. Too worried about getting hit.

The best thing that could happen to Jarrett honestly is to get his bell ring by a Linebacker (and hop up okay, obviously). He is petrified of contact in the pocket. 

I just don't see him being terrified of contact. True he seems to try and not be sacked in the pocket, and that's why he scrambles so much. He probably heard a lot about the 11 sack Clemson game, and now he tries to scramble and at least gain a yard or two vs losing 3-5 with a sack. But scared of contact is something he is not. You can see that by how he will take on a LB or DB when trying to get an extra yard or two to get to the 1st down line.

On 9/23/2018 at 6:21 AM, auburnphan said:

I think there are a combination of things.  Stidham has never had an opportunity to get in a rhythm this season and hasn't been as sharp.  The offensive line getting destroyed up the middle on nearly every passing. play never allows him to set and step into a throw.  And another thing is as fans we might be overreacting. 

He was 7-11 last night in the first half.  Missed his 1st pass to Slayton, looked like a bad throw assuming Slayton was where he was suppose to be.  Missed 2nd pass to Whitlow was ugly.  3rd pass deep in corner of end zone, tough pass, defensive holding was obvious.  Only other incompletion is Schwartz drop.

Second half Stidham 8/11.  Missed on a long one to Slayton, sure JS will say he should have hit him, was also his first pass thrown over 10 yards the entire game in the 3rd quarter.  Next pass incomplete.  Last incompletion just off Schwartz's fingertips after he was held slowing him down, can't fault Stidham.

So I would say he has 3 throws he wants back of all the throws last night.  Many mention guys being open here and there and he missed them, after watching the game with limited camera views I saw guys open but not possible to make the throw or they flashed open before the slow developing first read happened.

Snap count, after how many years you think Gus might want to make some adjustments.

Offensive line, nice guys that you would want to date your daughter, but sure as heck not go to a fight with.  No nasty, no explosion, no leadership.

WR hard to tell when I think 16 of 22 pass plays were screens passes

Coaches job to put QB/offense in situations to succeed

For the forever time in his HC career here, we are a quarter of the way through the season and we still have no offensive identity.

 

This is how I felt also. Then I saw the pic McElroy posted that @boomstick posted earlier in the thread. He had multiple guys open and had at least decent protection.

Something is amiss. Something is going on behind the scenes or in his head that's preventing him from being even the QB he was last season.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

It is pretty simple really. He is struggling. So is the offensive line.

 If they can get it together we will sail through the next several games. If they can’t then we will go down like a sinking ship.

Either way I will be screaming War Eagle (but truthfully If we are not winning I will be screaming something else as well hahaha). This southern miss game will be fascinating to watch. 

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

JS is not afraid of contact in any way. The problem is he doesn’t want a negative play. The solution is for him to quit fixating on his primary receiver and go thru hit progression. I didn’t think Tau would be a good QB but he is and that's because of his progression read. He is watching the whole thing take place from the snap and knows where everybody is. JS is watching his line to see what’s going on then looks up at the primary receiver and if he is not open he either tries to run and gets sacked, tries to force it into coverage or throws it away. 

[AUsince72 11,084]

41 minutes ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

I just don't see him being terrified of contact. True he seems to try and not be sacked in the pocket, and that's why he scrambles so much. He probably heard a lot about the 11 sack Clemson game, and now he tries to scramble and at least gain a yard or two vs losing 3-5 with a sack. But scared of contact is something he is not. You can see that by how he will take on a LB or DB when trying to get an extra yard or two to get to the 1st down line.

This is how I felt also. Then I saw the pic McElroy posted that @boomstick posted earlier in the thread. He had multiple guys open and had at least decent protection.

Something is amiss. Something is going on behind the scenes or in his head that's preventing him from being even the QB he was last season.

This is true.  When Stids runs he'll throw down with the best of'em.  He's even delivered a shoulder or two.

I don't think he's afraid of contact but sometimes he seems simply afraid of (passing) risk and definitely doesn't want to take a sack.

But I don't think anyone can take him for not being tough.

[Linayus 676]

I don't know if any of us played QB in school (I played WR/DB), but timing is everything with a QB and his WR corps. As soon as Stidham's eyes leave his WRs and focuses on what's in front of him (the o-line, defensive pressure) - that timing is GONE and the designed play is a bust. And this is where I think our offense fails - we don't have many guys who can improv as soon as the play breaks down and find an open hole in the defense to sit down in for Stidham to find them and get rid of the ball. (Sometimes this is a failure in the play/routes being too close together so the window of opportunity is even smaller.) I've seen Cox and Slayton do it but with us playing several younger guys it might just be a learning curve for them to know how to react in those situations. They have to quickly figure out if Stidham is looking to throw or if they need to start blocking cause he's taking off with the ball. That chemistry will come in time.

Our offensive line issues has made Stidham very antsy in the pocket for sure, even when there's no direct pressure, so I think his accuracy is more of a mental hurdle. If you go back and watch him against Washington, he was much more poised and less concerned with the pass rush. LSU got into his head and he hasn't been able to shake it yet. Putting a new center into the game certainly didn't help his concerns either. Hopefully we can get them all settled and working together this weekend and move on with more confidence.

[Slammer1 409]

1 hour ago, Eagle Eye 7 said:

JS is not afraid of contact in any way. The problem is he doesn’t want a negative play. The solution is for him to quit fixating on his primary receiver and go thru hit progression. I didn’t think Tau would be a good QB but he is and that's because of his progression read. He is watching the whole thing take place from the snap and knows where everybody is. JS is watching his line to see what’s going on then looks up at the primary receiver and if he is not open he either tries to run and gets sacked, tries to force it into coverage or throws it away. 

The problem is he doesn’t want a negative play. This is the crux of his problem IMO

WDE

[steeleagle 2,945]

On 9/23/2018 at 9:54 AM, AUsince72 said:

I believe Stids could be everything Mayfield was in the right Offense.

Not even close. Mayfield has the IT factor, and knows how to move around in the pocket and look for a better play downfield. He's a Brett Favre type of guy.

You're going to say JS is like Favre? lol. JS is a little skittish, and doesn't move around the pocket well, trying to bide time in order to throw the ball downfield. He looks to escape.

This isn't about the offense but the makeup of the overall QB. 

[AUsince72 11,084]

12 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

Not even close. Mayfield has the IT factor, and knows how to move around in the pocket and look for a better play downfield. He's a Brett Favre type of guy.

You're going to say JS is like Favre? lol. JS is a little skittish, and doesn't move around the pocket well, trying to bide time in order to throw the ball downfield. He looks to escape.

This isn't about the offense but the makeup of the overall QB. 

Yeah, I already rolled that back a bit in another post.

However, what I do stand by is that Baker Mayfield wouldn't have been the QB he turned out to be in this current version of Gus'offense.  

Plus, with his antics during his time at Okie, frankly Gus probably would have kicked him off the team.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

53 minutes ago, Slammer1 said:

The problem is he doesn’t want a negative play. This is the crux of his problem IMO

WDE

I agree. He has to do a better job viewing the field and anticipating his recievers. If you look back at a lot of plays his recievers are open or coming open. He has to fire to a target where the reciever is headed. Sometimes at QB you have to take a hit to deliver a strike just before you get smacked. A lot of great throws ends with the QB getting creamed. Comes with the territory. Just like a RB knows he is going to take contact. Great QBs are willing to take that chance. Ones that aren’t won’t make it to the next level.

[auskip07 930]

 

2 hours ago, Slammer1 said:

The problem is he doesn’t want a negative play. This is the crux of his problem IMO

WDE

last year it was not wanting an incompletion so he would rather take a sack than throw the ball away. 

 

[boomstick 1,315]

4 hours ago, Auburn2Eugene said:

I just don't see him being terrified of contact. True he seems to try and not be sacked in the pocket, and that's why he scrambles so much. He probably heard a lot about the 11 sack Clemson game, and now he tries to scramble and at least gain a yard or two vs losing 3-5 with a sack. But scared of contact is something he is not. You can see that by how he will take on a LB or DB when trying to get an extra yard or two to get to the 1st down line.

This is how I felt also. Then I saw the pic McElroy posted that @boomstick posted earlier in the thread. He had multiple guys open and had at least decent protection.

Something is amiss. Something is going on behind the scenes or in his head that's preventing him from being even the QB he was last season.

Yeah I agree. I don’t think it’s being afraid of contact. I think most people see the “panicky” actions and think he’s afraid of contact, but I think it’s just a processing thing when he’s looking to get out of the pocket. I’m sure he doesn’t love to get hit, but I don’t think he’s terrified of it and that’s what’s impacting his play. 

I think there are a multitude of factors at play with the struggling offense and Stidham’s game being off. We’ve all talked about the OL giving up pressure. The passing scheme and the play calling have been questioned. The play sequencing leading to the consistent long yardage situations are an issue. Stidham’s INTs might have drawn some criticism from the coaches (particularly Gus who is publicly very outspoken about turnovers) and caused even more heistation and indecisiveness. 

All of that could add up to a pretty poor offensive performance. The good thing is I think most of it (if not all) is correctable. The bad news is I’m not sure it can all get corrected together in a week. It might take a few weeks to iron out all of those things, and that’s time we don’t really have. Fingers crossed that several people, players and coaches, took long looks in the mirror on Saturday night/Sunday and are ready and willing to do what isn’t necessary to make the adjustments to improve this offensive product.