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Here's some thoughts related to tonight's game but not limited to it:
1. Huge issue: Too many possession WRs.
Look at the list of five that "everybody" sees as making the team: Ginn, Bess, Cam, Turner, Hartline
I disagree with that list, but those are the ones that 90 percent of posters think are "in." Huge problem: Look at that list -- 4 out of the 5 are possession WRs. Only one vertical WR in the whole group. Break it down:
Out of that group, the ONLY WR keeping the D honest is Ginn. In tactical terms, especially against good teams, this is a killer. ESPECIALLY if the QB doesn't have the arm to take full advantage of Ginn -- then it's roll and cover and sit down time: Running room like tonight w. Penny in there, a constricted field.
A huge tactical error if 4 out of 5 WRs on the roster are possession WRs.
Solution: Find a way to keep another WR that can keep D's honest. What if Ginn gets nicked or goes down? Bye bye season. Penny at QB with only possession WRs on the active roster? Laugh. See: Baltimore game redux against any good D.
2. Penny [this is nothing new] is a very limiting QB but has a great eye for the game. I get so aggravated watching Penny play & yet I also have to give him props for understanding the game. He clearly understands the game and feels it -- just can't make it happen like it should.
There's a reason the running game sucked w. Penny in there, imo.
And there's a reason why Ginn didn't have a long TD in that game. It's an old, old, old story: Ginn toasts a DB only to have to slow down for a pass that brings the DB back into the picture. Had Penny been able to throw the ball 8-10 more yards, the DB never would have touched Ginn: TD. No problem.
But it's the same thing every game. And people try to blame Ginn for running too fast or too far! lol. So funny.
That said, Penny is the starting QB. As frustrating as it is, he's still better than Henne.
Which brings up the next point:
3. Henne has a great arm but he is wooden as a QB in feeling the game, and TERRIBLE at locking on WRs, and poor at checking down to 2 and 3s, and not a quick release. As bad as Penny's arm is [the worst I've ever seen on a pro-QB], Henne is worse at locking on to primary WR. Henne would have multiple 3-pick games in a full season.
Henne has a GREAT arm but he's not gonna be a great QB anytime soon. Put Penny's head on Henne's body, then you have a QB!
4. Pat White. Yes, Pat White.
Pat White is a nice talent with latent game breaker potential. One thing that stood out to me was how quickly the ball got to the WR, without the big wind up [ala Henne]. White is a natural athlete with a good feel for the game. And his passes get there more quickly than Henne's [and much faster than Penny's], surprising the WR and contributing to at least two drops that I saw.
An innovative offensive game coach and QB coach spending time w. White will produce a player that's hard on defenses.
Confession: I was down on the White pick, mostly. But I'm starting to think he can play this game at a pro level -- and not as a slash, but as a QB. He's just a natural.
4. Jake "the great" Grove ain't all that, from what I saw. Admittedly not a good measurement for just partials in one game, but from all the talk I expected more. Same goes for the offensive line as a whole, with the exception of Thomas and Long.
5. Chris Williams is twice the talent of Hartline, imo. Way more upside and a potential game breaker. He needs to stay on this team as a KR/WR and I'd keep him over Hartline, burn the draft pick and keep the talent [or keep him over Cam]. I've never ever seen anything ultra exciting out of Hartline -- at Ohio State or on this level. But Williams showed me something tonight: he could be another WR that might keep the Ds honest, and an exciting return man.
Note: he's rough around the edges, definitely. But way more upside than Hartline, imo.
6. Anthony Armstrong didn't help his case tonight, with a hands of stone play. He has good speed, though. Some potential there, but raw.
7. Vontae Davis is as dumb as a box of rocks, but great football skills. He is flat dumb, I will say that... but I think he can grow into a good CB, better than average tackling and closing speed.
8. Jason Allen is probably better than Eric Green, at this point. Probably not saying too much, but still.
9. Phins still haven't been tested in spread. The D was at its worst tonight w. multiple WRs on the field... and this w. the Jags minus some good WRs and not great QBs.
10. Cameron Wake has an GREAT burst. This guy has an incredible upside, imo. There's not a lot to dislike about him... people are really gonna love him after he gets a season of playing and coaching under his belt. He could be a perennial pro-Bowl player 2-3 years from now, with Dwight Freeney potential.
11. Jason Taylor!
Ok, another confession: I was hard on JT, way hard on him his last prima dona year. But he still has game. IF he can keep it to this level for a whole year, avoid injury, it's gonna be great.
Just some flotsam and jetsam that I wanted to put out there.
Enjoy!
LD
1. Huge issue: Too many possession WRs.
Look at the list of five that "everybody" sees as making the team: Ginn, Bess, Cam, Turner, Hartline
I disagree with that list, but those are the ones that 90 percent of posters think are "in." Huge problem: Look at that list -- 4 out of the 5 are possession WRs. Only one vertical WR in the whole group. Break it down:
- Ginn -- complete package threat, killer speed, game breaker talent
- Bess -- grocery getter, makes catches behind LOS and close to LOS, moves chains, dependable, but gets worse the further from LOS he plays, and poor red zone talent. Classic slot and possession WR. Makes a lot of catches in a dink and dunk offense that Penny specializes in
- Cam -- classic possession WR, just a bit better than Bess downfield but not much, very average speed, no game breaker
- Turner -- some potential as third down and red zone target, but a true possession WR, in no real sense a game breaker or vertical threat.
- Hartline -- another grocery getter, Cam II type... a reason he was a fairly forgettable slot WR for Ohio, imo nothing special, could take Cam's place but a very average skilled WR, possession WR
Out of that group, the ONLY WR keeping the D honest is Ginn. In tactical terms, especially against good teams, this is a killer. ESPECIALLY if the QB doesn't have the arm to take full advantage of Ginn -- then it's roll and cover and sit down time: Running room like tonight w. Penny in there, a constricted field.
A huge tactical error if 4 out of 5 WRs on the roster are possession WRs.
Solution: Find a way to keep another WR that can keep D's honest. What if Ginn gets nicked or goes down? Bye bye season. Penny at QB with only possession WRs on the active roster? Laugh. See: Baltimore game redux against any good D.
2. Penny [this is nothing new] is a very limiting QB but has a great eye for the game. I get so aggravated watching Penny play & yet I also have to give him props for understanding the game. He clearly understands the game and feels it -- just can't make it happen like it should.
There's a reason the running game sucked w. Penny in there, imo.
And there's a reason why Ginn didn't have a long TD in that game. It's an old, old, old story: Ginn toasts a DB only to have to slow down for a pass that brings the DB back into the picture. Had Penny been able to throw the ball 8-10 more yards, the DB never would have touched Ginn: TD. No problem.
But it's the same thing every game. And people try to blame Ginn for running too fast or too far! lol. So funny.
That said, Penny is the starting QB. As frustrating as it is, he's still better than Henne.
Which brings up the next point:
3. Henne has a great arm but he is wooden as a QB in feeling the game, and TERRIBLE at locking on WRs, and poor at checking down to 2 and 3s, and not a quick release. As bad as Penny's arm is [the worst I've ever seen on a pro-QB], Henne is worse at locking on to primary WR. Henne would have multiple 3-pick games in a full season.
Henne has a GREAT arm but he's not gonna be a great QB anytime soon. Put Penny's head on Henne's body, then you have a QB!
4. Pat White. Yes, Pat White.
Pat White is a nice talent with latent game breaker potential. One thing that stood out to me was how quickly the ball got to the WR, without the big wind up [ala Henne]. White is a natural athlete with a good feel for the game. And his passes get there more quickly than Henne's [and much faster than Penny's], surprising the WR and contributing to at least two drops that I saw.
An innovative offensive game coach and QB coach spending time w. White will produce a player that's hard on defenses.
Confession: I was down on the White pick, mostly. But I'm starting to think he can play this game at a pro level -- and not as a slash, but as a QB. He's just a natural.
4. Jake "the great" Grove ain't all that, from what I saw. Admittedly not a good measurement for just partials in one game, but from all the talk I expected more. Same goes for the offensive line as a whole, with the exception of Thomas and Long.
5. Chris Williams is twice the talent of Hartline, imo. Way more upside and a potential game breaker. He needs to stay on this team as a KR/WR and I'd keep him over Hartline, burn the draft pick and keep the talent [or keep him over Cam]. I've never ever seen anything ultra exciting out of Hartline -- at Ohio State or on this level. But Williams showed me something tonight: he could be another WR that might keep the Ds honest, and an exciting return man.
Note: he's rough around the edges, definitely. But way more upside than Hartline, imo.
6. Anthony Armstrong didn't help his case tonight, with a hands of stone play. He has good speed, though. Some potential there, but raw.
7. Vontae Davis is as dumb as a box of rocks, but great football skills. He is flat dumb, I will say that... but I think he can grow into a good CB, better than average tackling and closing speed.
8. Jason Allen is probably better than Eric Green, at this point. Probably not saying too much, but still.
9. Phins still haven't been tested in spread. The D was at its worst tonight w. multiple WRs on the field... and this w. the Jags minus some good WRs and not great QBs.
10. Cameron Wake has an GREAT burst. This guy has an incredible upside, imo. There's not a lot to dislike about him... people are really gonna love him after he gets a season of playing and coaching under his belt. He could be a perennial pro-Bowl player 2-3 years from now, with Dwight Freeney potential.
11. Jason Taylor!
Ok, another confession: I was hard on JT, way hard on him his last prima dona year. But he still has game. IF he can keep it to this level for a whole year, avoid injury, it's gonna be great.
Just some flotsam and jetsam that I wanted to put out there.
Enjoy!
LD
