Great analysis and I agree with most of what you have written. What worries me is what happens when the D has an off night or if PP and the special teams turn the ball over? We can't rely on two of the three phases to sustain us. We are entering the meat of the schedule and the offense has got to step up. We need more sustained drives that eat up clock. We need better play out of the O line. JJ has got to hit the wide outs on plays longer than 10 yards. And the WRs have got to catch the ball when JJ hits 'em in the hands.
Jefferson made some very nice throws last night. He just didn't attempt enough of them. Partly his fault. Partly the OL's fault. Partly play calling. He hit both Shep and Randle on some pretty good strikes that, if repeated just 2 or 3 more times, would have blown the game wide open. But he only did it once to each. Not enough to get the defense to back off the box.
I don't really see much improvement. 10 for 16 sounds good percentage wise but 6 of the ten completions were for less than 10 yards. JJ holds the ball too long and is too hesitant to pull the trigger. There may be some truth to the game plan scaled back theory and Crowton is calling the short, high percentage passes to build JJ's confidence but with no down field threat we will struggle against better teams. A lot of talk about being a running team but 167 yards against MSU is not stellar and 43 of those were JJ. MSU had 152 yards rushing against our defense..... One more point....JJ averaged 180 yards per game last season and so far this year he is at 110 yards per game.....not a step in the right direction.
no i was talking more about a passing qb with the ability to run. much like the already mentioned vince young. i was thinking of someone like matt mauck and matt flynn though. not an option qb, but a mobile passer.
And as great an outcome as it was for that ONE play, that TD will justify its overuse for the rest of the season, despite the majority of low gainers it will produce.
