Correct. His problem is between the ears. Great physical skills do not translate without the ability to read defenses and make good decisions. He doesn't have that.
I think JJ's problem has always been about not feeling comfortable about what he's expected to do; and therefore never feeling confident. Improving his fundamentals, making the offense easier to execute, AND coaching him to know how to make quick decisions could make him a dangerous weapon. I think Krag will be judged, fairly or not, by how much that happens.
I agree, I think he's got some personal issues he's got to overcome in order to maximize his talent. Maybe it's simplifying the offense, he plays well with a sense of urgency. I really do appreciate the hard work and effort he has put in and am rooting for him to lead us to a successful season next year.
Thing is, he doesn't have to maximise his talent. If he can just apply 75% of it to our offensive production we can have a great year.
He plays well when he's allowed to do what he naturally wants to do, which is use his wheels to make plays. Crowton and Les tried to turn him into more of a pocket passer, which was a necessary step. But they also had him scared to death of throwing picks after '08. Couple that with Crowton's abysmal QB coaching and you predictably get the passing game we've had for 2 seasons. The kid needs good coaching and confidence throwing the ball. If he gets the first, then the second will pay dividends over the course of the season.
Also consider the fact that he's never had an upper-classman QB to learn from. The cupboard was bare when he arrived in '08, so he never had the benefit of developing under an established veteran. Same thing goes for J. Lee. The deck was heavily stacked against both of these guys from the beginning.
While his fundamentals are better he still didn't do very well in the last live action we witnessed this year and Crowton was long gone. That is what is concerning many people. We heard a lot about his improvement, but his play and stats in the scrimmage didn't reflect it. Obviously, just about everyone wants him to lead us to a BCS title, but until we see it in a game or even a scrimmage most people will remain extremely skeptical.
I will go ahead and admit that my purple and gold glasses are always on. But I thought I did see some real improvement from JJ in the spring game. I just dont believe that any quarterback is going to have great stats when going up against our secondary.
long gone? it was only a few months. i am not going to say jj is gonna be stellar, but i will say i think/hope that with these extra months of really working with krags, that he will be much improved. everything i have read, it sounds like jj was so much in need of being taken back to the basics (having had the basic fundamentals being ignored for so long) that i doubt that a few months with krags was anything more than just the first steps. anyway, he didnt stink at the mpa, so that in itself is a good thing. i hope that it is coming together for the young man.
