K-9

Both areas improved post injury. Especially, the latter. He was night and day more decisive and looked like he belonged. The game slowed down considerably when he returned. That injury and the time it gave him to learn while being tethered to his coaches on the sidelines was a blessing in disguise. His footwork has not been an issue outside of a few plays. And every QB in the league is gonna break down mechanically from time to time. It happens. I doubt there’s much Allen can do to satisfy his detractors as their expectations are unrealistic given his level of experience at the position and the rawness with which he entered the league.

The article on O’Reilly

While I appreciate the further analysis and agree entirely that each item mentioned lends itself to the outcomes of games, most of these points apply to the other sports as well to varying degrees.

Just wanted to thank Mike Harrington for the extra kick in the nuts today.

A misplaced comma in my previous post altered my question. I meant to ask why you, exactly, predict Allen will fail. I assume the reason is contained in his stats? Which ones? Most of of us felt Mayfield or Darnold were the top QBs in the draft. But citing either of their performance does nothing to add to your argument about Allen. They aren’t Allen and Allen isn’t them. It is irrelevant.

NFL management is most interested in the performance/exertion metrics of individual players vs. their individual statistics. Hockey has exactly half the moving parts and the applied analytics for hockey mostly concern puck possession metrics. Like baseball, it apples and oranges compared to football. What aspect of Allen’s performance to date suggests he will fail? Is it his completion percentage? His TD/INT ratio? What data set, exactly predicts his failure?

Baseball and analytics stand alone as an instructive tool. Baseball, while a team game, is played by individuals facing other individuals. It's a series of one on one contests throughout the match. As such, it is far easier to use individual analytic data in a predictive capacity. From pitching and hitting, to fielding and throwing. Baseball provides a nice, tidy package for statisticians to ponder. Hockey is less so, but in terms of predictive puck possessing data, it's useful for 5x5 analysis. There is also some useful individual defensive data to be extrapolated. Football, by the very nature of the fact there are 10 other moving parts involved in assessing individual performance on a play by play basis, is a completely different animal. It's just far more difficult for analytics to pinpoint individual predictive performance data.

One of my earliest football heroes. RIP.

This can be said of any second year starting QB whose team is on the outside looking in. It’s just the nature of the beast. He is already a pocket passer. Like all QBs, he needs pockets to work in that don’t collapse in two and a half seconds (the average time it took to sack him according to PFF; shortest time in the league), and, most importantly, he needs to develop more poise and learn to trust in what he sees as the plays develop. It was interesting that when he returned from injury, he wasted no time in taking off. Patience takes time to learn at this level. But he made some plays while the pocket was breaking down that show me he has what it takes. He’s a smart player, his occasional hero ball tendency not withstanding.

He needs to attend the Greggo Williams School of Manboobs.

In addition to disingenuous, it’s specious, egregious, and willfully ignorant (as spoken by Jackie Chiles).

I meant to add that Schatz and others of his ilk can only understand things from a statistical point of view. That is extremely limiting. In short, they don’t understand there’s a HUGE difference between being a passer and being a quarterback.

My comment was more tongue in cheek than anything else. Lighten up. IMO, Allen showed enough glimpses to suggest he won’t be one of those 10 that doesn’t improve. Especially from a command of the game standpoint. It was obvious that the game was beginning to slow down for him a bit. Not everything he did was a disaster. He made some plays and I choose to give him credit for that rather than act like he never did anything positive at all. He’s got a ways to go, but I like where he is given his experience playing the position and the potential he has shown.

Their Krackens.

I highly recommend everyone should visit Arlington and watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown. One of the most moving experiences I’ve had the privilege to witness.

Agree entirely. As if every successful QB ever wasn’t the beneficiary of good coaching/situation?

Good point. Because Allen looked a helluva lot better than Elway did in his rookie year. And he didn’t line up under the guard once all season, either. Took Elway 10 years to hit that “magical” 60% threshold, too.

I’m sure they think they are great QBs because of their numbers. Perhaps you should ask one of them to be sure though.

The analytics or bust guys simply never address their always present elephant in the room: their complete inability to quantify those intangible qualities that are just as important to being a successful QB as a completed pass.

When it comes to QBs, you want all the time and none of the pressure. Especially in obvious passing situations.

Great name for a line of snack food, though. “Hey, pass the Wentz’s.”

Yeah, I kind of figured that out afterwards. Suggesting Carson Wentz was his college coach threw me a bit. After I got done laughing, it became clear.

Hockey forum boards.

Agree. Sometimes, when there is enough quacking and walking, it’s reasonable to suspect it’s a fricken duck.

Of course the jury is still out. I personally don’t know anyone who doesn’t think that. By the same token, it’s wrong to proclaim he’s going to be a bust, too. While his accuracy is and has been a fair point of criticism, his ability to make reads has never been an issue. He blew people away with his acumen during the scouting process leading up to the draft. Of course, doing that in an off field setting vs. live action with big dudes trying to kill you within seconds of the snap is an entirely different animal. But I’ve never met a rookie QB that didn’t have that question applied to him. Finally, and this isn’t directed at you, but there is a good reason to be excited about his prospects. And while there may be equal concern about his potential downside, it gets pretty tiresome having it thrown in your face ever time somebody has something positive to say about Allen as a developing prospect.