Rob's House Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) Isn't that true about any qb? Not trying to be a smartass. Mallet had his chance to prove he was a gamer lastnight. He failed. If you noticed after he had his rahrah speech on the side line, the team never got another point. Just saying. I know he is trying to be a leader, but to me, you either have it or you dont. That's true to some extent, but you can't put dropped passes on the QB. Once the ball leaves his hand there's nothing more he can do. If he puts it where it needs to go and the receiver can't come up with it you can't fault him for it. Most teams don't drop 5 clean passes in a single game. I know people like to put all success and failure on the QB b/c it alleviates the need for in depth analysis (which to me is a lot more fun) but it doesn't necessarily give you an accurate assessment. Edited January 5, 2011 by Rob's House Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Isn't that true about any qb? Not trying to be a smartass. Mallet had his chance to prove he was a gamer lastnight. He failed. If you noticed after he had his rahrah speech on the side line, the team never got another point. Just saying. I know he is trying to be a leader, but to me, you either have it or you dont. Â Â the read he had in front of him was more then a little difficult - take a sack? a minute left, no timeouts i believe, and would be 3rd and 20 from about the 25-30.... in hindsight i bet he wished he used that huge arm to launch a rocket over the heads of those receivers and into the 3rd row of the stands but.... such is life. im just curious what your correct play would have been for a leader. he tried to force the play a throw or two before he had to though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K Gun Special Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Well then, I guess you could say the same thing about Luck, if you watched him play against Oregon... Â youtube.com/watch?v=SlpuXzS6tQ4 Â Â That one pretty much blew any chance Stanford had to win that game, to go undefeated, and to win a national championship. I'd definitely call that " anti-clutch ", no? Â Just say no to Luck, I guess - right? . Â Â If throwing an INT with 1 min remaining in a bowl game is the same as throwing one in the 3rd quarter then yea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasjute Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I've seen a lot of talk about DeMarcus Love as an OT option for us in the 2nd. I didn't watch him closely on every play, but it seemed like Heyward got the better of him a few times, and Mallet was often under pressure. Love also had one false start. One interesting thing - he moved back and forth from LT to RT. I thought he was off the field a couple of times and then realized he had moved to the right side. Moving a tackle from side to side is something I haven't noticed very often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Some of you guys make me laugh! Mallett isn't a first rounder? We'll see about that! He will definitely go in the first! Â He didn't rise to the occasion, last night, you say? Well, those dropped passes was the only reason why he was in that situation to begin with. And so what if he did rise to the occasion? Would he be a top five pick, then? Vince Young and others have played their best in big-time games and never amounted to nothing, so don't put too much weight on that. Â If the Bills pass on Mallett, I sure hope they select Cam Newton. I've changed my tune on the guy since I did a little bit of investigation work. We need a franchise QB more than we need anything else. We can fix the defense with the rest of the draft and free agency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDD Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Being a redneck may get some brownie points with Nix and Gailey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaninATL Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Being a redneck may get some brownie points with Nix and Gailey. Â Very insightful post..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Some of you guys make me laugh! Mallett isn't a first rounder? We'll see about that! He will definitely go in the first! Â He didn't rise to the occasion, last night, you say? Well, those dropped passes was the only reason why he was in that situation to begin with. And so what if he did rise to the occasion? Would he be a top five pick, then? Vince Young and others have played their best in big-time games and never amounted to nothing, so don't put too much weight on that. Â If the Bills pass on Mallett, I sure hope they select Cam Newton. I've changed my tune on the guy since I did a little bit of investigation work. We need a franchise QB more than we need anything else. We can fix the defense with the rest of the draft and free agency. Â The dropped passes became irrelevant the minute Mallett had the ball in the red zone following the blocked punt. Mallett had an opportunity to lead his team to victory right there, and he choked (as expected). We've had enough chokers on this team over the years. Time to find some winners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 its amazing to me how much some people believe guys should jump on every td pass and plummet with every interception. arkansas was clearly overmatched talent wise for most of their "big games" but because mallet didnt single handedly win all of the games despite dropped passes, pressure on him -- he blows. i heard someone takl about how luck didnt deserve his accolades because of that second half performance. these are 20 year old kids and there are going to be poor quarters and halves here and there. not every throw is going to be the perfect read, perfect accuracy, perfect zip...... why do we expect perfection out of our pick but not out of our current qb? i know hes playing at a higher level but has a lot more support and experience. Â this thread hasnt been too bad about selling these guys down the river -- in fact its been a downright open friendly conversation for the most part, but in both fan and "expert" debates you see this notion that eating **** on a couple of throws means you cant be the qb of the future. Â i dont think most have killed mallet for a couple of tough losses, but i think its fair to acknowledge some worries about his late game performances. that said, i see him winning none of the big games last year, and now a lot of them this year. his completion percentage jumped. his wins on the road jumped. hes shown a lot of growth, but i think the person that said a year or two on the bench would help is right. i would hope that it would help humble him, teach him the work that goes into being an nfl qb, and help him learn to use the INSANE measurable physical tools that he has at his disposal. he has a huge arm, a quick release, slides in the pocket acceptably - if we traded down a few spots and picked him up around 10th, i would be thrilled to let him sit behind fitz all year, and then let them fight it out the next season. the one thing that would hurt is a lockout stealing a lot of reps from young guys, as we wouldnt have minicamps, training camp, etc..... so it might be prudent to avoid projects this year. A fine rebuttal and a fine post, UnSaintly One! Â I have no problem eschewing all QBs in this draft - there'll be a Darron Thomas in 2012 (or 2013) or some other draft darling, like there is every year. Fitzpatrick still has another year on his contract, and no rookie - Luck, Mallett, Newton, Gabbert, etc. - is going to come in and take the starting QB job away from Fitz (nor should they). Â OTOH - if Mallett declares, and if Nix drafts him, I'm also more than OK with Mallett as our QB of the future. Like Luck, Mallett is a rare talent - and I'm not sure another year at Arkansas under Petrino will help his development more than spending a year or two under the tutelage of Gailey & Fitzpatrick. Â I just find it amusing that the majority of TSW members who were hoping so hard for Andrew Luck (also a fine QB with a stellar future in the NFL) seem to have such a distaste for Mallett - to the point of holding him solely responsible for yesterday's loss (and, apparently, every pinpoint-accurate pass he threw that was dropped anyway) - while overlooking any and all errant passes and decisions by St. Andrew! Â As always, JMO... Â GO BILLSSS!!!! Â PosLUSZny!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 The dropped passes became irrelevant the minute Mallett had the ball in the red zone following the blocked punt. Mallett had an opportunity to lead his team to victory right there, and he choked (as expected). We've had enough chokers on this team over the years. Time to find some winners. Â Â im not arguing he made the right play, but what play could he have made instead that you would have liked? it seems like 3rd and 10 was going to be best case scenario which makes it very hard to lead his team to victory, and that is a result of his teams blocking breakdown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 The dropped passes became irrelevant the minute Mallett had the ball in the red zone following the blocked punt. Mallett had an opportunity to lead his team to victory right there, and he choked (as expected). We've had enough chokers on this team over the years. Time to find some winners. Â Really? Wasn't there a dropped pass right before the interception? Did that dropped pass have no bearing on the very next play call? I guess we'll never know, but the guy (Mallett) clearly has talent that no one can deny. You take an offensive minded coach like Gailey and see what RM can become. This kid, remember he's just a kid, needs to be coached-up. He will get better with the right tutelage. Â If I remember correctly, Peyton Manning was known as a choker in college football, as well. Now I'm not saying RM is PM, but you do get my point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 im not arguing he made the right play, but what play could he have made instead that you would have liked? it seems like 3rd and 10 was going to be best case scenario which makes it very hard to lead his team to victory, and that is a result of his teams blocking breakdown. Â Not sure I am following you here. You are touted as a "top QB" in college, you get the ball back in the red zone with enough time to run a series of plays, down by 5 pts in the biggest game of your college career, I would expect anything other than a pick/choke. It's the same crap that Bledsoe pulled in the Steelers JV game a few years ago...winners find a way to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) If throwing an INT with 1 min remaining in a bowl game is the same as throwing one in the 3rd quarter then yea. You know, you have a valid point. Â I should have posted Harris' second interception of Luck that game - the one he threw with only 2 minutes left in the game, with Stanford driving for a comeback TD and subsequent onside kick, full of momentum, last chance to come back and win/remain undefeated/vie for #1 and a national title, etc., etc.... Â http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W_mFyVOag8 Â Â That one was a much better example of ' anti-clutch ' - thanks for correcting my oversight. Edited January 5, 2011 by The Senator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Really? Wasn't there a dropped pass right before the interception? Did that dropped pass have no bearing on the very next play call? I guess we'll never know, but the guy (Mallett) clearly has talent that no one can deny. You take an offensive minded coach like Gailey and see what RM can become. This kid, remember he's just a kid, needs to be coached-up. He will get better with the right tutelage. Â If I remember correctly, Peyton Manning was known as a choker in college football, as well. Now I'm not saying RM is PM, but you do get my point. Â To your point, I'm on board with taking the kid some time AFTER the first round, for the exact reasons you cited. But no way is this kid a top 3, top 5, or top 10 pick in the draft. Pick him up later on, great...coach him up til ur blue in the face and maybe he turns into soemthing. I just do NOT want our #3 pick spent on this guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I've seen a lot of talk about DeMarcus Love as an OT option for us in the 2nd. I didn't watch him closely on every play, but it seemed like Heyward got the better of him a few times, and Mallet was often under pressure. Love also had one false start. One interesting thing - he moved back and forth from LT to RT. I thought he was off the field a couple of times and then realized he had moved to the right side. Moving a tackle from side to side is something I haven't noticed very often. Â Â You know...for some reason I didn't make the connection until reading your post. Yeah, DeMarcus Love got absolutely abused by Cam Heyward last night. Don't know if Love just had a bad night, or if Cam just had a terrific night. Probably a little of both. I have watched several Arkansas games this season, and have always been impressed with Love's play. I also found it a bit "curious" that he was shifted back and forth from the left side to the right side. Wonder why this was done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K Gun Special Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 You know, you have a valid point. Â I should have posted Harris' second interception of Luck that game - the one he threw with only 2 minutes left in the game, with Stanford driving for a comeback TD and subsequent onside kick, full of momentum, last chance to come back and win/remain undefeated/vie for #1 and a national title, etc., etc.... Â youtube.com/watch?v=8W_mFyVOag8 Â Â That one was a much better example of ' anti-clutch ' - thanks for correcting my oversight. Â Â Yes that does help your point very much so. Not as close of a game but still they were with a hope. Â I dont think the dig on Mallett for choking it away last night is worth that much discussion. All the greats choke away a game, some more than others. Â If we take Mallett i dont see it at #3. Â And for those saying the combine will change minds, it rarely does, and i believe Nix is on record saying game film is far more important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddogblitz Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Mallet didn't look that good to me. Looked like when pressured (which for the Bills would be a lot) he was unable to get away and was either sacked or threw an incompletion or pick. He choked at the end of the game and threw that pick. I thought Pryor looked like the best QB in that game. Based on last night's game, I pass on Mallet at 3 and take Pryor later on if he's there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) Not sure I am following you here. You are touted as a "top QB" in college, you get the ball back in the red zone with enough time to run a series of plays, down by 5 pts in the biggest game of your college career, I would expect anything other than a pick/choke. It's the same crap that Bledsoe pulled in the Steelers JV game a few years ago...winners find a way to win. Â Â im not saying it was the right play to try and force the throw, i was saying given his receivers drop the play before, his lines breakdown letting a free man straight through the A-gap, i dont see a game winning play he couldve made there. i was curious if you prefer him trying to force one, or taking a sack in that situation, or???? it seems like his team really did hang him out to dry all game, and on that series. Â i suppose its a slightly irrational question to ask of you but looking back at the play his receivers were blanketed and the blitz got there sooooo quickly it was ridiculous. it wasnt a matter of him being able to make a play to win the game there, he just needed to not lose it but even the sack might have been all she wrote for arkansas. just pontificating on how hard it is to win without a team around you that is atleast playing serviceable. Edited January 5, 2011 by NoSaint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) With alot of time on my hands, I rewound every pass play he had last night. Not only does he NOT stare down receivers, he was excellent in looking off DB's to set up his throws when the play call allowed him time. He has a fabulous arm!! The late pic was caused by an unblocked blitzer forcing an off balanced throw that the LB anticipated. Happens to every QB, and is correctable. Â I'd be fine with him as a Bill. Â Wow what game did you review? Everyone at my house was commenting on how he telegraphs his throws. And they are all college LB's and DE's that made those comments. And did you count how many defenders jumped the routes and nearly caught his passes? So whatever dude. Edited January 5, 2011 by Fan in San Diego Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aristocrat Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Isn't that true about any qb? Not trying to be a smartass. Mallet had his chance to prove he was a gamer lastnight. He failed. If you noticed after he had his rahrah speech on the side line, the team never got another point. Just saying. I know he is trying to be a leader, but to me, you either have it or you dont. Â right after that speech the defense went out and got the safety and then he drove the team down and they got a field goal. then the defense got that strip when the osu rb fumbled diving over the pile. i think that was when mallett hit that wr on the numbers on that 3rd down play that would have put them inside the buckeyes 30 but he dropped it and they punted. he led that team back and put them in position to win that game but the guy just isn't superman...he can't throw the ball to himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TH3 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 CAM NEWTON! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I have watched several Arkansas games this season, and have always been impressed with Love's play. I also found it a bit "curious" that he was shifted back and forth from the left side to the right side. Wonder why this was done? Â I mentioned this in a Demarcus Love thread I started a few weeks back.... Â Arkansas shifts their O-lineman to the wide side of the field depending on where the ball is spotted. Â If the ball is spotted on the left hashmark, Love would play RT.....on the right hashmark, Love plays LT. Â This is one of the things I like about Love, the versatility to play both LT and RT. Â I didn't get to watch the game last night, so I don't know how he played, but I've seen about 5 Arkansas games this year, and this guy is a beast. He would be a great road-grading, run blocking RT for the Bills. I'm hoping the Bills take him with their 2nd round pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zow2 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Mallett didn't look all-world, but again he had some nice passes dropped and they were playing a very good team with excellent defensive players. I really can't downgrade him from one game. His body of work is impressive in the toughest league, he throws a great ball and he just looks like a pro QB. I mean Jake Locker could not carry Mallet's jock, imo, but even he is still projected as a possible 1st rounder. If the Bills pass on a QB, this guy is going to Arizona, SF, Minny or maybe Washington. He will be taken in the top 10, count on it. Don't just brush him off as some so so, average QB who will do nothing in the NFL. He is going to be very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 right after that speech the defense went out and got the safety and then he drove the team down and they got a field goal. then the defense got that strip when the osu rb fumbled diving over the pile. i think that was when mallett hit that wr on the numbers on that 3rd down play that would have put them inside the buckeyes 30 but he dropped it and they punted. he led that team back and put them in position to win that game but the guy just isn't superman...he can't throw the ball to himself. Â Â this is kind of the point i was making with the what did you want him to do question. he played a pretty good game all night, and it got to the point were he felt he had to force it in there it seems. when your receivers are dropping so many passes and you have 2-3 plays max to win the game, i can see why he wanted to get as many on their hands as he could - law of averages says there bound to catch one eventually haha.... i know the better play was wait to play another down, but its like jeeeeeze how hard is it to evaluate him or his performance or kill him for trying to superman a throw late after the way offense killed the passing game like they did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 You make an excellent point also noted by a WGR55 staffer who closely follows the draft. There is no doubt that Mallett has an impressive arm. But not being able to move around is a recipe for disaster in the NFL. Â http://www.wgr550.com/BUSCAGLIA--Assessing-Ryan-Mallett-in-the-Sugar-Bow/8913437 Â Right...Have these people ever seen Tom Brady move? Because he moves like his feet are in quicksand... Â I'm not saying Mallett is the next Brady, and I'm not saying he's going to make it as an NFL QB either...The Jury is still WAY out on that...I AM saying he's every bit as mobile as Brady or Joe Flaco...So this argument is a little stupid if you ask me...He's got a rocket arm and his success or failure in the NFL will depend on how he uses that arm, and his ability to run an Offense and read Defenses...That's all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 im not saying it was the right play to try and force the throw, i was saying given his receivers drop the play before, his lines breakdown letting a free man straight through the A-gap, i dont see a game winning play he couldve made there. i was curious if you prefer him trying to force one, or taking a sack in that situation, or???? it seems like his team really did hang him out to dry all game, and on that series. Â i suppose its a slightly irrational question to ask of you but looking back at the play his receivers were blanketed and the blitz got there sooooo quickly it was ridiculous. it wasnt a matter of him being able to make a play to win the game there, he just needed to not lose it but even the sack might have been all she wrote for arkansas. just pontificating on how hard it is to win without a team around you that is atleast playing serviceable. Â I honestly don't know...I don't know what he was seeing or not seeing. If this were an isolated incident, I wouldn't be so hard on the kid. But when I can basically predict how the game will end, based on what I've seen of him previously, then that pretty much tells me that in this one particularly player assessment, I have a decent feel for this kid's game. He can't win big games, plain and simple. You're exactly right that he didn't get the help from his team that he needed, but that was just a horrible decision to throw the ball into that coverage at that point in the game. He was in a 4-down situation with enough time on the clock to get all four downs snapped. Take the sack, throw it away, whatever....but don't rob yourself and your team of one or two more shots at the endzone by throwing a boneheaded interception. But it's not just this one game...I've been saying all season that this kid chokes in big games and/or against better opponents, cause that's what I see him doing. How much more evidence do we need that someone just can't get it done when it counts most? All the regular season stats in the world don't matter a hill of beans if you can't get it done in crunch time, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billfan63 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Mallett didn't look all-world, but again he had some nice passes dropped If he comes here Steve Johnson can do that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Tuesday Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) Right...Have these people ever seen Tom Brady move? Because he moves like his feet are in quicksand... Â I'm not saying Mallett is the next Brady, and I'm not saying he's going to make it as an NFL QB either...The Jury is still WAY out on that...I AM saying he's every bit as mobile as Brady or Joe Flaco...So this argument is a little stupid if you ask me...He's got a rocket arm and his success or failure in the NFL will depend on how he uses that arm, and his ability to run an Offense and read Defenses...That's all... Â You are wildly exaggerating dude. Brady is one of the most mobile QBs in the League when it comes to moving around within the pocket. Mallett can't even do that much. And I'm not saying that Mallet won't be a good QB - just that he's not Gailey's type of QB. The point about the spread offense is dead-on - Gailey loves to mix the spread formation into the gameplan, and Mallet would get killed back there. Â Plus, take a look at Gailey's comments today re: Fitz: Â http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2011/01/05/chan-on-fitzs-future-2/ Â Certainly doesn't sound like they're eyeing a QB in the draft. Edited January 5, 2011 by Coach Tuesday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasternOHBillsFan Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I honestly don't know...I don't know what he was seeing or not seeing. If this were an isolated incident, I wouldn't be so hard on the kid. But when I can basically predict how the game will end, based on what I've seen of him previously, then that pretty much tells me that in this one particularly player assessment, I have a decent feel for this kid's game. He can't win big games, plain and simple. You're exactly right that he didn't get the help from his team that he needed, but that was just a horrible decision to throw the ball into that coverage at that point in the game. He was in a 4-down situation with enough time on the clock to get all four downs snapped. Take the sack, throw it away, whatever....but don't rob yourself and your team of one or two more shots at the endzone by throwing a boneheaded interception. But it's not just this one game...I've been saying all season that this kid chokes in big games and/or against better opponents, cause that's what I see him doing. How much more evidence do we need that someone just can't get it done when it counts most? All the regular season stats in the world don't matter a hill of beans if you can't get it done in crunch time, IMO. Â I'm glad someone else is paying attention, and it is not just one or two games with Mallett, but a body of work that shows his tendency to lose big games. I am NOT blaming him for the dropped passes, but when his team did make all of the plays such as in the Alabama game, he threw the worst pass you could throw in a "win the game" situation after blowing a big lead. This is his MO, like it or not, and I'm glad you were paying attention! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyC81 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 hes got a better arm than luck and got really good touch. its gonna be the interview and combine that make his stock rise or fall. his arm is silly good. Â He had good touch on a few throws but bad touch on several more. Also, a couple of those drops could be contributed to him throwing "too" hard. Â Had a job where we had a college intern from Stanford who was a starting receiver for Elway. He said by the end of the season his fingers were so messed up from Elway's hard throws that he had to catch the ball with his palms. This might be the case with Mallet's receivers. Â Having seen just about every Stanford game Luck has started, to me Mallet is not even close. I did like how his darts got to the receivers quick on screens & dropoffs. Those types of plays haven't worked for the Bills much in recent years because by the time the ball gets there, one or more defenders are right there. I could see possibly better results with those types of throws to Parrish & Spiller. Â Bottom line: I don't see Mallet being a good pick at #3. I've only seen Newton play twice so I'll be looking forward to the championship game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I'm glad someone else is paying attention, and it is not just one or two games with Mallett, but a body of work that shows his tendency to lose big games. I am NOT blaming him for the dropped passes, but when his team did make all of the plays such as in the Alabama game, he threw the worst pass you could throw in a "win the game" situation after blowing a big lead. This is his MO, like it or not, and I'm glad you were paying attention! Â Â excuse the long reply but..... i guess my point is yea he has done it before but trying to keep in mind a few things that temper my assessment of him as a qb the other way. what you bring up is potentially a huge knock on him, but i think there are a handful of reasons on not throwing him under the bus for the throw lastnight. that alabama throw should not make or break his college career, but it will likely cloud any evaluation of him. Â 1)just because he screwed up bama doesnt mean its his fault they didnt win lastnight. the cause and effect relationship was not necessarily big game=late pick. the types of picks thrown in the two games were very different. bama was just a flat out disaster throw (lack of focus? misread? bad grip on the ball? playing through an injury we didnt know about?) -- what i do know is it wasnt a product of trying to force anything -- lastnight was trying to force a play late very clearly. was it pressure of the big game, or frustration with his offense? either is bad for his prospects, but chalking up bama and ohio st as same thing different day is just too simple for my liking. Â 2)had he been in the music city bowl, as that team probably deserved without his strong performances this year, he probably wouldnt have "lost it for them." Part of the problem is that i think he has led a team onto bigger stages then they are ready for. is he ready for that stage? i dont know honestly. i would be worried if we drafted him because no one has a real gauge on how he would perform with nfl talent around him, but we have seen struggles against nfl talent. if we give fitz a pass on the steelers game, i dont know how we hammer this kid for the game lastnight. granted his dropped td throws werent in overtime, but he had to deal with a lot more of them against a similarly superior opponent. Â 3)he made about a dozen beautiful nfl throws, some of which i havent seen anyone else in this draft class make, to get them back in the game.... even if his receivers only caught about half of them. so im not going to be as hard on him for the late pick. his performance was such that he shouldnt have been in second and long, with a minute left and a blitzer in his face within a split second of the snap needing a TD to win. if the blocked punt was run in, do we gift him the ability to lead his team to the big win? hell, if they kicked it through the endzone he only needs a field goal to tie. this was a team loss, not a ryan mallett loss, like the alabama game was. there were opportunities for everyone to make big plays, and outside of one throw, he held up his end of the deal a lot of times. Â 4)should he have eaten the ball, or thrown out of bounds in order to get another shot at the endzone? yes. would they have won even if he did that and followed it up with a beautiful pass into a receivers hands in the endzone(like he had shown he can do all game long)? sadly, after that performance, id call it a coin flip. i still think he did what he needed, and then some to win the game, but as someone said, he cant throw to himself. his defense helped a lot, but that was truly an epicly bad performance by his receiving corps, and i dont buy that it was a lack of touch on the throws. They were there, and they were well thrown, i cant count how many times the receivers just didnt watch the ball into their hands the way they needed to. Â 5)from last year to this year he has learned how to win more of the big games, and on the road. last year he lost pretty much anything on the road, or against ranked opponents. this year he won a number of big games, and road games in the SEC. impressive, and demonstrates year to year progress. look at his completion percentage - better decisions and better throws after another year. all the while raising his YPA about a half a yard. anyone that has argued they saw the same guy this year as last, has missed the boat. of course the issues will be similar but he has gotten better - regardless of if you think he is the right guy. Â 6)before lastnight the alabama game was the only game that the razorbacks lost with mallett under center. their other loss he was knocked out early. short of going undefeated and winning the national championship, i am not sure what people wanted to see from him this year to turn around the perception that he cant win the big game. he lost 2 games to top 10 ranked schools -- thats not a huge problem in my book. he lead his team, which was not a top ten team to a top ten kind of season in the SEC and that is a feat. Â Â Â I worry that in the wrong situation he could become ryan leaf-esque, as he does need to work on maturity, and patience. i also believe in the right situation he could be very good. i think that having the right team around him and right coaching staff, some continuity within systems early in his career, a year on the bench, and a good mentor qb starting in front of him he could turn into a probowler worthy of a first round pick. thrown to the wolves behind a suspect line, and he could be a bust for the ages. quite frankly, the buffalo bills could be either one of those situations, and thats why i am not sure about his prospects here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Mallett has all the things, other than mobility, that you need your QB to have at the NFL level. He has all the things you can't teach. Everything else can be taught. That is why I like RM so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Mallett has all the things, other than mobility, that you need your QB to have at the NFL level. He has all the things you can't teach. Everything else can be taught. That is why I like RM so much. Â Â unfortunately, some of the mental can not be taught -- virtues like leadership and maturity dont come from a textbook. unfortunately we dont know where on the spectrum he lands with these, and will likely be the key to his success. if he fails it wont be because he is 6-7 or slightly less mobile then you want.... it will be that he doesnt have the mental makeup, which often times can not be taught. refined, built upon - yes, but taught - no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderweb Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 unfortunately, some of the mental can not be taught -- virtues like leadership and maturity dont come from a textbook. unfortunately we dont know where on the spectrum he lands with these, and will likely be the key to his success. if he fails it wont be because he is 6-7 or slightly less mobile then you want.... it will be that he doesnt have the mental makeup, which often times can not be taught. refined, built upon - yes, but taught - no. Â Â Agree. Â Does JP Losman, Trent Edwards come to mind? Talk about brain locked...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 With the TE talent about to come up in free agency I think using a draft pick would be a mistake...... Â USE IT ON THE OL OR DEFENSE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjg1993 Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Â BTW...Heyward was a beast last night. Buddy and Chan might want to take a long look at this guy, as he might be available when we pick in the 2nd round. Â Im a buckeye fan so obviously im biased, but as far as ive seen from him this year, he is a monster of a lineman. Does he always make plays on every play of the game? No, last night was truly something special. he was in some other world last night. but he does have a way of getting his name called quite a lot throughout the year. Â BTW... great username. i kind of want to change my username to Captain Knots now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckeye Eric Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Mallet just can't complete important games. He is weak under pressure and has limited scrambling skills. He is a 3rd+ rounder in my opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Mallet just can't complete important games. He is weak under pressure and has limited scrambling skills. He is a 3rd+ rounder in my opinion   So at Georgia, miss st and south Carolina, or home against ol miss, a&m, or lsu were not important games? Beating #5 LSU to get into the sugar bowl was not an important game?  He blew bama, and his WRs blew lastnight.... He wasn't in for Auburn, the teams only other loss this year. Did he need a championship to beat that wrap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I only caught the second half of the game last night but I was not too impressed with Mallet. I had liked him before and really wanted him after watching the Arkansas/Alabama game early in the season. I do not think we will go this route. Â In watching the game though, I was very impressed with Arkansas TE DJ Williams. He has very good hands and ran nice routes. His blocking has improved. I have seen rumors that the Bills might go TE early in the draft. If we do, I am betting this is the guy they are targeting. Â I agree that we should not draft him not because he is not impressive but because we have Fitz. To say that he was not impressive means that either you were sleeping or not paying attention to the game. Mallett has a great arm, size and smarts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iinii Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Â One negative I noticed about Mallett was that, when he was under pressure (which was most of the game), he tends to throw the ball off his back foot. Seems that he really isn't comfortable hanging in the pocket and making a good throw when he knows he's going to take a hit. Saw a few plays where his form was really ugly, and his passes on those plays went right to the receiver's shoe strings. Â Â BTW...Heyward was a beast last night. Buddy and Chan might want to take a long look at this guy, as he might be available when we pick in the 2nd round. Â Your point on Mallett is spot on. I didn't want him in Buffalo after watching the Alabama game, as I felt he gift wrapped that game for the Tide. Bama brought heat and last night so did the Buckeyes, Mallett did have some beautiful throws but he did lock onto receivers and when under extreme pressure he was not able to pitch out of a jam. Not a good trait in the bigs. Â I've seen a lot of talk about DeMarcus Love as an OT option for us in the 2nd. I didn't watch him closely on every play, but it seemed like Heyward got the better of him a few times, and Mallet was often under pressure. Love also had one false start. One interesting thing - he moved back and forth from LT to RT. I thought he was off the field a couple of times and then realized he had moved to the right side. Moving a tackle from side to side is something I haven't noticed very often. They play strong and quick sides along the offensive line, not right and lefts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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