The Big Cat Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Good post. Great post, in fact. All the mechanical proficiency in the world won't do a bit of good until it all clicks up stairs. That only comes with experience. And even then, there's gonna be times when great OCs fool him, or he's just having a bad day at the office. It happens. GO BILLS!!! Yeah, damn those injuries and the subsequent missed time. But again, I'm curious as hell what 8 offseason months do for the guy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Good post. Great post, in fact. All the mechanical proficiency in the world won't do a bit of good until it all clicks up stairs. That only comes with experience. And even then, there's gonna be times when great OCs fool him, or he's just having a bad day at the office. It happens. GO BILLS!!! I said it first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I'm not defending Downing but Stafford's issues are more about Stafford then anyone else and I don't see him ever changing It will come down to EJ which has me concerned as I find it hard to believe Marrone and Hackett didn't try to improve his mechanics last year EJ has no pocket awareness and that is not something that can be taught Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cat Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I said it first! I said it better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Yeah, damn those injuries and the subsequent missed time. But again, I'm curious as hell what 8 offseason months do for the guy... With his arms being duct taped to his sides for 4 of those 8 months. Seriously though, nothing hurt his development more than the missed time last season. No chance to establish much of a rhythm at all. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cat Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I'm not defending Downing but Stafford's issues are more about Stafford then anyone else and I don't see him ever changing It will come down to EJ which has me concerned as I find it hard to believe Marrone and Hackett didn't try to improve his mechanics last year EJ has no pocket awareness and that is not something that can be taught Right. Which is precisely why it's something just about all rookie QB's have in common Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I doubt that Stafford had any interest in changing his mechanics. He's been successful doing it his way. We don't know the 'little things' that Downing may have done. Hopefully, Manuel does really want to improve his mechanics because he badly needs to. Hopefully Downing can help with that. I think that the true measure of what Downing does though is how he's able/unable to get into EJ's head. Manuel needs the confidence to throw his receivers open. He needs to have confidence in his receivers that they will be where they are supposed to be when they're supposed to be there. He has to trust himself to hit moving targets. All that stuff is mental/vision. If Downing can fix that stuff then he'll be a success regardless of whether Manuel's mechanics improve. Good post. Great post, in fact. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I said it better! Good post. Great post, in fact. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 ^^^^ I said it first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTimer1960 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Although related, let's not confuse throwing motion with mechanics. A sidearm delivery may not be preferable to a classic overhand delivery, but if a QB is mechanically sound otherwise and can find passing lanes, it won't matter much that the ball is released at a lower point. EJ is a study in mechanical schizophrenia. From the waist up, there is little you would want to change mechanically, if anything. For a guy so long, he has a remarkably efficient motion with one of the quicker releases you'll see and from that desirable higher point. From the waist down, he's a mess. But that's where it all begins. Can't launch rockets from unstable platforms. He's been able to hide behind a very strong arm his entire career but the complexities of an NFL offense and the increased reliance on timing at this level is going to demand he fix his lower body mechanical issues. I think that comes with repetition and patience. I saw too much of a panic factor and rushing through progressions and then the inevitable breakdown with his feet. I'd duct tape his arms to his sides and make him do nothing but dropbacks for every pattern in the playbook for a solid month. He'd be a fricken' Baryshnikov by the time I got done with him. GO BILLS!!! Do you suppose that some of that rushing had to do with a marginal OL and mostly rookie/first year WRs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Do you suppose that some of that rushing had to do with a marginal OL and mostly rookie/first year WRs? Most definitely. It all goes together. But I think most of his impatience has to do with not being confident in what he's seeing or not seeing. Just like every other rookie QB I've ever seen, he's sipping from a fire hose at times out there. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTimer1960 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Most definitely. It all goes together. But I think most of his impatience has to do with not being confident in what he's seeing or not seeing. Just like every other rookie QB I've ever seen, he's sipping from a fire hose at times out there. GO BILLS!!! Agreed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Right. Which is precisely why it's something just about all rookie QB's have in common Are you even sure you know what pocket awareness is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I'm not defending Downing but Stafford's issues are more about Stafford then anyone else and I don't see him ever changing It will come down to EJ which has me concerned as I find it hard to believe Marrone and Hackett didn't try to improve his mechanics last year EJ has no pocket awareness and that is not something that can be taught I just can't agree with this premise. Pocket awareness comes with experience and all the learning that entails. Every QB we hold up as great today has evolved as their pocket awareness improved with experience. Drew Brees and Tom Brady are just two examples of QBs that possess great pocket awareness that didn't in their first year as starters. Pocket awareness starts with patience. That's EJ's biggest issue at the moment. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTimer1960 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Are you even sure you know what pocket awareness is? Please help us all out here. What is YOUR definition of pocket awareness? Is that affected by the time it takes (mostly) rookie WRs to get open and the time afforded by a questionable OL? If the answer is: "he should have known after 1.5 seconds that nobody would get open and the OL couldn't protect him longer" then I *sort of* agree..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I just can't agree with this premise. Pocket awareness comes with experience and all the learning that entails. Every QB we hold up as great today has evolved as their pocket awareness improved with experience. Drew Brees and Tom Brady are just two examples of QBs that possess great pocket awareness that didn't in their first year as starters. Pocket awareness starts with patience. That's EJ's biggest issue at the moment. GO BILLS!!! Couldn't disagree more Tom Brady was so good when he took over for an injured Bledsoe that he kept the job and ended up winning the Super Bowl Pocket awareness is not something that can be taught Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Couldn't disagree more Tom Brady was so good when he took over for an injured Bledsoe that he kept the job and ended up winning the Super Bowl Pocket awareness is not something that can be taught What is pocket awareness and tell me why it can't be taught. I've known plenty of QB coaches over the years and I don't think one of them would agree with your idea that pocket awareness, a direct function of patience and composure in the pocket, can't be taught. We'll disagree on Brady as well. To say he had the level of pocket awareness in 2001 that he has now, is revisionist. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills Fan since '64 Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 Pocket awareness is not something that can be taught Another thing that can't be taught and that EJ does have is height. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Another thing that can't be taught and that EJ does have is height. Said it before & I'll say it again, Manuel has all the tangibles down. All he has to do is master the intangibles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts