re: Official QB Thread...(do not start a new thread to discuss QB's)

My comments have always been simple on the issue, and that is the coaches are in practice with these guys every single day. They see every rep, every throw, and have the most exposure to the QBs on a daily basis - much more than we the fans. In college, you have to believe that the coaches are putting the QB in the game which gives our team the best chance to win. Unlike the NFL where a coach gets tied to a QB due to large contracts, in college coaches contracts and their very own job security is based on WINS - so don\\\'t you think Miles wants to win and wants to keep his job and therefore will absolutely put the best performing player at practice in the game?

Just a thought.

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Do you honest think that there's no way he couldn't of made any improvements since 08' and LaTech of 09'????

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I honestly don't know if he has improved. Did he improve from 2008 to 2009? No, he didn't. The coaches are still playing Jefferson. So, although one might be inclined to think that he improved, it is speculation.

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and do you honestly see any improvement in JJ since the GT game????

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Yes, I do. He made 5 mistakes in the UNC game. He played a horrible Vandy game. However, those were the first and second games of the year. They were on the road.

I have seen Jefferson play much better. I have no reason to believe that the Vandy game is how Jefferson will play the rest of the year. It was, after all, his worst game ever.

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do you honestly think that we could run the ball effectively against much better SEC defenses with Jefferson at QB

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That's not really the question. The real question is whether Jefferson will give us a better chance to win than Lee. I haven't seen them practice. I don't know who is better. The coaches want to start Jefferson. I hope Lee will get some snaps too. I hope they both play well.

However, it is nothing but absolutely pure speculation to think that Lee is better than Jefferson.

Moreover, all of the known facts suggest that Jefferson is better than Lee.

Not going to read the entire 17 pages and not answering just me specifically. Just want to chime in.

What pissed me off most about Saturday night is that CLM could have used the 4th quarter to actually let Lee show whether or not he could have a better game than JJ. He chose to hang with JJ, who was OBVIOUSLY not up to snuff until the last two series. I think at some point,CLM will have to show that JJ is MUCH better than Lee, I personally would have played JL the entire second half. JJ was terrible, for whatever reason.

I can see it already:

Fans boo JJ when he takes the field. To shut them up, Miles sends JL out on the field. 1st snap, JL throws a pick-6.

Fans cheer JJ's return to the field.

Miles sports a coy little smirk. LSU goes on to win.

/point made
/end QB controversy

One point to consider, probably considered already is this massive thread, is that we have three big-time playmakers who are essentially useless as receivers right now.

We have to find a way to get the ball to RR, TT and RS via the pass and we need to be able to stretch the field.

Saban will blitz us to death if we can only rely on the run and short passes to move the ball. To loosen up a great defense, we must be able to stretch the field.

Lee, although not great, does give us that ability. I think if Lee can get over his turnover issue, he could function in a similar fashion to John Parker Wilson at Bama two years ago...only Lee has a better arm. Remember, Bama went undefeated in the regular season that year with a great defense, strong running game and manager of a QB who could stretch the field two or three times per game.

We don't need Elway, but we do need someone who can loosen the defense up and allow us to utilize the amazing talent we have as wideouts. There is an whole dimension to this team, perhaps the best dimension, that is almost completely unexplored because we cannot pass down the field.

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I honestly don't know if he has improved. Did he improve from 2008 to 2009? No, he didn't. The coaches are still playing Jefferson. So, although one might be inclined to think that he improved, it is speculation.

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True, most of the assumptions regarding Lee are based on pure speculation.

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Yes, I do. He made 5 mistakes in the UNC game. He played a horrible Vandy game. However, those were the first and second games of the year. They were on the road.

I have seen Jefferson play much better. I have no reason to believe that the Vandy game is how Jefferson will play the rest of the year. It was, after all, his worst game ever.

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I have to somewhat disagree with you on this. Jefferson hasn't shown any significant improvement last year or this year. Evidence that Miles has to dumb down an already vanilla playbook after 18 starts supports this.

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That's not really the question. The real question is whether Jefferson will give us a better chance to win than Lee. I haven't seen them practice. I don't know who is better. The coaches want to start Jefferson. I hope Lee will get some snaps too. I hope they both play well.

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I like to look at this as to whether which QB has more upside. IMO, JJ has hit his ceiling as evidence to his 09' season and so far this season. JL's ceiling is so far an unknown. If he's got a hold on the decision making aspect of the QB position then we may be a NC contender this year or next year. What we do know is that JL's mechanics are far superior to JJ's. It's just the "between the ears" aspect that's holding him back.

Also, as far as the coaches, I won't go there. I think Miles' insistence on running the option speaks for itself in characterizing him as stubborn and unwilling to make decisive changes before it's to late.

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However, it is nothing but absolutely pure speculation to think that Lee is better than Jefferson.

Moreover, all of the known facts suggest that Jefferson is better than Lee.

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The word "known" it key. It's what we don't know. That's the fuel for the controversy.

Wouldn't you agree to allow Lee to get meaningful snaps to "know" and to put all this speculation to rest?

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Have you considered the fact with a high completion percentage, JJ did not move the offense against UNC?

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Well, let's start with the facts. He did move the offense against UNC. Unfortunately, he made five mistakes. However, we also lost four fumbles and suffered some very inopportune penalties. Those fumbles and penalties killed more drives than Jefferson did. Indeed, on the plays where Jefferson threw underneath on 3rd down, we were facing 3rd and long because of penalties. In other words, it was a low percentage play to convert third down anyway.

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last year as he lead one of the most inept offenses in LSU history

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The majority of last year's ineptness does not fall on Jefferson's shoulders. In addition, he was only a very young sophomore. He's learning.

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He lacks all of the intangibles that cannot be taught to a QB.

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Does he? I don't know about that. It's not the issue anyway. The issue is whether Jefferson gives LSU a better chance to win than Lee.

Right now, the coaches think Jefferson gives us the better chance to win. The known facts also suggest that Jefferson gives LSU the better chance to win. I hope Jefferson plays much better against Mississippi State. I hope Lee gets to play at least one possession against Mississippi State, and when he does, I hope he also plays much better than the way he played in the past.

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The majority of last year's ineptness does not fall on Jefferson's shoulders

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Then who does it fall on???

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In addition, he was only a very young sophomore. He's learning.

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There a TRUE FRESHMAN that start at Div I schools. They put up good numbers and can hit receivers in stride (and by numbers, I mean MORE than just completion percentage, like not taking sacks totaling almost -300 yards).

He is a JUNIOR this year....So far he looks no better(UNC game) and worse (Vandy game) than last year. That does not inspire confidence in his ability to "progress" this season.

Considering the young and learning thing, why not extend that same courtesy to Lee?

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I can see it already:

Fans boo JJ when he takes the field. To shut them up, Miles sends JL out on the field. 1st snap, JL throws a pick-6.

Fans cheer JJ's return to the field.

Miles sports a coy little smirk. LSU goes on to win.

/point made
/end QB controversy

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Nah, I can see us having less than 100 total yards by halftime with us up 6-0 thanks to our defense giving us good field position. Then Les, being stubborn as usual, sends JJ back out only to be greeted with a rain of "boos". JJ then goes 3 and out the next two series finally forcing Mile's hand. JL then comes out and moves the ball through the air and gives us our first TD of the game with a 15 yard slant route to Randle. After that Ridly and Shep gives us a pair of TDs on the ground for a 27-0 win.

For the next 36 hours after the win and solid 2nd half performance by Lee we all (except for the few JJ sunshine pumpers left)agree that he should be given the starting job for the time being. Miles, at his Monday luncheon, announces that he's still wants to stick with JJ and gives a bunch of half-coherent reasons as to why. As a result, the Rant is even worse than it is now.

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One point to consider, probably considered already is this massive thread, is that we have three big-time playmakers who are essentially useless as receivers right now.

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Yeah, if only Randle and Shepard could get balls thrown to them so that they could score touchdowns.

Like maybe a 50+ yard pass to Randle. I bet that would be nice. Maybe some short passes to Shepard in space where he can use his skill to score touchdowns. Oh, that could never happen with Jefferson at QB.

I guess we can only dream.



Oh . . . no . . . wait . . .

R. Randle 4 71 17.8 1 51
R. Shepard 2 12 6.0 1 6

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To loosen up a great defense, we must be able to stretch the field.

Lee, although not great, does give us that ability.

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Please, show me the game statistics that demonstrate that Lee has more long pass completions than Jefferson. I'll wait.

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There is an whole dimension to this team, perhaps the best dimension, that is almost completely unexplored because we cannot pass down the field.

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You didn't watch the first half of the UNC game, did you.