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Started By
Message
Passing Offense woes (From SI.com's College Football Mailbag)
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:25 pm
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:25 pm
I largely agree with what Mandel says here. Let's let the season play out and see where we are at the end.
LSU's moribund passing offense continues. Is it time to start asking if LSU's quarterback woes are a product of its coach/system? Has Les Miles ever had a top-rated passer of his own making?
-- Steve, San Jose
What's this? A college football fan in San Jose? I'm writing these very words from a Panera Bread in San Jose and it's making me realize: I haven't come across anyone in school colors here since the season started. I'm in a bizarre vacuum.
LSU's continued quarterback woes are admittedly puzzling. Miles has in fact coached a couple of pretty decent passers in his day: Oklahoma State's Josh Fields (15th nationally in pass efficiency in 2002, though he regressed to 42nd the next year) and LSU's JaMarcus Russell (third in '06). But something's definitely been amiss ever since Jimbo Fisher left as offensive coordinator after the 2006 season. Matt Flynn, who would go on to become an NFL player, ranked just 64th during the Tigers' 2007 BCS championship season. Obviously Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson struggled for four years, and now Zach Mettenberger is off to a modest start (he's thrown for fewer than 200 yards in three of four games).
Part if it is a byproduct of the type of the conservative, run-first offense Miles wants to run. But Alabama takes much the same approach, and the Tide's quarterback, AJ McCarron, is currently the nation's fourth-rated passer. And it's not like LSU doesn't have talented receivers. It's had them in the past and it has them again now.
Mettenberger has the physical skills that prompted two different SEC schools (originally Georgia) to sign him. I'm inclined to cut him some slack for now, seeing as last Saturday's Auburn game was his first career SEC start. But if things don't improve over the course of the season, it would definitely become an indictment of the staff's ability to get the most out of that position.
Read more: LINK
LSU's moribund passing offense continues. Is it time to start asking if LSU's quarterback woes are a product of its coach/system? Has Les Miles ever had a top-rated passer of his own making?
-- Steve, San Jose
What's this? A college football fan in San Jose? I'm writing these very words from a Panera Bread in San Jose and it's making me realize: I haven't come across anyone in school colors here since the season started. I'm in a bizarre vacuum.
LSU's continued quarterback woes are admittedly puzzling. Miles has in fact coached a couple of pretty decent passers in his day: Oklahoma State's Josh Fields (15th nationally in pass efficiency in 2002, though he regressed to 42nd the next year) and LSU's JaMarcus Russell (third in '06). But something's definitely been amiss ever since Jimbo Fisher left as offensive coordinator after the 2006 season. Matt Flynn, who would go on to become an NFL player, ranked just 64th during the Tigers' 2007 BCS championship season. Obviously Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson struggled for four years, and now Zach Mettenberger is off to a modest start (he's thrown for fewer than 200 yards in three of four games).
Part if it is a byproduct of the type of the conservative, run-first offense Miles wants to run. But Alabama takes much the same approach, and the Tide's quarterback, AJ McCarron, is currently the nation's fourth-rated passer. And it's not like LSU doesn't have talented receivers. It's had them in the past and it has them again now.
Mettenberger has the physical skills that prompted two different SEC schools (originally Georgia) to sign him. I'm inclined to cut him some slack for now, seeing as last Saturday's Auburn game was his first career SEC start. But if things don't improve over the course of the season, it would definitely become an indictment of the staff's ability to get the most out of that position.
Read more: LINK
12
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:27 pm to Mack10
quote:
Read more: LINK
No
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:29 pm to Mack10
quote:
Zach Mettenberger is off to a modest start (he's thrown for fewer than 200 yards in three of four games).
Mettenberger isn't ASKED or EXPECTED to throw for 300-400 yards per game. He is doing what he is asked, and for the most part has done well at it. I hate when people comment on things that they do not understand.
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:30 pm to Mack10
quote:
And it's not like LSU doesn't have talented receivers
This is how I know this guy hasn't watched any LSU games this year. While yes, we do have talented receivers, they've been in quite a slump to start the year.
Not to mention, Mett has only started 4 games in his career. Is he supposed to be a top 10 passer already?
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:31 pm to LSUGrad9295
pretty sure he sorta said the same thing in the next paragraph.
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:33 pm to Mack10
9/26/12 - the day of Trolls!
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:37 pm to jmon
I guess Mett is supposed to throw, catch and block his blind side?
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:38 pm to jmon
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:40 pm to Mack10
quote:
Read more: LINK
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:45 pm to TheDoc
why do people take exception to this guy and his article anyway?
in the preseason, even miles himself said we would see a more vertical offense, and that's what people, pundits, writers were expecting.
now that we/they haven't seen it, of course they are going to have reservations.
and its not like our passing game as a whole is setting anything on fire...it's not supposed to, and it isn't the main focus of the offense, like he alludes to.
in the preseason, even miles himself said we would see a more vertical offense, and that's what people, pundits, writers were expecting.
now that we/they haven't seen it, of course they are going to have reservations.
and its not like our passing game as a whole is setting anything on fire...it's not supposed to, and it isn't the main focus of the offense, like he alludes to.
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:46 pm to The Egg
On the list of concerns that I have about the team.. Mett is around
Here
Here
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:46 pm to Mack10
completely fair assessment.
all the rantards will cry and get defensive
all the rantards will cry and get defensive
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:47 pm to TheDoc
oh well hey, i agree with that. he's not the problem.
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:48 pm to Mack10
People are way too quick to get into a sky is falling findset. No SEC win comes easily on the road. Auburn wasn't going to roll over. They played up. We played down. We still won.
On to the next game. We just need to tighten up on the careless errors.
On to the next game. We just need to tighten up on the careless errors.
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:50 pm to The Egg
The guy isnt saying anything that LSU fans haven't been saying since Miles got here. Plus, he's using QB ratings as his overall judgement, not yards. You guys overreact to anything that can be remotely construed as criticism!
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:51 pm to Mack10
Case you hadn't noticed the receivers are taking their eyes off the ball at the last second. Don't know why... but they are.
Posted on 9/26/12 at 2:53 pm to StatMaster
The Auburn game was bad. 12 points against that edition of Auburn is not good enough.
But, anyone who knows the shape of a football knows that Mett is an upgrade 1000 fold from Jefferson and Lee. They do not need him to throw for 3,000 yards or be Andrew Luck.
What they need him to do is not fumble or throw interceptions. And they need the receivers to catch the ball.
He was never gonna be Andrew Luck, so lets appreciate what he is.
But, anyone who knows the shape of a football knows that Mett is an upgrade 1000 fold from Jefferson and Lee. They do not need him to throw for 3,000 yards or be Andrew Luck.
What they need him to do is not fumble or throw interceptions. And they need the receivers to catch the ball.
He was never gonna be Andrew Luck, so lets appreciate what he is.
This post was edited on 9/26/12 at 2:54 pm
Posted on 9/26/12 at 3:06 pm to The Egg
quote:
in the preseason, even miles himself said we would see a more vertical offense, and that's what people, pundits, writers were expecting.
now that we/they haven't seen it, of course they are going to have reservations.
and its not like our passing game as a whole is setting anything on fire...it's not supposed to, and it isn't the main focus of the offense, like he alludes to.
I think we have seen a "vertical" passing game. Outside of the bubble screens and quick slants that compliment that formation, the vast majority of LSU's pass routes have been deep-comebacks and vertical "go" routes both outside the hashes. The "problem" is that there isn't much diversity to the passing game. LSU rarely attacks the middle of the field. You don't see many 10-15 yard crossing routes, or underneath drag routes, or post routes, or anything to the TE.
Maybe they're trying to gradually bring Mett along (They seemed try to open it up a little more in the 2nd half against AU). Maybe the protection "issues" scare the coaching staff. Maybe Mettenberger is a little bit of a gunslinger and they wan't to avoid the middle of the field where there are more bodies. I don't know? But IMO it does seem like week after week they are starting to trust the QB more and more.
Posted on 9/26/12 at 3:26 pm to Mack10
two fricking words: dropped passes
/thread
/thread
Posted on 9/26/12 at 3:27 pm to Cap Crunch
quote:
This is how I know this guy hasn't watched any LSU games this year. While yes, we do have talented receivers, they've been in quite a slump to start the year.
I'm not all super positive on Mett (first the interceptions on the goalline and now the fumbles), BUT, fair is fair - at this point at least 3 receivers have as many drops as Mett has terrible passes (and he throws every one) - so, by that rough estimate, he has triple the excellent passes that are not completed due to the receiver inadequately executing his responsibilities on the play.
The QB's job is to get the ball out, period. Most receivers will admit, if the ball is in any way catchable, it is on them to make that play. The quarterback has to worry about his pre-snap read (the entire field, unless a it is play limited), go through his progressions, while watching the pass rush, make a decision, pull the trigger, get the ball between the DL's outstretched hands, and into a spot where the ball can't be intercepted, but can be caught.
All the receiver has to do is get open and make that catch. That is not in any way easy or automatic, but it is the positional responsibilities of the WR.
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