Monday, April 13, 2015

Mariota Madness

In this excellent article, former NFL safety and Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost,  who helped Mariota win a National Championship, says Marcus isn't the project most say he is.

Mariota made all the protection calls, and Oregon runs all the protections a pro team does.  He changed plays, and, in general, it sounds very much like Chip Kelly and company relied heavily on the kid's brains.

Frost calls Mariota the smartest football player (not quarterback, but football player) he's ever been around.  It's not just his brains, but his memory that Frost found impressive.  Mariota never seemed to require a repetition of even complex information--he grasped and remembered everything the first time.

In this article by Dan Jeremiah (also excellent and insightful), Dan makes five common-sense suggestions on how to ease Marcus into the NFL.  I won't rehash it--just use the link when you're done here.

Now, much is being made of Jameis Winston's interceptions.  It's been rightly pointed out that Mariota had a number a fumbles, so he's pretty bad too, right?

Former quarterback Jim Miller (NFL Radio) has studied most of those fumbles, and explained them:

In the read-option, for a step or two the running back and quarterback run side-by-side.  When the run is to the right, the right-handed quarterback puts the ball in the running back's belly with his knuckles "in", or towards the running back's gut and opposite his grasping hands.

The "signal" for the running back is this: If the quarterback withdraws his hand, the back takes the ball.  If the quarterback leaves his hand there momentarily, the back is NOT to clamp down and take it.

Here, the quarterback can't screw up.  It's always the back who screws up, because the quarterback is the one who has decided to let it go or keep it and is effectively giving the orders.

Miller said that sometimes the running back would clamp down on the ball with Mariota's hand still in there, just as the quarterback started to yank it out.  That caused fumbles.

This Bleacher Report Article by Brett Sobleski might be the best one.  Brett doesn't fool around with abstractions, but broke the kid's game and proven abilities down with mathematical precision--against the four toughest defenses he faced.

He addresses each "knock" on Mariota, and concludes with a brutally honest assessment.

Now that Tom Condon has allegedly said that Sam Bradford won't even negotiate with the Browns, I can stop worrying about that, thank God.

Bradford is a bone-head devoid of imagination, though.  See my last entry: He's a sheep.  He can't have looked at the talent on the team, and assumes that what happened before will keep happening.

Pete Franklin used to call these guys "front-runners", who wait for trains to come by and hop on.  Hey bonehead!  The biggest reason the Browns haven't won a lot YET is because they didn't have a ....wait for it...QUARTERBACK.

Dumbass.

Oh I forgot!  No, he won't negotiate with the Browns because Doctor Evil TEXTED THE COACHES DURING GAMES!  Yeah, that explains it!

Anyway, I saw another Philly homer-article proclaiming that Chip Kelly with his 20th overall pick is 50/50 to land Mariota.  Call him Merlin Kelly!  Wait til you see him walk on water!

Yeah that makes sense!  Bradford won't talk contract with the Browns, but no doubt he will with the Titans or the other teams that were WORSE than the Browns!

If Chip doesn't use Bradford in that trade, then what's he going to offer?  His first, second, and third this year and his next two or three first rounders?  What are they smoking over there?

Ya know, if I had any real audience, I don't think I would have written this article.  I'm already hearing Jaws saying Tampa might take Mariota instead, and too many other analysts are taking a closer look at Mariota themselves.  Dammit.

Well don't!  He's too nice!  He doesn't stomp around and yell at people enough!  He says he'll do his best--Winston talks about the Hall of Fame and multiple Superbowls and stuff!  You don't want this quiet guy!

Check out all those come-from-behind wins Winston had!  

Pro-style offense!  Why, Mariota needs at least two--no three years on the bench before he can be allowed on an NFL field!  Look at Manziel!  Same thing!  No, Winston is the safe pick, Tampa!  And a home-boy too!

Ok stop reading now.

...are they gone?  OK I've got Mariota madness.  Don't read that Grossi stuff, Ray.  Add next year's second...and Manziel of you have to.  Or even next year's first!  DO IT!  I got your back!


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