Irwin: Guarantano throws a prettier ball than Manning, but doesn't have the intangibles

[cHiZzLeVOL]

So why has he not been able to win the starting job? Pruitt clearly says whoever plays better will start. So whats the problem?

I don’t know what the coaches reasons are but I do know what I can see and have seen between the two QBs. That being said maybe there are other elements in play that I don’t know about.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

I believe the homer answer is "Alabama adjusted their defense". ..

That’s actually true, but they had to because of the type of QB Chryst is. If they would have blitzed Chryst the same way they did JG, Chryst would have torn them apart.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

That’s actually true, but they had to because of the type of QB Chryst is. If they would have blitzed Chryst the same way they did JG, Chryst would have torn them apart.

Yep. If teams leave the quick or short game open for him he’ll do fine.

However, if they leave 7 in coverage and try to make him throw in windows of coverage, I worry we’ll see DBs making a lot of plays. KC has shown he can do a decent job of identifying mismatches and getting the ball out quickly, but he isn’t very good at zipping passes in tight windows. He was lucky to avoid an INT against Bama because of that.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

About 90% of JG's flaws are masked if he had a decent (it doesn't even have to be great, just decent) offensive line. I think he shows a lack of awareness about his line when it does take him too long to get the ball out or he doesn't make adjustments at the line. In other words he plays as if he is assuming his offensive line is good and will give him time to throw when that is a shaky assumption. I think Helton could help him out a little bit better too at times and call some plays that don't take as long to develop.

If JG played behind an OL that excelled in pass blocking, he’d probably be really, really effective QB. He may not read defenses super well, but he’s pretty damn good at slinging the ball into places where his guys can make a play and defenders have to strain to.


But who knows how long it will take for our OL to become even decent at pass blocking? Even when we’ve got the numbers to protect guys often miss their assignments or just flat out get beat.


I wouldn’t mind them making a switch and seeing KC get a try the next week or two. He’s got some really unfortunate physical limitations and bringing him in will likely do the WRs no favors from a production standpoint, but if he can avoid the negative plays, work the quick passing game, and help us move the chains a little better then it will help us win the hidden yardage battle with STs/Defense and hopefully at least find ourselves in FG position more often.

 

[Evergrenevol]

I wouldn’t mind them making a switch and seeing KC get a try the next week or two. He’s got some really unfortunate physical limitations and bringing him in will likely do the WRs no favors from a production standpoint..”

Like what?

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

Like what?

Should have worded that a little differently. I meant in relation to how well he does many other parts of the QB job.


But mainly, his arm strength isn’t that good and he’s very inconsistent accuracy-wise. At Stanford he’d have one game throwing 65-70% completions making tough passes, and then 2-3 where he was throwing 50% with bounce passes on anything 7+ yards downfield. He has the arm to throw deep passes (and does often have nice touch), but most of his passes don’t have much zip on them, which gives defenders more time to make a break on the ball.

 

[Evergrenevol]

Should have worded that a little differently. I meant in relation to how well he does many other parts of the QB job.


But mainly, his arm strength isn’t that good and he’s very inconsistent accuracy-wise. At Stanford he’d have one game throwing 65-70% completions making tough passes, and then 2-3 where he was throwing 50% with bounce passes on anything 7+ yards downfield. He has the arm to throw deep passes (and does often have nice touch), but most of his passes don’t have much zip on them, which gives defenders more time to make a break on the ball.

FYI - Chryst graded out over 90% against Bama, which is the Highest grade any UT player has received this year...

 

[k-town_king]

JG needs improve. He has already. He will continue to.

Needs to improve on something didn't mean he can't do it at all.

Also nowhere does the article say KC is better at those. He isn't.

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

Bull****

That is all.

 

[Volview]

I think the intangibles are actually: film study, higher football IQ and a better O-line

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

FYI - Chryst graded out over 90% against Bama, which is the Highest grade any UT player has received this year...

He had a great drive and a half and has put together 2-3 really good games in his career. But he’s never done anything to suggest he can do that consistently.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

Yep. If teams leave the quick or short game open for him he’ll do fine.

However, if they leave 7 in coverage and try to make him throw in windows of coverage, I worry we’ll see DBs making a lot of plays. KC has shown he can do a decent job of identifying mismatches and getting the ball out quickly, but he isn’t very good at zipping passes in tight windows. He was lucky to avoid an INT against Bama because of that.

I agree on the zip portion but I think his understanding of the route and timing make up for that issue. But you are right he isn’t a guy who can just force one in there.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

I agree on the zip portion but I think his understanding of the route and timing make up for that issue. But you are right he isn’t a guy who can just force one in there.

I just worry whether he can be consistently accurate enough. But unless he throws tons of INTs we probably won’t be much worse overall. JT hasn’t been throwing picks, but the fumbles and sacks are kind of making up for it.

But teams are probably gonna try to blitz us because of our poor OL anyway, so that will probably play to his strengths somewhat.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

I just worry whether he can be consistently accurate enough. But unless he throws tons of INTs we probably won’t be much worse overall. JT hasn’t been throwing picks, but the fumbles and sacks are kind of making up for it.

But teams are probably gonna try to blitz us because of our poor OL anyway, so that will probably play to his strengths somewhat.

I just don’t see how they don’t give KC atleast the first quarter of the USC game to either show he should play the whole game or not.

I have a feeling JG will be starting though.....

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

I just don’t see how they don’t give KC atleast the first quarter of the USC game to either show he should play the whole game or not.

I have a feeling JG will be starting though.....

Hard to know why the coaches are thinking. Both QBs have flaws that limit the offense. It may just come down to which flaws they’re more willing to live with or which guy’s flaws are correctable.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

Hard to know why the coaches are thinking. Both QBs have flaws that limit the offense. It may just come down to which flaws they’re more willing to live with or which guy’s flaws are correctable.

I don’t know if you can correct a guy who hasn’t been able to see or feel a blindside blitz the entire time he has been a quarterback....

Edit: One of those unseen blitzes is going to eventually get JG really hurt.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

I don’t know if you can correct a guy who hasn’t been able to see or feel a blindside blitz the entire time he has been a quarterback....

Mental errors are correctable in theory. You can’t watch film and correct an arm, though.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

Mental errors are correctable in theory. You can’t watch film and correct an arm, though.

That is true, but there are plenty of QBs that don’t have cannons who do well. KC might not have a rocket, but his arm isn’t weak. He can still get the ball out there and actually puts the ball where the Receiver is either in stride or able to get under it.

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

That is true, but there are plenty of QBs that don’t have cannons who do well. KC might not have a rocket, but his arm isn’t weak. He can still get the ball out there and actually puts the ball where the Receiver is either in stride or able to get under it.

He’s done that in limited spurts coming off the bench. We don’t know how he looks in practice. We do know he struggled to do that week in and week out at Stanford.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

He’s done that in limited spurts coming off the bench. We don’t know how he looks in practice. We do know he struggled to do that week in and week out at Stanford.

This is true. Guess we won’t know until he truly gets a full game. So we may never know. I did see an article today that Chryst while being rushed got the ball off in 1.5 and 1.7 secs to avoid a sack and completed one of those throws. That is very impressive.

I believe they said the fastest JG got the ball out was 2.2 secs

 

[VolRoger]

This is true. Guess we won’t know until he truly gets a full game. So we may never know. I did see an article today that Chryst while being rushed got the ball off in 1.5 and 1.7 secs to avoid a sack and completed one of those throws. That is very impressive.

I believe they said the fastest JG got the ball out was 2.2 secs

I think defensive strategy might dictate whether KC gets an opportunity to play QB in a competitive game. If the pecking hens try to blitz JG to death, you got to switch up to the QB with the quickest release.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

I think defensive strategy might dictate whether KC gets an opportunity to play QB in a competitive game. If the pecking hens try to blitz JG to death, you got to switch up to the QB with the quickest release.

Every team is going to blitz JG plain and simple. So you might as well start with KC.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

You’re assumptions about others not knowing what issues our QB has are incorrect. The OP post is exactly right.

All of last year and this year, JG has proven that he just can’t read defenses. Part of the problem this year is the offensive coordinator. It’s his job to teach a player how to read and check. If a QB misses the read, then the OC should signal in the check. This hasn’t happened.

Alabama’s defense was Pruitt’s last year. He even said in a press conference that he was reading their defensive signals on most plays. HE KNEW WHAT WAS COMING, yet nothing was signaled in to the QB.

Many of the sacks and pressures were the OL’s fault. Watching linemen not knowing who to block is frustrating as hell. They also just got whipped on many occasions.

JG has some arm talent. He’s played well at times, but he’s not a great athlete.
- JG can’t read what the defense is doing, and his OC isn’t helping.
- He doesn’t see or feel blitzes or pressure coming. Even if he did, he’s not mobile enough to escape, He’s not good throwing on the run.
- His read and release time is sometimes slow. In some ways that’s good, he throws few interceptions.
- Perhaps his biggest weakness is his inability to sense and escape pressure to make a play.

When Chryst came in, there was a different (positive) energy in the huddle. As usual...., when Chryst comes in, he throws touchdown passes.

Start Chryst and see what happens. It can’t be worse than what we’ve done in the 1st qtr. to date! Play who has the hot hand.

Unless the ones who are giving their opinions about JG are D1 coaches, I am absolutely correct in my statements. Fans and sports writers hive their opinions based on what they see on Saturdays. But those opinions can be biased. There are some that just dont like JG. There were some on here that said KC would be the day 1 starter and be the best QB on the team immediately. Those opinions show bias.

Like I have stated, you can say whatever you want about JG but there is a reason he is the starter. What is it? Now if he cannot read a defense but Chryst can, then why isnt he the starter? Now, you could say that Pruitt is looking to the future but do you buy that? If thats the case then Pruitt is intentionally playing the worse QB in hopes for future success. If he is truly doing that, then he sucks as a coach and doesnt know what he is doing. What are the chances of CJP and his staff just not being able to see these glaring deficiencies?

I agree that KC should absolutely start and play a whole game. As a matter of fact, I want to see him start against SC and UK. He may very well be the better QB. Oh and yes it could be worse than what we have done so far. What if KC came in and started throwing INts? That would be much worse. So yes give him a shot. And if he ends us the better QB, then so be it. But again, people need to stop making themselves look stupid by thinking they know what the coaches dont. Its ridiculous.

 

[Rudy123]

Spot on.

I can shoot free throws better than Shaw but I still can't beat him other areas or get in NBA
When I was in high school, the fastest guy on the team was a receiver. He ran fast but could not catch any ball thrown to him. Coach didn't care about his speed because you can't get first down unless you catch the ball

 

[Darth_Shiveman]

Every team is going to blitz JG plain and simple. So you might as well start with KC.

Doesn't that depend a little on the level of opponent, though? Auburn blitzed a lot but wasn't able to stop our passing. We've already faced the best pass rushing teams on the schedule. We should see the OL have more success the next 5 games than we did the past 4.

Maybe the staff is happier with a guy taking more of those hits is he's making passes that give WRs a chance. KC had one throw away against bama on a 3rd down that was probably a smart call for him. But that was a situation where JG probably takes the hit and gives someone like Callaway, JG, or Palmer a chance to make a play on the ball.

We likely don't win against Auburn if our QB isn't willing to take some hits pushing the ball downfield. Maybe the coaches value that and think it's a fair trade off for some sacks. Who knows.