Is Nico being "pampered"

#51
#51
Hbg said:
I know I will get flack for this but I sure was hoping to see Gaston Moore after halftime. The heck with pampering you’ve got to do what’s best for the team.
Click to expand...

Gaston Moore throws about 3 pick 6s under the the pressure Nico was all night 💀
 
  • Like
Reactions: Persian Vol
#52
#52
UTK said:
It’s obvious Josh has shackles on him. Whether that’s because he’s a freshman or the oline play? Probably both. But something has to change.
Click to expand...
Here's to hoping our younger OL guys will be developed in the offseason and we have a better OL next year
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jravol78
#54
#54
landscapingvol said:
I do not but he needs to run more when the defense is dropping back in coverage even if it’s just a 5-6 yard game as opposed to forcing throws or throwing late. If he does that, defenses will spy him more than they do which will open up the passing game a little more. There were several times he had wide open runs that he passed up only to punt a couple of plays later.
Click to expand...
That we agree on.
 
#56
#56
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
Yall love to overreact. Nico's a first year starter. Growing pains are inevitable. The key is does he grow from this. To expect him to never struggle is unrealistic. Me personally I'm glad his struggles are happening now early in the year when he can learn from them. It would be worse if he skated by early in the year without any struggles only for his moments to come late in the year when championships are on the line.

Nico will be fine. This team will be fine. This is just how the journey to greatness unfolds.
Click to expand...
Overreact? Its called trying to fix the issues. Overreacting would be saying Nico is a complete bust like that QB from FSU.
 
#57
#57
cyclevol said:
I appears to me that Nico is being pampered so far. The offense relies on the QB running and he is not running, he's only getting yardage on scrambles and even then he is passing when he could coast for a 1st down. Just one first down near the end would have sealed the win. We are completely predictable without the threat of the QB running and I believe it's to keep him from getting hurt. I seriously believe that either of our backups could have won this game because they run the ball a lot.
Click to expand...
His football instincts aren't impressive. I keep thinking back to a down when he brought the ball down to run and had a wide-open field if he ran left of his blocker who was between him and the defender. But instead, he ducked inside to the right of his blocker right into the waiting arms of the defender. His decision making is obviously suspect because he is so tentative that it makes me wonder if he sees the field well. But the coaches and his receivers aren't doing him any favors by routes that don't render any separation and the throws are seemingly too difficult for him to make. Nothing is wrong with his arm strength but his accuracy and sync with his receivers is off. Not to mention that this OLine is another bust in a position group that never seems to find itself, and no matter how many they recruit, many never seem to develop.

Honestly, unless Heupel is sure that Nico is ready right now, it might be worth looking at Moore who has far more experience in his offense.
 
#58
#58
EZE said:
There is a fine line here.

For those of us who remember Peyton as a freshman, you can argue that he was actually protected more. We rarely threw the ball down the field and relied heavily on our running game. His stats were very pedestrian as a frosh.

Coaches cannot put expectations on young players that they are not ready to meet. It’s akin to driving a square peg into a round hole.

Coaches instead have to find a player’s capability and comfort zone, and operate there.

However, whatever the staff is doing with Nico is not working because he is playing very tentatively.
Click to expand...

We ran 25 times with our RBs for 157 yards which is 6.8ypc.


We threw 29 times which would be a lot more calls considering Nico was sacked, what, 4 times and scrambled at least another 4 more. He had basically 40 chances to do something including the game being in his hands and he got 158 yards and 0 TDs.



Not only is that simply not good gameplanning, he clearly was not ready/able to shoulder the game.
 
#60
#60
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
Yall love to overreact. Nico's a first year starter. Growing pains are inevitable. The key is does he grow from this. To expect him to never struggle is unrealistic. Me personally I'm glad his struggles are happening now early in the year when he can learn from them. It would be worse if he skated by early in the year without any struggles only for his moments to come late in the year when championships are on the line.

Nico will be fine. This team will be fine. This is just how the journey to greatness unfolds.
Click to expand...
No no an 18 year old is supposed to play perfectly every single game or they suck
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigALWiLson and Dobbs 4 Heisman
#61
#61
VolTom1 said:
Overreact? Its called trying to fix the issues. Overreacting would be saying Nico is a complete bust like that QB from FSU.
Click to expand...

Did I not say he needs to grow from this? I never expected a finished product from him in Year 1. Which is why I'm not overreacting to his struggles. This should have been expected for a redshirt freshman playing his first 5 games.
 
#62
#62
UTK said:
Lose worse while destroying your culture by benching the player that earned the starting job because his oline sucked for him.
Click to expand...
Ruin culture by doing whats best to try and win the game? Makes sense
 
#63
#63
agent|orange said:
We ran 25 times with our RBs for 157 yards which is 6.8ypc.


We threw 29 times which would be a lot more calls considering Nico was sacked, what, 4 times and scrambled at least another 4 more. He had basically 40 chances to do something including the game being in his hands and he got 158 yards and 0 TDs.



Not only is that simply not good gameplanning, he clearly was not ready/able to shoulder the game.
Click to expand...
What about the 5 guys that are protecting him ? WR's ? He had about 5 drops and lost 25 yards early in the game because Karic has no awareness
 
#65
#65
agent|orange said:
We ran 25 times with our RBs for 157 yards which is 6.8ypc.


We threw 29 times which would be a lot more calls considering Nico was sacked, what, 4 times and scrambled at least another 4 more. He had basically 40 chances to do something including the game being in his hands and he got 158 yards and 0 TDs.



Not only is that simply not good gameplanning, he clearly was not ready/able to shoulder the game.
Click to expand...
That was another issue. Why wasn't Bishop used more? He smashed right through their line on a couple of plays and he never played another down.
 
#66
#66
If being pampered means getting sacked 5 times a game and hit several more, yes
 
#67
#67
BigALWiLson said:
He is gonna struggle some. The play calling is not helping him get into a flow. Either penalties or dumbass play calling when we have so much at our disposal. Nico is fine unless this fan base destroys him
Click to expand...
Imo its the play calling. It doesn't allow him to get into the flow of the game.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigALWiLson
#68
#68
cyclevol said:
I appears to me that Nico is being pampered so far. The offense relies on the QB running and he is not running, he's only getting yardage on scrambles and even then he is passing when he could coast for a 1st down. Just one first down near the end would have sealed the win. We are completely predictable without the threat of the QB running and I believe it's to keep him from getting hurt. I seriously believe that either of our backups could have won this game because they run the ball a lot.
Click to expand...
So much so that the thread titled "Running Out Of Bounds With No Time On The Clock" got removed.
 
#69
#69
Difference between running smart and being too timid to run. It’s football if he isn’t going to take the easy runs when they are there he is not helping his overall game. You can play smart and still be aggressive when it’s there. Heupel has got to quit being timid with him, smart yes but no to timid. We have seen our quarterbacks get coddled in the past. Bottom line is Nico has to run when it is wide open there. You can bet your bottom dollar our opponents quarterbacks will. GBO
 
#71
#71
UT97Vol said:
The problem is they also are very clearly pampering him (I said babying him last night) with the entire offense. Ok, he now has half a season of experience under his belt. It’s time to take off the training wheels and if he makes some mistakes fine.

Because right now the philosophy and play calling is so basic both Oklahoma and Ark figured out that you can defend the current state of this offense by pinch the DL (since every run play is straight up the middle) which allows the DBs to play off, prevent big plays, and keep everything in front of them. And wait for Tenn to run up the middle for three yards on 3rd and 7.
Click to expand...
Exactly, play balls to the wall, period. I don’t understand the conservative play calling BS. There is no sense in playing if you don’t want to win.
volgr said:
That play made me wonder if Nico has the tools from the neck up. Kid obviously has great physical tools but does he have the mental game to be a great QB?
Click to expand...
I’m doubting his game day intellect as well. When I hear him speak, he’s not very articulate. He mumbles. On the field he’s not a general. He doesn’t lead which worries me. At least not vocally. He seems to be a go along to get along feller.
 
  • Like
Reactions: volgr
#72
#72
UTK said:
Gaston Moore throws about 3 pick 6s under the the pressure Nico was all night 💀
Click to expand...
You don’t know that. I suppose the Arkansas backup could’ve as well but…..he lead the Hogs to win the game.
 
#73
#73
BigALWiLson said:
He is gonna struggle some. The play calling is not helping him get into a flow. Either penalties or dumbass play calling when we have so much at our disposal. Nico is fine unless this fan base destroys him
Click to expand...
It amazes me the undiscipline we are game after game......But I'm amazed more that our head coach allows it to continue game after game, season after season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigALWiLson and LibertyVolance
#74
#74
Of course he's being handled with care. Heupel knows the leap in competition and pressure Nico is under. Kid is a special talent and he needs proper help and development. It's not Nicos fault his OL is so terrible and his WR crew is barely average. That's on Heupel. Even a veteran QB will flinch if you're getting to and after him. Nico clearly isn't a finished product. Gonna need to be patient and hope his supporting cast improves and quickly.
 
#75
#75
I think . . . The last two games . . . Are not “proof” of a long term problem with Nico. However, I also think all of the “it’s simply he is young and will be fine / an all SEC QB” is equally problematic.

The truth is we don’t know . . . And won’t know until the first 1/3 of the season next year. By that time I think we will know what the team has with Nico at QB.

Right now - he looks like he is processing too slowly / holding the ball / and generally making poor decisions. Is that JUST youth? Maybe. Star QBs are hard to find . . . And many have “potential” and never develop into a star.

This oline is bad. And that makes it so much harder to know what he will be.
 
  • Like
Reactions: saxvol and VolZen
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top