Tim Irwin is a local Tennessee boy from Knoxville Central High School who played offensive tackle for the Vols from 1977-1980. As a senior, he was named All-SEC for his outstanding performance on the field. Irwin was drafted in the third round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, where he played for 13 years.
On Sports Soundoff with Jimmy Hyams on Sunday, Irwin talked about Tennessee starting quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, and the issues he sees with the young quarterback’s play.
The following are comments transcribed from the show.
Irwin: I thought we made things a whole lot worse with some unforgivable errors. Not recognizing the weak-side blitz, again. Either not getting in the right protection at the line of scrimmage; just not seeing the game. I think that’s been one of Jarrett’s downfalls all year. He played a great football game against Auburn, but he get’s himself hit too much by not recognizing when the blitz is coming. I think you could see it when Chryst came into the game, he got rid of the ball a lot quicker. He may not have the talent Jarrett has, but his understanding of pass protection and the blitz might be better.
Irwin: Sometimes I think it’s a problem with protection with the line, but sometimes the problem is not getting in the right protection. Gary Danielson did a great job illustrating the blitz that caused the fumble that caused a key turnover early in the game. You could see the safety cheat over, obviously he was going to cover the slot and the slot guy was blitzing. Everybody saw it except our quarterback. If you don’t see things like that, you’re going to get hit hard and the result is going to be a big play. It’s unfortunate, but it seems to be a blind spot for him.
Hyams: I do think Guarantano has trouble picking up the blitz and that’s led to some of the blows he’s had. I think he’s a pretty good quarterback. He’s got a good arm, he’s accurate when he has time, but there are some deficiencies in his game that he’s got to improve.
Irwin: I think he’s way better than he was last year and I thought a lot of times the game didn’t look too big for him this year. But there are times, especially when they are bringing the blitz, that he just seems clueless to me. And that’s watching a lot of football over my life. He just doesn’t seem to recognize and make the on field adjustments that he needs to make in crucial times.
Irwin: I’m gonna say something that’s very controversial here. Jarrett throws a prettier ball than Peyton Manning did, but he doesn’t seem to have the intangibles that you need for long-term success. I think you’re astute when you say he looks down the receiver. I don’t think he knows where he’s going instantly and I don’t think he recognizes blitzes. I don’t think he gets his line in the proper protection to pick up a blitz when they show it early. And I think those intangibles, those things maybe you don’t recognize as a fan, are what keeps him from rising to the next level on a consistent basis. He throws a fine football, he’s athletic, he’s tough. I just don’t think he gets the intangible part of the game and doesn’t do a good job of keeping himself out of those situations where he gets blasted, and I think that may be the most important part of playing quarterback.
Other takes from Irwin on Tennessee’s performance Saturday:
Irwin: How many Tennessee players could make Alabama’s roster right now? I’m gonna say two and they are both on offense: Trey Smith and Jauan Jennings. As a slot receiver I think he could play for a lot of teams. He’s not a speed demon, but he’s a tough, tough receiver. He’s probably a 4.7 guy, looking at him compared to everyone else, but he’s tough and strong.
Irwin: We had zero pass rush. One of the big plays Alabama made took 6.5 seconds. He wasn’t knocked down enough. You let a great quarterback like that just sit back there, you can’t cover them that long.
Forum discussion: Guarantano throws a prettier ball than Manning, but doesn’t have the intangibles