ForJimmy

AT did come back and looking at AT now at Minnesota he has 5 catches for 47 yards and 0 TDs on the season. Not sure he is some game changer on offense but yeah Bryce had good chemistry with him due to lack of options. They get overhyped not doubt. Just looking at last year, I liked him in the Chiefs game, Tampa right after (over 300 total yards 2 TDs and 0 turnovers, Chuba's fumble cost us the game if I remember correctly), he was fine in Arizona but wasn't asked to do anything as the running game carried us, and the Falcons game obviously. Dallas last year was horrible he had like 2 fumbles and 2 INTs and it was during his post benching little run. This year I liked what I saw in the Arizona rally (first quarter sucked), Dolphins rally for the win (learning to finish), and the Cowboys (some clutch throws and a solid winning drive). He still has a lot of work to do to get an extension IMO, I'm just saying people are looking at some of those Dalton games through rose colored glasses....

So AT was the only addition. How is AT looking in Minnesota? Again Moore was the leading WR with targets, yards, and a score the first week Dalton was injured. It's kind of crazy you are trying so hard to defend Dalton but sure I'll play along. Bengals game (the magical 220 yards) 25/40 with 5.5 yards per attempt (something you would absolutely hate on Young for) 2 TD and 1 INT. Box Score looks ok but watch the game and see the Bengals are up 31-14 with 2 minutes left in the 3rd (this is what you typically refer to as "garbage time stats") when the defense switches to prevent to allow these 5.5 yard average throws down the field including a nice 10 yard and 21 yard pass (the 2nd for a TD) to the one and only Johnson. Next up is the Bears 18/28 for 136 yards and an INT with a 4.9 average. Not sure you want to talk about that one. Oh and Chuba had only 13 carries for 97 yards and a TD averaging 7.5 yards per attempt. Atl is the other one you claim is good with 221 yards 2 TDs and 2 Ints with a 5.8 average (again something you hate on Bryce for). He looked ok but threw not 1 but 2 4th quarter INTs to go with his 5.8 average and lose this very winnable game. That leaves the Commanders with a 11/16 93 yard and another 2 INT game with another 5.8 average. I think it's safe to say this one is a bad one.... So again that LV game is the outlier and his first game playing in that offense. Look I'd much rather Bryce be good and the answer for obvious reasons, but I can 100% admit when he is playing bad. Glancing at a box score and see 220 doesn't tell the story and I'm pretty sure you know that. These were all bad games outside of the LV for Dalton.

Bryce (who we are saying isn't a good QB) had those weapons on his late season run last year. Can't try to give the old man a pass and not Bryce (who made Moore look solid vs. the Chiefs in his return). Another one is Baker flying out to LAR after we released him and playing great followed by some subpar games. That first game can catch defenses off guard. It wasn't really a mixed bag for Dalton though. Just one good game followed by bad QB play.

Bears and Commanders definitely had a better defense but I think you sometimes get that first "surprise" game for lack of a better work. That might be why our staff is being so weird about everything. They want Buffalo to have to prepare for both even though I'm not sure their gameplan changes much regardless.

Dalton wasn't seen in Canales's offense. It was actually a first read offense design for him to get the ball out quickly. The Bears seemed to know what the first read was going to be a week later and Dalton completely poo the bed even with Chuba playing great. He look better the next week and completely awful against the Commanders after that. When you trot out a new QB it can throw off a defense (especially a bad defense in LV). Think Kyle Allen, Derek Anderson, All the Fitzmagic, Mike White with the Jets (new Panther shout out), Willis last year in GB, hell look at Flacco just ball out with the Bengals (do you think that will keep happening?) etc when they came in off the bench. Dalton's only lasted one game and poof the "magic" was gone. OL continuity is unfortunately just part of it. I'm not sure we have rolled out the same starting 5 all year. From Icky in week 1, to Moton in week 6, Lewis last week, plus Hunt/Corbs missing multiple weeks.

So we are just pretending like Dalton’s games against the Bears and Commanders didn’t happen immediately after they had one game of film of him in our offense? Chuba was averaging 7.5 yards a carry that Bears game and Dalton still played horribly.

You just compared Bryce to Tom Brady kind of….

I think the FA QB class is always going to look bad. Good teams don’t let good proven QBs just walk. Last year the thought of Danny Dimes or Darnold here was heavily critiqued and rightfully so but both players look solid on stable franchises. On a side note, I’d love Caleb Downs here!

It's crazy but the Colts have built a nice roster for a QB. Solid OL with a nice running game, Weapons in Pittman Pierce Downs AD and now Warren. You build a good roster and QBs that may have looked bad on weak rosters can look a lot better. Jimmy G, Purdy, and now Mac Jones looked solid for the Niners (Jones has come down but they are battling injuries on that roster). Look over at the Vikings where Cousins, Darnold, and even post injuries Wentz look good. GB went from Rodgers to Love and when Willis came in he looked good as well. Now take the opposite of QBs going to bad teams and struggling Baker here, Darnold here, Rodgers at NYJ, Geno at LV, Baker some season on the Browns vs at Tampa. The league is showing us it's easier to build a roster/system that a decent QB can thrive in vs continuously gambling on a rookie QB to turn around a franchise. Letting Morgan and DC continue to build this roster while kicking the tires on some of these QB2s with potential is a cheaper and possibly effective approach unless one just falls in our lap in the draft.

I think they have gotten better in structure. This of post benching Bryce last year stepping up in the pocket and planting his feet. You see less jump passes and tip toes than you did. He panics and loses his fundamentals but this unfortunately can only be fixed with more experience. Still has a ways to go in that department.

They are just young QB2s on better franchises. Not sure they are much of a downgrade or that they have less of a chance at being successful as some mid round rookie trying to adjust to the NFL. Take Willis who actually has good numbers in the games he played last year. He has shown he is capable of being a NFL QB just needs the opportunity to show he can do it consistently. There isn’t some magical vet or young QB waiting to be signed as a QB2 and take over a franchise. They all come with risk which is why you don’t have to shell out capital or a ton of money.

This sums it up perfectly IMO

Lance and Willis are already QB2s for stable franchises. Willis came in and won game games for GB last year when Love went down. He is still young as everyone knew he was a project coming into the league. Howell racked up a ton of passing yards his rookie year playing for a dysfunctional Commanders team, he turned the ball over a lot and took a lot of sacks but he was a rookie so that is expected. He is still sitting and learning with the Eagles. Lance couldn't stay healthy to get a fair chance to start and Purdy took that job and never looked back. Lance has now sat and learned in a Shanny offense and is currently QB2 in LAC learning in a Harbaugh offense. He looked good in preseason, but that doesn't mean much. Zack Wilson struggled with the Jets (who hasn't), his biggest concern would be not beating Ewers for QB2 in Miami. These are just young QBs who have a decent ceiling and most are currently already QB2s which is what we need regardless. They all come pretty cheap and if DC can develop any of them further they could potentially be a starter for us. Super low risk, fulfills an immediate need with a possibly good payout. You do moves like this while building your roster. Once your franchise is stable enough with talent you can make a move again for a rookie QB if the cost is right. So I guess I'm not sure how Willis and Lance take the step to be QB2 when they currently are for much better franchises? A QB2 is either a vet who isn't good enough to be a QB1 but can manage a couple games, or a young QB that has shown potential but still needs to prove they can be a QB1.

Of course they are all busts. Young QBs with high upside that either had their chance cut short or were in terrible situations. Building your roster and trying for one of those is a cheap risk potential high reward situation. I don’t think we take one early in the draft again right away. Mid to late in the draft is a cheap gamble but deliver pretty low chances. Trying to recreate a Danny Dimes, Geno Smith, San Darnold, Baker Mayfield type situation as our plan B kind of works. At worst these guys are backup QBs which we need anyway. They are young enough to possibly have some potential still. You are finding some elite QB in FA for cheap.

I'd be a little surprised if Dalton does look better after a game. Sure we could have the surprise game where there isn't much film on him with these new weapons, but just like last year he will look bad if not worse after that (if that even happens). For all of his short comings (pun intended) Bryce is a lot more twitchy in the pocket and has saved a lot of sacks that Dalton probably couldn't this year. I think we invest all of our draft capital in building a stronger roster. I'm not sure a backup rookie QB does has the immediate returns they are looking for. Unless there is some QB we are high on that falls to the mid/late rounds I don't see happening. Now if Bryce just bombs this second half all bets are off.