Cam's Reads and Pocket Awareness

[J.Cage]

How was the Oline performing at the time?

[Fox007]

11 minutes ago, J.Cage said:

How was the Oline performing at the time?

The same as Aaron Rodger's OL when he just came from behind to win vs the Bengals.

But MM vs Shula is like Tyson vs Trump in a boxing match.

[Vagrant]

The problem with Cam right now is much too layered to really pin on one thing. There's a lot going on with him that we have to address. 

First is that he's incredibly one dimensional now. The evolution that was required in the transition from dual threat QB to pocket passer just hasn't clicked over. He has all the ability required to make the throws, but his touch is incredibly inconsistent due to poor mechanics. He doesn't plant into his throws and far too often gets caught throwing flat footed or off one leg and that's simply not going to get it done. When you're talking about a QB in his 7th NFL season, the concept of expecting improvement on a yearly basis is just really unrealistic. It's incredibly unlikely that he'll be able to reinvent himself as an elite pocket passer. From a stylistic standpoint he's so much like Daunte Culpepper and he started to really fall off after that serious knee injury, but it was right around the same age that Cam is now. Part of what insulated Culpepper was having a reliable deep threat that was always an option if nothing else materialized on the play the way Ginn helped Cam in similar ways. If the defense didn't come unglued, throwing a ball 10 yards ahead of Ginn who was 5 yards ahead of everyone else wasn't an awful backup plan. Since we don't have anyone that can run routes well enough to have that speed play for them, there's nobody that Cam feels comfortable throwing open. 

Secondly, he's just taken so much abuse. The organization has done a piss poor job of protecting him from himself by allowing him to play in games he has no business being in and it has already taken a noticeable toll on him. I don't think anyone expected Cam to run for 700 yards and 7 TDs every year of his career until he was 35, but his yards per attempt have gone from 5.2 in 2014, 4.8 in 2015, 4.0 in 2016, to 2.8 in 2017. The scrambling aspect of his game that required his legs to be a consideration in the passing game and created much more open field for his targets to get open is no longer there. You can blame play calling designed runs all day, but he's just visibly not as elusive now and when the pocket breaks it's a sack and it has nothing to do with pocket awareness and more to do with the fact that he just can't get away anymore once he holds the ball too long and create time with his footwork. Part of that is also on the offensive line that we failed to address adequately because Cam was so fantastic at creating enough time for himself that tackle play wasn't as vital as it is for teams with statues back there. Cam no longer requires a full time spy and it has clogged up the field on passing plays to create more traditional looks that pocket passers get as opposed to scramblers. 

Third, and possibly relative to the amount of abuse he has taken, is that he just doesn't seem like he's having as much fun out there as he used to. The smiling, gregarious, happy go lucky Cam was the best version of him we've ever had. It almost feels like most of his enthusiasm for the game has evaporated. Waking up on Monday morning unable to get out of bed because you took 12 hits equivalent of a car crash the previous afternoon can take a mental toll as well as a physical one. I don't think he's been fully healthy since ....well it's hard to really pinpoint an exact time. Quite a while. 

[juliosantos]

this isnt the right offense for him if you wanna run a pocket passer offense get a pocket passer cams not a pocket passer go back to the old offense and let cam be fuging cam poo

[saX man]

1 hour ago, KillerKat said:

I think Cam has gotten David Carr'd.

Also, there's no time for Cam to look at the setup of the defense because every fuging play Shula can't get the play in fast enough and by the time we line up there's only 5 seconds left on the play clock.

I think this is something fans have been praying not to happen with these awful OLs but it's looking icky at the moment.  

  

[Borat]

1 hour ago, Vagrant said:

The problem with Cam right now is much too layered to really pin on one thing. There's a lot going on with him that we have to address. 

First is that he's incredibly one dimensional now. The evolution that was required in the transition from dual threat QB to pocket passer just hasn't clicked over. He has all the ability required to make the throws, but his touch is incredibly inconsistent due to poor mechanics. He doesn't plant into his throws and far too often gets caught throwing flat footed or off one leg and that's simply not going to get it done. When you're talking about a QB in his 7th NFL season, the concept of expecting improvement on a yearly basis is just really unrealistic. It's incredibly unlikely that he'll be able to reinvent himself as an elite pocket passer. From a stylistic standpoint he's so much like Daunte Culpepper and he started to really fall off after that serious knee injury, but it was right around the same age that Cam is now. Part of what insulated Culpepper was having a reliable deep threat that was always an option if nothing else materialized on the play the way Ginn helped Cam in similar ways. If the defense didn't come unglued, throwing a ball 10 yards ahead of Ginn who was 5 yards ahead of everyone else wasn't an awful backup plan. Since we don't have anyone that can run routes well enough to have that speed play for them, there's nobody that Cam feels comfortable throwing open. 

Secondly, he's just taken so much abuse. The organization has done a piss poor job of protecting him from himself by allowing him to play in games he has no business being in and it has already taken a noticeable toll on him. I don't think anyone expected Cam to run for 700 yards and 7 TDs every year of his career until he was 35, but his yards per attempt have gone from 5.2 in 2014, 4.8 in 2015, 4.0 in 2016, to 2.8 in 2017. The scrambling aspect of his game that required his legs to be a consideration in the passing game and created much more open field for his targets to get open is no longer there. You can blame play calling designed runs all day, but he's just visibly not as elusive now and when the pocket breaks it's a sack and it has nothing to do with pocket awareness and more to do with the fact that he just can't get away anymore once he holds the ball too long and create time with his footwork. Part of that is also on the offensive line that we failed to address adequately because Cam was so fantastic at creating enough time for himself that tackle play wasn't as vital as it is for teams with statues back there. Cam no longer requires a full time spy and it has clogged up the field on passing plays to create more traditional looks that pocket passers get as opposed to scramblers. 

Third, and possibly relative to the amount of abuse he has taken, is that he just doesn't seem like he's having as much fun out there as he used to. The smiling, gregarious, happy go lucky Cam was the best version of him we've ever had. It almost feels like most of his enthusiasm for the game has evaporated. Waking up on Monday morning unable to get out of bed because you took 12 hits equivalent of a car crash the previous afternoon can take a mental toll as well as a physical one. I don't think he's been fully healthy since ....well it's hard to really pinpoint an exact time. Quite a while. 

Post of the week.

[2jakefansinva]

2 hours ago, KillerKat said:

I think Cam has gotten David Carr'd.

Also, there's no time for Cam to look at the setup of the defense because every fuging play Shula can't get the play in fast enough and by the time we line up there's only 5 seconds left on the play clock.

We were breaking the huddle today with plenty of time.....

18-20 seconds on the clock with regularity 

[AU-panther]

There are definitely times here lately that he seems to be predetermined on where he is going with ball.  I actually went to the game today and found that was more noticeable from the upper deck then even from watching on tv.

Also when people talk about going thru their "reads" its just not looking at each receiver in order it can also be watching certain keys on the defense and therefore knowing which receiver should be open.

I just wonder how much of this is on Cam and how much is play design and coaching.

[Rubi]

Taking away his involvement in the run game was a mistake. It's what made him special. I believe the remedy to the offense and his mental state right now is letting him run wild. 

[kvjelly]

Agreed. And it's unacceptable 

[TheSpecialJuan]

+_+