Jake Delhomme has Steve Smith Syndrome

[blackcatfever]

John Fox brought Jake to Charlotte because he loved the grit and determination he played with. Jake was quick to validate these feelings when in his first game, he brought the team back to a memorable comeback win in the second half against our expansion rival Jaguars. We all know that it led to a dream season for us, ending in a near loss to the Patriots in the Super Bowl. That season alone has earned him the starting job, whether deservedly or not, ever since. Perhaps following Jake's collapse Saturday night, Mr. Fox will reassess his steadfast belief and realize Jake is not the man for the job.

Jake has struggled for a long time in this passing game. I call it the "Steve Smith Syndrome". Steve is so great at bailing out a QB when the ball is forced to him in double coverage that QB's get sucked into throwing to him whether he is open or not. You saw it last year with David Carr. Carr would get the snap, see nothing but the pass rush, and then heave it down field hoping Steve would bail him out like he had seen him do so many times for other quarterbacks. This season, in narrow wins versus Green Bay and New Orleans, we took the lead following sensational catches by Steve Smith in double coverage. Looking at the replays, you see Jake dropping back, not seeing Muhammad underneath, Williams out in the flat, or the Tight End dragging across the center (all open by the way), but heaving the ball off his back foot and expecting Steve to bail him out. We were lucky Steve was there and able to make the plays. However, Saturday night showed that we can't always expect it to happen. Defenses wise up to things like that and Arizona realized they can leave the other guys one on one and just focus on Smith...and what do you know? Delhomme would try to force it to him anyway.

The point is, Saturday night was not the first we've seen of this problem. Rather it was the culmination of Jake's inability to go through his progression and pick the open man. Do we just not have dump offs and dragging TE's or does Jake not look for them? I believe it's the latter of the two and there is no way we can expect to get any better as a team if Jake is not getting any better.

We have to expect at least a semblance of change. We should expect an open competition for the starting job next season. Don't forget, we were all high on Moore after he led the team to two wins in three games last year throwing 3 TD's & 2 INT's, but more importantly looking down field for guys other than Smith (he completed passes to 8 receivers in the final game).

To keep doing the same thing over and over despite the same failing outcome is the definition of insanity. Mr. Fox, Mr. Hurney, stop the insanity! Jake may never be able to recover from Steve Smith Syndrome, so please at least act like you are looking for someone who doesn't have it...yet.

[Pumpkin Eater]

Good points.

[Urrymonster]

That's my major concern too. Jake was great when the other receivers were garbage as Steve was our only way of winning games. Jake had the mental maturity to deal with the incompletions and interceptions and lived off the one or two that Steve hauled in. Unfortunately we now have a near complete offense so there is no need to so aggressively attack Steve with passes, although I doubt Jake is at the point in his career that he can change and improve.

I noticed against Arizona that they doubled Steve and Moose with a safety and corner back most obvious passing plays. Then they had a LB help out on Steve in certain situations. Arizona clearly saw that Jake does not have the patience to look for anything beyond those two unless the play is specifically called to go to someone else. There were countless opportunities for Jake to use Williams, Stewart or the TEs to maintain possession, but he simply never saw them. I suppose this could be a product of not having any reliable receivers beyond Smith for so many years.

If he is the QB next season, which I am certain he will be, then we will be caught out again. Teams are learning that if they get ahead they just double the two main receivers and then wait for it to go into double or triple coverage.

[TANTRIC-NINJA]

If anyone remembers....this is just like when Raider QB Jeff Hostetler snapped the ball and just locked into Tim Brown on every play.

Detroit Lions combo Scott Mitchell and Herman Moore also. In both cases the QB and receiver had good seasons but it was never repeated in the playoffs or in subsequent seasons. In both cases, and I think soon for a third time each QB was out of the league in three years.

History repeating itself.

[Diogi]

Unfortunately we now have a near complete offense so there is no need to so aggressively attack Steve with passes.

I noticed against Arizona that they doubled Steve and Moose with a safety If he is the QB next season, which I am certain he will be, then we will be caught out again. Teams are learning that if they get ahead they just double the two main receivers and then wait for it to go into double or triple coverage.

As to "having a near complete offense". Wrong, most of the time there's only two receivers. Jake can't hit them early because they are covered at the line. As the play develops, they are double covered. Carolina receivers are almost never wide open like Cardinal receivers were. The main problem is the design of the plays. Another part of the problem is the players. I love Smitty and Moose...but they would not be no. 1 and no. 2 on many NFL teams. On the Cardinals Smitty would probably be no. 3, Moose ???

As to the second part of the quote. You almost got it this time, but your conclusion is false! If Jake is the quarterback next year, and the play calling and receivers stay the same, then you can expect similar results, because Jake will try to make things happen when nothing is there and unless the opponent's DB falls down...nothing is ever there! What would you have him do, throw it away three times in a row and then call in the punter?

[blackcatfever]

What would you have him do, throw it away three times in a row and then call in the punter?

The point is, Jake has to get back to seeing the whole field. If each of the receivers are doubled, then there has to be a TE, HB, or FB open in the flats or short middle.

In addition to Steve Smith Syndrome, he has tunnel vision. He repeatedly locks onto to the primary receiver and throws no matter what. In the NFL, QB's who can't go through their progressions do not normally last as a starting QB. Thanks to Fox, Jake seems to have a lock on the starting job for the foreseeable future. It just doesn't make sense.

[Diogi]

The point is, Jake has to get back to seeing the whole field. If each of the receivers are doubled, then there has to be a TE, HB, or FB open in the flats or short middle.

In addition to Steve Smith Syndrome, he has tunnel vision. He repeatedly locks onto to the primary receiver and throws no matter what. In the NFL, QB's who can't go through their progressions do not normally last as a starting QB. Thanks to Fox, Jake seems to have a lock on the starting job for the foreseeable future. It just doesn't make sense.

Funny, here's how his reads go. Smitty covered, Moose covered, nobody open...hope smitty can get loose because he is the best option when everyone is covered. Throw the ball a little short and up in the air,so Smitty can come back to it and use his exceptional talent(leaping ability and strength) to beat the defenders. It's worked many times in the past, but in this game the Cardinal defenders were just too good!

[CharlotteBeer.com]

The main problem is the design of the plays. Another part of the problem is the players. I love Smitty and Moose...but they would not be no. 1 and no. 2 on many NFL teams. On the Cardinals Smitty would probably be no. 3, Moose ???

If you're going to blame the playcalling to our receivers' success, then you have to assume they could be even better in a system like Arizona, with a pass happy offense and Warner throwing them the ball.

You're delusional if you think Smith couldn't be a No. 1 on any team in this league.

[wrmerman]

I agree with the original poster. However, he will be our QB next year...it is what it is...

[Urrymonster]

By near complete I was simply refering to the phases included in a offensive unit. We have a very good run blocking OL with proficient pass blocking skills and a very dominant running back partnership. We also have an incredibly explosive Wr in Smith, who would be either no 1 or 2 on every single team in the NFL. There is a reason why he is always in the bracket for one of the top 5 Wrs in the league. Not sure where you think otherwise...

You point that Smith and Moose are tightly covered? Well that is why Hbs, Fbs and Tes are allowed to catch the ball as well. We are saying that Delhomme ONLY looks for his primary two receivers and does not look for any other position to pass to. Considering how good Williams is at using screens and how successful he was in that kind of system in college, it is almost scandelous to not use him in that wy. Remember the Eagles game in '06 (I think)? That is how explosive Williams can be when used in the passing game.

The point we are making Diogi is not that the plays are not draw up well. But that there are countless times when our Tes, Hbs and Fb are completely open like the Arizona Wrs were, just that there standard formation typically has 3 or more Wrs on the field. Ours only has two, but there are still other players designed into the plays to catch the ball. Delhomme simply can't see them.

I will stress again that before when we did not have these other weapons at our disposal that Delhomme was the perfect fit. A game manager would not have got the success that he had with just Smith. It is simply now with our impressive offense, that his style simply does not fit any more.

[Baschski]

Use some common sense. Except for a few clutch catches throughout the year by Rosario, our TE's have been very unreliable catching the ball, same with our RB's (as much as I love them, they're not receivers). On top of that, Moose (as much as I love the guy) led the NFL with dropped passes this year (don't even try to blame that on Jake, if you paid attention you would know that most of those were solid passes that Moose simply dropped).

So, we're going to fault a QB for throwing the ball to the biggest playmaker in football? If you look at the stats, Smitty rarely made more than five or six catches a game, so it doesn't appear that Jake simply dropped back and chucked him the ball no matter the situation on every passing down.

Besides that, anyone who faults Jake for throwing the ball to Smitty in double coverage is completely, 100% retarded. First of all...Smitty is almost ALWAYS double covered, so if you think he shouldn't be targeted in those situations, then guess what? He'll have ten catches a season. On top of that, the man seems to come down with the big catch all the time. If I'm a QB, and I know that my guy is virtually unstoppable and will come down with the ball in a crowd 9 out of 10 times, I would be an idiot to NOT throw him the ball.

You can hate Jake for whatever reason, but this one is not valid. Give me Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning. They'll all pass to Smith the same way. Maybe they'll scan the field a little bit more and not tunnel-vision to Smith as much, but Jake is clearly limited compared to these guys. Sorry, but not every team gets a HOF Quarter Back.

[Pantherxtreme]

As to "having a near complete offense". Wrong, most of the time there's only two receivers. Jake can't hit them early because they are covered at the line. As the play develops, they are double covered. Carolina receivers are almost never wide open like Cardinal receivers were. The main problem is the design of the plays. Another part of the problem is the players. I love Smitty and Moose...but they would not be no. 1 and no. 2 on many NFL teams. On the Cardinals Smitty would probably be no. 3, Moose ???

As to the second part of the quote. You almost got it this time, but your conclusion is false! If Jake is the quarterback next year, and the play calling and receivers stay the same, then you can expect similar results, because Jake will try to make things happen when nothing is there and unless the opponent's DB falls down...nothing is ever there! What would you have him do, throw it away three times in a row and then call in the punter?

You have got to be out of your mind if you think one of the rare triple-crown recieving winners in nfl history and still in the prime of his career is a #3 on any team in this league. By not open I guess you meaning being a broad side of the barn away from the defender because thats what it would take for Jake to ever get the ball to him in stride.

By NFL standards Smith one of the elites in the game at getting seperation, sorry to smack you with reality but its your boy Delhomme who would be looking up the deph charts if he were ever removed away from the Carolina blue sunglasses and John Fox not the other way around.

[Fright]

Yea, it almost seems Delhomme is stepping backwards in his progression of reading defenses.

I'm sure he also is hurting our defense too. Can you imagine practice? All our D has to do is cover Steve Smith, no wonder they don't look like they can stop any capable QB.

[Urrymonster]

Yea, it almost seems Delhomme is stepping backwards in his progression of reading defenses.

I'm sure he also is hurting our defense too. Can you imagine practice? All our D has to do is cover Steve Smith, no wonder they don't look like they can stop any capable QB.

And yet they couldn't cover one guy in Fitz...