Anyone Still Want to Defend Clausen?

[CRA]

I will because I see something many of you don't, a young QB with little talent around him, bad play calling and a defense that's fading fast.

I remember last year before Jake got yanked, most of y'all were saying "don't throw the ball downfield into double coverage". Another item was "why don't we try a short passing game like the WCO". Now we're doing that and due to a lack of an OL and consistant running game, all I see is the same moaning and groaning for doing exactly what many of you wanted last year--playing it safe.

Granted Jimmy has played far from lights out, but I can see elements of his game that will improve just with experience. With a year under his belt, a healthy OL, revitalized rushing attack and a defense not spotting the opposition a TD on their first drive, I can see where Clasuen will be vastly improved next year.

The one thing he HAS to improve is that awkward-ass throwing motion. That may or may not occur, however, some QBs have thrived with a weired throwing motion.

As for his arm--he has a good arm, not a cannon, but better than most people give him credit for. When he has time and a WR is running deep, he's had the arm to get it there.

I guess I like to play devil's advocate because I was one of the few people not drooling over Moore by season's end citing he had a great set up in front of him wondering how he'd handle adversity. As we saw, Matt didn't handle this year too well with the vets gone and injuries at key positions. If our incumbent QB couldn't keep the sinking ship afloat, how in the heck do you all expect a rookie to do it?

I hope Jimmy gets a fair shake next season. If he stinks it up, then we should start to look elsewhere. Until then, the best thing we could do is get a solid veteran in FA as insurance. Moore I don't think is stable enough to be considered an 'solid vet'.

yeah, we are running team. Moore got 5 WRs into the endzone in 5 starts. Talent is there to make plays. This Clausen defense that he has no one to make plays doesn't hold water. He simply doesn't look for the best player on the field....that is one problem. No one is asking him to go Jake and target Smith every play. But when LaFell is Jimmy's go to guy...that is a problem. And that ain't all Davidson's doing.

Clausen has had a good ground attack now for most of his starts. Moore was the victim of no ground attack.

Bottom line is Clausen isn't even as good as Moore.....and Moore was bad. The issue isn't Jimmy's WRs or RBs. The issue at this point is clearly Jimmy. Up until midway in the 4th quarter BSP rolled off his couch and looked better.

[CRA]

Not a WCO per se, but a short passing game just like they started Matt out with last year.

Anyway, not many rookie QBs have historically done well their first season. If so, the they had a good/great supporting cast. I wonder if the bulk of NFL fans wanted to yank their rookie QB after half a season of poor play? I'm suspect to the fact since Jimmy is not a first round pick that some of you are deeming him more expendable opposed to if he were drafted in the first round. I think the frustration would still be there, but I doubt you all would be so gung ho on pulling the plug so early.

last year Moore took shots down field.....Moore did that as an undrafted rookie. You gotta do that in a playaction offense.

[KillerKat]

Clausen sucks. Why is this discussion still going on?

[Carl Spackler]

yeah, we are running team. Moore got 5 WRs into the endzone in 5 starts. Talent is there to make plays. This Clausen defense that he has no one to make plays doesn't hold water. He simply doesn't look for the best player on the field....that is one problem. No one is asking him to go Jake and target Smith every play. But when LaFell is Jimmy's go to guy...that is a problem. And that ain't all Davidson's doing.

Clausen has had a good ground attack now for most of his starts. Moore was the victim of no ground attack.

Bottom line is Clausen isn't even as good as Moore.....and Moore was bad. The issue isn't Jimmy's WRs or RBs. The issue at this point is clearly Jimmy. Up until midway in the 4th quarter BSP rolled off his couch and looked better.

32 yards in 3 quarters isn't exactly better.

[Fiz]

just a reminder that this talentless team around clausen has somehow produced a running game the past month all the while their quarterback somehow regresses.

[raleigh-panther]

What is bothering me is that yes, no oline, yes poor recievers, yes, bad bad bad play calling, but, when Jimmy has the play to make, he seldome makes it, when the line protects, when the play is there....it seems like he checks down, doesn't step into the pocket or throws a horrible pass and I was one of the people excited to get him.

I just don't see him seizing his moment, I see him shrinking from it, and that, is not a franchise QB.

As much as I liked him college and enjoyed watching him play, I don't see that same person now...forget about all the rest. He is totally not animated, almost like a robot, almost like he is trying to show no emotion and that, is part of the problem. It would do him could when Smith his screaming at him, to scream back.

[panthers55]

What is bothering me is that yes, no oline, yes poor recievers, yes, bad bad bad play calling, but, when Jimmy has the play to make, he seldome makes it, when the line protects, when the play is there....it seems like he checks down, doesn't step into the pocket or throws a horrible pass and I was one of the people excited to get him.

I just don't see him seizing his moment, I see him shrinking from it, and that, is not a franchise QB.

As much as I liked him college and enjoyed watching him play, I don't see that same person now...forget about all the rest. He is totally not animated, almost like a robot, almost like he is trying to show no emotion and that, is part of the problem. It would do him could when Smith his screaming at him, to scream back.

Exactly. I was reading an article I think from Monday's Observer where they dissected the 4th down sack. They discussed it with him and he admitted that he didn't throw the ball because he was afraid to throw an Int. First of all it was fourth down, how is an Int worse than a sack or incompletion when you are going to turn the ball over on downs if you don't make the pass. Secondly how can you be successful when instead of trying to make a play you are focused on not making a mistake. Sure if you are up 14 points then caution is appropriate, but when you are behind you have to take chances and make things happen.

This just reinforced what many folks are seeing. He is afraid to throw it down the field and doesn't trust he can make the hard throws unless a guy is wide open or it is in desperation. Anyone who has played sports at any level knows you can't be afraid to make mistakes. It just makes things worse not better and kills your confidence. Just like David Carr.

[Carl Spackler]

Exactly. I was reading an article I think from Monday's Observer where they dissected the 4th down sack. They discussed it with him and he admitted that he didn't throw the ball because he was afraid to throw an Int. First of all it was fourth down, how is an Int worse than a sack or incompletion when you are going to turn the ball over on downs if you don't make the pass. Secondly how can you be successful when instead of trying to make a play you are focused on not making a mistake. Sure if you are up 14 points then caution is appropriate, but when you are behind you have to take chances and make things happen.

This just reinforced what many folks are seeing. He is afraid to throw it down the field and doesn't trust he can make the hard throws unless a guy is wide open or it is in desperation. Anyone who has played sports at any level knows you can't be afraid to make mistakes. It just makes things worse not better and kills your confidence. Just like David Carr.

I agree but the same people here who tell him to throw it into double coverage call him an idiot after he throws into double coverage.

[panthers55]

I agree but the same people here who tell him to throw it into double coverage call him an idiot after he throws into double coverage.

The thing is that even with the cautious approach he has thrown 7 picks so it isn't like it is working for him anyway. No one is saying throw it into double coverage unless it is Smitty who always seems doubled up. But he won't throw it in single coverage or anytime a defender is close to the ball. He needs to throw it down the field and see what happens. He could actually make some throws and gain some confidence from it. It isn't like if he screws up we are going to jerk him out of the game. He has nothing to lose and everything to gain including messing up the Luck sweepstakes.

[mav1234]

at some point he needs to have faith that his receivers will make plays on balls if it's single coverage, I think. He just is afraid to make mistakes. I think yanking Moore so early really fuged him up, because his first NFL experience was that after a game and a half you get yanked if you throw INTs.

[Cavscout]

Exactly. I was reading an article I think from Monday's Observer where they dissected the 4th down sack. They discussed it with him and he admitted that he didn't throw the ball because he was afraid to throw an Int. First of all it was fourth down, how is an Int worse than a sack or incompletion when you are going to turn the ball over on downs if you don't make the pass. Secondly how can you be successful when instead of trying to make a play you are focused on not making a mistake. Sure if you are up 14 points then caution is appropriate, but when you are behind you have to take chances and make things happen.

This just reinforced what many folks are seeing. He is afraid to throw it down the field and doesn't trust he can make the hard throws unless a guy is wide open or it is in desperation. Anyone who has played sports at any level knows you can't be afraid to make mistakes. It just makes things worse not better and kills your confidence. Just like David Carr.

He's so afraid of being the reason that we lose the game that he's not trying to be the reason that we win the game. I'm not a Moore fan but at least his motto was 'grip it and rip it'. He wasn't afraid to throw the ball to any point on the field.

[CRA]

32 yards in 3 quarters isn't exactly better.

up until midway in the 4th he looked clearly better. If you recall, BSP actually looked decent until very late....he had WRs, RBs, and TE dropping easy stuff that entire game. If you watched you should have seen that or heard the announcers going on about it.

Jimmy sucks that bad. Jimmy is so bad you can compare really bad QBs to him and they look better.

Give it up dude. He is what he is.

[CRA]

Exactly. I was reading an article I think from Monday's Observer where they dissected the 4th down sack. They discussed it with him and he admitted that he didn't throw the ball because he was afraid to throw an Int. First of all it was fourth down, how is an Int worse than a sack or incompletion when you are going to turn the ball over on downs if you don't make the pass. Secondly how can you be successful when instead of trying to make a play you are focused on not making a mistake. Sure if you are up 14 points then caution is appropriate, but when you are behind you have to take chances and make things happen.

This just reinforced what many folks are seeing. He is afraid to throw it down the field and doesn't trust he can make the hard throws unless a guy is wide open or it is in desperation. Anyone who has played sports at any level knows you can't be afraid to make mistakes. It just makes things worse not better and kills your confidence. Just like David Carr.

yep, that is another reason Clausen takes the best playmaker he has out of the game. Clausen knows Smitty gets coverage......and therefore he doesn't even look that way.

[communist]

Moore won a game....Moore wins games. It is really an insult to most QBs, even bad ones, to compare Clausen to them at this point.

moore won that one b/c carr had thrown an unnecessary int...

First of all it was fourth down, how is an Int worse than a sack or incompletion when you are going to turn the ball over on downs if you don't make the pass. Secondly how can you be successful when instead of trying to make a play you are focused on not making a mistake. Sure if you are up 14 points then caution is appropriate, but when you are behind you have to take chances and make things happen.

that's an absolute crap...there is a BIG difference between a sack and an interception which could be returned for a TD...

This just reinforced what many folks are seeing. He is afraid to throw it down the field and doesn't trust he can make the hard throws unless a guy is wide open or it is in desperation. Anyone who has played sports at any level knows you can't be afraid to make mistakes. It just makes things worse not better and kills your confidence. Just like David Carr.

yes, in general you have to take chancec which could result in bad outcomes...but fox has stolen some part of his confidence at the beginning of the season when he named clausen to start at QB and pulled him in the same game though clausen wasn't THAT bad...