Drive-By Jimmy Bomb - No Hate, Just Analysis

[SteveM]

When is Jimmy gonna get rid of that windup throwing motion? It is so egregious, there's no way he can look off a DB. Especially in the Red Zone, he's giving the DB's a huge reaction time advantage.

OK, he wasn't sharp on Saturday. That's just one game. I'm not gonna fixate on that. But his throwing mechanics are a constant. He has to fix that.

SteveM

 

[sportallyr]

Right now, I'm not as worried about his throwing mechanics as I am about his inability to disguise a play. On running plays, he sticks the ball out there so early and so far that it gives the defense a split second advantage that they wouldn't have if he hid the ball a bit better. I'm not sure if the coaching staff told him to do this to ensure a proper exchange, but I think they need to work on this a little. He could also disguise the ball better on play-action passes (hey Jimmy, watch some tape of Bret Favre for an example of this). His throwing mechanics look fine to me and due to the fact that nobody (from his high school coach to the current ND staff) has changed it makes me believe that they don't think his mechanics are a problem. He just makes some bad throws sometimes...but he makes a hell of a lot of excellent ones too!

 

[Shamrock44]

This is nuts. Right now, he is the MVP of our team. He is the least of ND's worries.

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

I don't think we need to worry about his throwing mechanics. What bugs me most about Clausen is the way he leaves his mouth piece stuck in his helmet until right before the snap. Every play I watch, I start thinking, "Is he going to forget it is up there? Or what?" Sure enough, every play, he remembers to grab it! Whew!

 

[Steve]

from his recruiting profile on rivals...

Clausen is as mechanically developed as any quarterback in the last decade. He has a very quick release he delivers from ear level, a strong arm and excellent accuracy

i personally don't think he completely changed his motion since then so i'll take their word for it.



EDIT: ok, so i watched highlights from the games this year and i really don't see the windup you're talking about. the way you talk about it, you would think byron leftwich was our QB. if you want to see a windup, watch the video below.


YouTube - Byron Leftwich's highlights before injury

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

I think the idea is that the handoff goes off w/o fumbling as opposed to disguising a run for another split second. Those with the fewest TO normally win, so I'm kinda ok with what we're doing.

 

[ACamp1900]

I agree Jimmy has been MUCH better this year, but the day ND says our QB is only a sophmore he is doing great and leaves it at that is the day we officially fall from the top programs in the country...

JC has plenty has plenty to work on, disguising his play being top I agree totally, and the kid better get on it...

hardest jobs in the country

1.) President
2.) Coach at ND
2a.) QB at ND

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

I imagine he's doing exactly what the coaches want. I don't blame that on him at all. JC is the last guy im worrying about after the OL and DL.

 

[regele1]

JC had a bad game, chillax he's fine. We won and he's 10 times better than last year.

 

[Timugen]

Sorry, but I don't care what somebody's scouting report on him from HIGH SCHOOL said.

I know what I see, and he does not have a quick release. In this week's game the problem seemed to be even worse. There were several throws he made that it almost looked like he was in slow motion in a windmill-like windup. Calling him Byron Leftwich would be a compliment after looking at some of those throws.

 

[SteveM]

Thank You

Thank You

Sorry, but I don't care what somebody's scouting report on him from HIGH SCHOOL said.

I know what I see, and he does not have a quick release. In this week's game the problem seemed to be even worse. There were several throws he made that it almost looked like he was in slow motion in a windmill-like windup. Calling him Byron Leftwich would be a compliment after looking at some of those throws.

Thank you Timugen.

What drove the micro-rant was watching the end of the Jacksonville - Cleveland game. Damon Huard was quarterbacking and his release is incredible. Flick. Pop.

Again, it's not a "maturity" thing. It's an arm thing. Inside the 20 where Clausen has to thread the needle, his motion just telegraphs his intent. That won't do.

SteveM

 

[PADOMERNUT]

Jimmy Clausen should set his sights a little higher than Damon Huard. And Timugen, those scouting reports that you speak of are from people who review high school players for a living! Its not some lame-brain off the street who made that up. It is pretty arrogant to think you could do it better than someone who does it for a living.

 

[PADOMERNUT]

I didnt mean to come off as being rude, just saying that there was some thought and analysis into that scouting report.

 

[SteveM]

Focus on the Appendage

Focus on the Appendage

I didnt mean to come off as being rude, just saying that there was some thought and analysis into that scouting report.

PADO,

No offense taken.

But the proof's in the pudding. You watch Jimmy throw, you see a windup you wish he didn't have. The football landscape it littered with the dead bodies of "can't miss" quarterbacks whose skills were over-inflated by scouts.

And please don't confuse the point I'm making. Separate Huard's delivery from the rest him and it's top notch. Jimmy's isn't.

SteveM

 

[wallym]

Jimmy's mechanics are fine. I think he missed a few throws due to rust from the off week, and he made a few bad decisions down the middle of the field (one got called back). I agree with the majority..he's the least of our worries. We need (as a team) to NOT leave points on the field, especially in the next 2 games.

The handoff technique is coached...to put the ball out there for linebackers to see. This doesn't give linebackers any "heads-up", but rather puts them in a position to be blocked easier with our scheme (See "SAM YOUNG", who had a great game). Plus, this setups up the play action better...

 

[BeatSC]

JC's numbers were pretty pedestrian but about 5-6 passes that have been caught by Tate, Floyd and Perris in previous weeks were dropped this week. These would have lead to 2 more TD's. The one int went off of Rudolph's hands. When he can start doing a little more pump faking and looking off his WR's the process will be complete. The heat he can put on his passes makes up for any throwing quirks.

 

[irishandy]

"Wind up" this is football and not baseball. I agree with everyone else Jimmy is maturing, he is still young, he will make mistakes (just like every other QB does) and his passes have a zip. I thought that Jimmy could've played a better game against Washington though; no big deal to me let's worry about Pitt.

 

[Timugen]

"Wind up" this is football and not baseball.

Well, on some throws his release is so friggin slow that it almost looks like he's "winding up" to pitch a baseball.

I think it's more of a mental thing though, and it ends up affecting his mechanics. It seems like when he starts getting a bit off that he starts pressing and tries to rocket-arm everything. Almost like he's thinking too much about it and getting too deliberate (and too slow and inefficient) in his delivery in an attempt to throw the ball faster than the speed of light.

Just my

 

[gdome23]

Wow.

I never post here, but this thread just jumped out at me.

YouTube - Jimmy Clausen 2008

Does he have a hitch in his motion? Sure, sometimes.

This whole "wind-up" idea comes from 2 scenario's:

1.) Deep fade
2.) When it needs to be a hard ball (fitting it in a tight space).

There is a point in the video where he throws 2 slants (grimes then Rudolph, although the latter may not have been a slant) where the ball is in and then out. The next pass is a fade down the sidelines with the hitch. It seems like he uses the hitch as a mechanism for trajectory. The more of a fade, the deeper the hitch. Which, if the trade-off on the deep fade is a minute delay in release with a hitch to gain accuracy, more power to him.

When it needs to, the ball is out of his hands quickly. Case and point, the crossing pass to Allen against Purdue for the score. It was out of his hands extremely quick (1:58 in the video).

So yea, he has a hitch on a deep fade when the defenders back is turned trying to play D, so it doesn't effect much. And yes, he has a hitch when he's throwing a fastball (although there is a hitch, these tend to come out with a quicker release), but the ball is still there much quicker then without.

It isn't a big deal.