OK, I'm gonna get scolded for this analogy...

[greyhammer90]

Carlo Calabrese? (it's a stretch I know, last name is close though)

 

[Domina Nostra]

In my opinion, the team will be worse off for not having Floyd. He is a totaled mismatch in every way. However, I really think Rees and Hendrix were not good enough to exploit him in the deep game, so the loss will not seem as dramatic as it should.

I think the big improvement we will see in this offense will have everything to do with Golson. Golson plus what we have is going to be better than Tommy and Floyd.

 

[EddytoNow]

The Calvin Johnson comparison doesn't hold up. Matthew Stafford is one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL. I don't think the same can be said for Tommy Reese or any of the quarterbacks on the Notre Dame roster for 2011. Stafford spread the ball around quite well, utilizing multiple receivers, including his two tight ends. The secondary receivers made numerous catches, because the ball was thrown to them. You can't expect T.J., Theo, and the others to make fifty to sixty catches in a season when the ball is only thrown to them once or twice a game. If you want them to catch the ball, you have to throw it to them once in awhile. Tommy just didn't utilize the other receivers (with the exception of Eifert).

 

[greyhammer90]

The Calvin Johnson comparison doesn't hold up. Matthew Stafford is one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL. I don't think the same can be said for Tommy Reese or any of the quarterbacks on the Notre Dame roster for 2011. Stafford spread the ball around quite well, utilizing multiple receivers, including his two tight ends. The secondary receivers made numerous catches, because the ball was thrown to them. You can't expect T.J., Theo, and the others to make fifty to sixty catches in a season when the ball is only thrown to them once or twice a game. If you want them to catch the ball, you have to throw it to them once in awhile. Tommy just didn't utilize the other receivers (with the exception of Eifert).

Well at least we can all agree what the problem is.

 

[Kak7304]

I was thinking about ND's future after losing Michael Floyd...

I came up with the possibility that losing Michael could become a blessing in disguise down the road (probably most apparent in 2013).

Here's my analogy...

Michael Floyd = Luke Harangody

Let me explain, after Luke Harangody graduated... ND started playing at a higher level. But, why? Luke was a college superstar.. He could fill out the stat sheets on any given night. But alas, ND started to distribute the wealth. They played as a team, they learned to make the offense flow through all five players on the court, Luke no longer dictated the success of the offense.

Now, Michael Floyd has graduated.. Undoubtedly one of the greatest WRs in ND history. With that said, we are losing a huge piece to the offense. However, Michael dictated so much of our offensive success... The games were he struggled to get the ball, ND struggled to move the chains (ala the Pitt no-offense show).

I believe that down the road (2013 most likely) this offense, under the direction of a new QB and new OC, will become balanced... And thus for, ND's offense will finally hit that "Kelly Offense" level.

I know its a bold theory/analogy... But, I feel like ND is yet to experience Kelly's true offensive dominance.



What's your two cents?

Bad QB play was our problem and I highly doubt not having Floyd would have accelerated development. Had Floyd not been on the team, Rees would have constantly stared down and forced the ball to a lesser receiver all season (ie. throwing a pick to a double covered John Goodman vs FSU). Floyd just managed to make more bad throws into great catches than what less talented WRs would have done. A good QB would have gotten the ball to Floyd and also utilized the fact that he gets so much attention. I also think people are underestimating the impact Floyd had on the run game in his ability to not only attract attention his way, but also his superb blocking.

 

[Irish To The Core]

I see no reason to scold you. I think it is a very reasonable analogy (if one were to quibble they might say that Floyd has far greater pro potential than Harangody, but that IS quibbling)

The team has plenty of options in the passing game, none of them is Floyd, but who knows who will step forward ala Jeff Szamardja and become a dominant receiver? I think there are many potential breakthrough guys and I will not be surprised when one (or more) of our receivers steps up his game in Floyd's absence.

 

[Mr. Larson]

The Calvin Johnson comparison doesn't hold up. Matthew Stafford is one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL. I don't think the same can be said for Tommy Reese or any of the quarterbacks on the Notre Dame roster for 2011. Stafford spread the ball around quite well, utilizing multiple receivers, including his two tight ends. The secondary receivers made numerous catches, because the ball was thrown to them. You can't expect T.J., Theo, and the others to make fifty to sixty catches in a season when the ball is only thrown to them once or twice a game. If you want them to catch the ball, you have to throw it to them once in awhile. Tommy just didn't utilize the other receivers (with the exception of Eifert).

You wouldn't happen to be a Lions fan? My top 5 would have Stafford on the outside looking in (he's a good young QB, in my top 8 actually: Rodgers, Brees, Brady, Peyton, Eli, Big Ben, Rivers, Stafford)

Let's take a look at spreading the ball around...Whiskey did a great job of putting together ND receivers stats:

http://www.irishenvy.com/forums/notre-dame-football/66250-2011-data-notre-dame-wrs.html

Floyd and Eifert: 31.9% and 21.1% of targets
Johnson and Pettigrew: 25.4% and 20% of targets

I don't think that's a huge difference.

 

[Rhode Irish]

I believe Bill Simmons coined this the "Ewing Theory"

 

[PatsandBostonfan1975]

Now that's a half glass full !!!

 

[scUM Hater]

I know who the addition by subtraction won't work for: scUM, with Denard Robinson. Does anyone think that maybe Goodman may step up? I know I will probably get scolded for this........

 

[OlympiaIrishFan]

Maybe having a differnt QB that won't throw pics like they are going out of style against good defenses would help make us better.

All I have to say is Tommy Turnover had 6TDs and 13 TO's against good defenses and averaged 196ish yards against those teams. I think a different QB is the issue, not the team getting better because of the stud not being there.

Remember, we had 2 all american pass catchers not just 1!

Tommy was the issue here IMO.

 

[DillonHall]

Remember the end of the Florida State game?

 

[ulukinatme]

I'm not saying that this theory doesn't hold water, it very well could, but I'm leaning more toward us losing a big weapon in 2012.

I was a Tommy supporter in 2011, but only because he was our best option. Like it or not, we did not have a better QB than Tommy on roster. Dayne probably could have been at one point, but the knee injuries may have caught up to him (We'll see this year in Kansas I guess). Andrew maybe could have been if we settled on him in training camp, but he was brought in too late to the mix to have an effective grasp of all the offense. I'm not counting Golson because he never took a snap, maybe we'll see in 2012 if he's the better guy.

Anyway, while I was a Tommy supporter last year, 2012 is a whole new year and brings some concerns. We definitely need an improvement at the QB position, otherwise we will be hurting even if we had an all star WR group. As it stands right now I don't feel comfortable with what we saw at WR last year, we definitely need a few people to step up.

 

[JayRox]

I was thinking about ND's future after losing Michael Floyd...

I came up with the possibility that losing Michael could become a blessing in disguise down the road (probably most apparent in 2013).

Here's my analogy...

Michael Floyd = Luke Harangody

Let me explain, after Luke Harangody graduated... ND started playing at a higher level. But, why? Luke was a college superstar.. He could fill out the stat sheets on any given night. But alas, ND started to distribute the wealth. They played as a team, they learned to make the offense flow through all five players on the court, Luke no longer dictated the success of the offense.

Now, Michael Floyd has graduated.. Undoubtedly one of the greatest WRs in ND history. With that said, we are losing a huge piece to the offense. However, Michael dictated so much of our offensive success... The games were he struggled to get the ball, ND struggled to move the chains (ala the Pitt no-offense show).

I believe that down the road (2013 most likely) this offense, under the direction of a new QB and new OC, will become balanced... And thus for, ND's offense will finally hit that "Kelly Offense" level.

I know its a bold theory/analogy... But, I feel like ND is yet to experience Kelly's true offensive dominance.



What's your two cents?

My two cents is, and I'm allowed to say this because I was a season ticket holder and avid fan who watched every game, Harangody SUCKED. I hated him. His Freshman and Sophomore year, he played like Jack Cooley. After that he became a black hole. I hated on him so much. Then he got hurt and ND went on a big streak. I was right. Then he graduated and ND was ranked 5th. Imagine that.

This is way different. Floyd is a beast. Harangody sucked.

Enough said.