Thoughts on Today's Practice

[IrishLax]

Wait.
Arguing that size and running ability is important is superfluous.

And to exaggerate the difference between malik and everett by dropping a cardale jones comparison is simply ridiculous.

I'm confused. And I'm wondering if you chose the right word. Superfluous means "unnecessary" or "excessive".... how can "arguing that size and running ability is important" possibly be "excessive"? The sentence doesn't make sense as constructed.

I didn't compare anyone to Cardale Jones. I used Cardale Jones as an (accurate) illustration of how someone can be a "gamer" based on running ability... and how that kind of person can get passed over for more polished passers in practice, because it's much easier to see/chart/quantify how proficient someone is throwing the ball. There are all kinds of drills you can do to evaluate someone's abilities as a passer, but there is no contact on QBs so it's very hard to evaluate just how effective one is running the ball and how that will translate into a game.

 

[Irish2155]

If you have something to say, you can PM me. I'm not being irrational to think that our starting QB could improve.

It is not your point, it is you delivery...calling an opinion ridiculous (even if you disagree) from a Mod especially isn't cool. What is so hard about just saying I disagree with this opinion because of.....?

PM you huh? LOL. I'd like to do one better than that...

 

[Luckylucci]

It is not your point, it is you delivery...calling an opinion ridiculous (even if you disagree) from a Mod especially isn't cool. What is so hard about just saying I disagree with this opinion because of.....?

PM you huh? LOL. I'd like to do one better than that...

Haha, I'll play down your level then. An opinion is one thing but to make what somebody posts (that they didn't say) and put a spin on it is another. Let's keep it tight.

 

[ACamp1900]

Haha, I'll play down your level then. An opinion is one thing but to make what somebody posts (that they didn't say) and put a spin on it is another. Let's keep it tight.

That's not what happened tho... LA said Golson looked clearly better and I said I was disappointed by that... There's no spin there... Maybe I should have gone into further detail, but I didn't make shit up... As you say.

 

[Irish2155]

Haha, I'll play down your level then. An opinion is one thing but to make what somebody posts (that they didn't say) and put a spin on it is another. Let's keep it tight.

Thanks, I get it now that you've finally played down to my level...smh. Like you'e on some kind of internet Mount Rushmore.

 

[NewBrunswickIrish]

I really don't think it's all that surprising that Goldon looks better in a practice situation than Malik. I think almost everyone would agree that he is likely better at throwing the ball. I've always thought his weak parts were that he would fumble a ton when he got hit and sulk after his mistakes, neither of which are really showcased when he is in a drill where they aren't hit or take off running. You would probably need a live scrimmage to see who is better at this point because I'm sure if you were running read option drills now Malik would look significantly better.

 

[Irish Insanity]

I don't know that many people have questioned Golson's fundamentals. It's always been about decision making and durability.

Quite a few actually

Wait.

And to exaggerate the difference between malik and everett by dropping a cardale jones comparison is simply ridiculous.

this

Is Golson still holding the ball like a loaf of bread when he runs or scrambles?

Are you questioning his fundwntals?

 

[Luckylucci]

That's not what happened tho... LA said Golson looked clearly better and I said I was disappointed by that... There's no spin there... Maybe I should have gone into further detail, but I didn't make shit up... As you say.

Sorry but yes. I think you should state your point before posting something that has negative connotations.

 

[ACamp1900]

Sorry but yes. I think you should state your point before posting something that has negative connotations.

Ridiculous opinion, you basically misstated my position and made shit up...

 

[FearTheBeard]

Im gonna refrain from passing any further judgement on golson until i see him playing on saturdays and he doesnt have the deer in the headlights look. Or keeps from giving the ball to the other team. Practice is a whole different animal than saturdays and golson can be on top of the world or a mental trainwreck and thats not what id like to see in my qb personally

 

[Irish2155]

Sorry but yes. I think you should state your point before posting something that has negative connotations.

See, that wasn't so hard...thanks Luckylucci. You're coming around.

 

[Irish2155]

Im gonna refrain from passing any further judgement on golson until i see him playing on saturdays and he doesnt have the deer in the headlights look. Or keeps from giving the ball to the other team. Practice is a whole different animal than saturdays and golson can be on top of the world or a mental trainwreck and thats not what id like to see in my qb personally

Myself personally, that USC game EG straight gave up...and that is hard to wash from my memory.

Overall I think having two QBs with opposite skill sets is a good thing. And I also trust BK will manage it correctly.

 

[Luckylucci]

Ridiculous opinion, you basically misstated my position and made shit up...

I didn't misstate anything. Your statement was "bad news" on the QB situation. I think in general people enjoy posts elaborating why that's bad news versus just saying it.

If we're going to be negative nancies let's at least explain why, right? Maybe I'm alone on this but I don't think so.

 

[Luckylucci]

See, that wasn't so hard...thanks Luckylucci. You're coming around.

thanks for your approval it means so much to me

Back on topic. It's a great thing EG looks this good in practice. If he gets his confidence back he can be very dangerous, we've already seen this.

 

[ulukinatme]

Can't we all agree that even though he can't post, it's awesome that gkIrish is here and currently viewing this thread?!


Can't we all agree that, no matter how much better Zaire or Golson get, none of them will hold a candle to Reesus?

 

[eNDzone]

Is Golson still holding the ball like a loaf of bread when he runs or scrambles?

If EG wants to play he fixed this. I wouldn't let a 3rd grader run with the ball like that without benching him. My question is why has the staff not taken care of this yet?

 

[Grahambo]

Maybe BK should stop slow playing EG.

 

[Irish2155]

thanks for your approval it means so much to me

Back on topic. It's a great thing EG looks this good in practice. If he gets his confidence back he can be very dangerous, we've already seen this.

I agree and nice to be back on topic. We heard the same thing our buddy LA is posting from today's practice last year. I'd much rather hear he is doing good opposed to bad. I'd also like to hear better news on MZ's throwing. But, I think, his intangibles come game time will open up receivers. We have to get down hill and stay ahead of the chains better to help this defense.

Side note...as I post this the weather man came on singing the ND fight song...fan-freaking-tastic!!

 

[IrishLax]

I agree and nice to be back on topic. We heard the same thing our buddy LA is posting from today's practice last year. I'd much rather hear he is doing good opposed to bad. I'd also like to hear better news on MZ's throwing. But, I think, his intangibles come game time will open up receivers. We have to get down hill and stay ahead of the chains better to help this defense.

Side note...as I post this the weather man came on singing the ND fight song...fan-freaking-tastic!!

Haha can you imagine that?

"Hey guys so Golson threw 4 INTs today and then got in a fight with Sanford about his mechanics and then said "EFF THIS NOISE and stormed out of practice."

 

[Luckylucci]

That's my only concern with MZ, is pushing the ball downfield. If he figures that out he's a Heisman trophy candidate and I don't think that's a stretch. I could easily see him avg. 50-75 yds. Rushing with 250+ passing. However we need to get that from him.

 

[ulukinatme]

I think the Civil War among the fans will continue without end. There's a few scenarios where one side will embrace the other QB, but it's going to have to be an extreme. As soon as one of the two picks up a loss there will be people calling for the starter to get benched. The only way one side will be quieted is if their guy is playing, or the opposing guy is flawless.

Personally I can see the benefits that a locked in Golson can bring to the offense, but there are no guarantees he'll clean up the turnovers next season. He's had two years under center and part of a year with a QB guru, and he actually looked to get progressively worse. The practice reports are encouraging, but we also know that Zaire has a history of inconsistency in practice and seems to execute well during games. When you look at teams that have won the championship in recent years they've pretty much all been strong in the trenches and excelled by running the ball very well. I think Zaire could help give us that edge in the running game, and I think his leadership could be an asset to our offense. I'll support whoever ends up getting the start, but I'm with Acamp where I'm a bit disappointed that there isn't a stronger battle at QB at this time. A stronger QB battle is better for both players.

 

[returnofthemack]

If I recall correctly, Golson had 14 interceptions, three of which were not his fault, and a few others where he was getting hit. That to you makes him a turnover machine? If you're going to criticize him, do so for his absurd fumbles, those were horrible and if he does that shit during a game again he should be permanently benched. But his INTs are almost a non issue in my mind, I think he'll improve greatly, especially with better protection. Also, I ranted about this earlier, but which troglodyte started this narrative about Golson folding under pressure? He made some horrible plays, ones where if he actually folded under pressure, we would have lost by 30. He led some gutsy comebacks and made clutch throws and there's no reason to think he won't improve. And that idiotic cliche of "deer in the headlights" is the same expression as a "cool, thousand yard stare".

Could Zaire be better than Golson? Sure. Is it reasonable to draw that conclusion after he played 3 halves of football in a simplified offense? Is it reasonable to assume that a player clearly playing tight and pushing too hard due to a terrible defense that turned every game into a shootout won't get better after an offseason of practice? I have no problem with Zaire starting if he wins games, but it's ridiculous how hard some people have turned on Golson. He needs to fix the fumbles, and if he does that he'll be an excellent QB for us this fall.

 

[Irish2155]

That's my only concern with MZ, is pushing the ball downfield. If he figures that out he's a Heisman trophy candidate and I don't think that's a stretch. I could easily see him avg. 50-75 yds. Rushing with 250+ passing. However we need to get that from him.

Yeah, I think that is everyone's concern with MZ. Third and long could be pretty bad if he doesn't chuck it well. That is why 2nd and 4 - 6 is so important. Those situations BK pulls in the "gun slinger" EG? IDK, but I most certainly want to see MZ put his shoulders down on first and ten...

 

[Luckylucci]

Yea, I think that's the intriguing part of MZ. He can get into 2nd or 3rd and short with the zone read. However, There will be a problem with that if he can't beat the D over the top. Teams will stake the box.

It's also interesting when we considering what type of D we'll have this year. If we feel confident that the can get stops, the MZ zone read offense gets mch more enticing. Personally I still think Golson is the guy but like everyone knows he needs to get it together. I will not be mad if he can't and MZ gets the nod.

 

[ulukinatme]

If I recall correctly, Golson had 14 interceptions, three of which were not his fault, and a few others where he was getting hit. That to you makes him a turnover machine? If you're going to criticize him, do so for his absurd fumbles, those were horrible and if he does that shit during a game again he should be permanently benched. But his INTs are almost a non issue in my mind, I think he'll improve greatly, especially with better protection. Also, I ranted about this earlier, but which troglodyte started this narrative about Golson folding under pressure? He made some horrible plays, ones where if he actually folded under pressure, we would have lost by 30. He led some gutsy comebacks and made clutch throws and there's no reason to think he won't improve. And that idiotic cliche of "deer in the headlights" is the same expression as a "cool, thousand yard stare".

Could Zaire be better than Golson? Sure. Is it reasonable to draw that conclusion after he played 3 halves of football in a simplified offense? Is it reasonable to assume that a player clearly playing tight and pushing too hard due to a terrible defense that turned every game into a shootout won't get better after an offseason of practice? I have no problem with Zaire starting if he wins games, but it's ridiculous how hard some people have turned on Golson. He needs to fix the fumbles, and if he does that he'll be an excellent QB for us this fall.

14 INTs certainly wasn't great by anyone's standards, that was one more than Tommy in 2013. Those 14 INTs put us tied for 86th as a team last year. That doesn't count the fumbles though, those were certainly a killer, and the frustrating thing was the fact Golson wasn't learning the tuck the ball when he was scrambling. When you combine the INTs and fumbles he ended up turning over the ball more than Tommy, and people sent death threats to Rees for his mistakes. Golson was absolutely a turnover machine if Tommy was considered one, saying anything else is a hypocrisy based on what was said during the 2013 season.

As far as Golson folding under pressure, I don't know if I'd go that far. There were some things people said about the USC game, the way Everett handled himself on the sideline after he was benched. Other players in the past have helped coach up their understudy once they've been benched or injured, Everett seemed more content to sit on the bench isolated from everyone. I think people forget that Golson enjoyed a nearly flawless career in high school, and nearly a flawless 2012 season. I'm not sure he was prepared for the melt down that happened at the end of 2014, he's never experienced that kind of defeat before. Maybe it's something he'll learn from to better himself, but some players have a hard time getting that confidence back once they've lost it.

 

[Irish2155]

I can't lie, that USC game pissed me off for so many reasons...but his behavior (giving up), like I said, won't leave me. It was the peak of a lot of bad things happening toward the end of the season...but to just quit, that isn't good and that's how I saw it.

It is a tough call, that is why I think we see both this year. Both QBs have something to offer...depending on down and distance. I don't think you see a platoon setup where this drive is yours, the next one is yours...no, down and distance...

Someone said Leak/Tebow earlier...I agree

 

[irishandy]

Concerning the QB situation lets not forget this is the 6th spring practice, there is a long way to go. Zaire could look better in practice 9 and 12. At this point I could care less as long as there are no injuries or suspensions, it's MARCH and there is a long way to go.

I am not the biggest Golson fan. He needs to improve a lot more and if it were up to me he'd be on a short leash.

Great updates from NDinLA and this Irish team by what I've read locally really excites me.

Lastly concerning the QB situation...Zaire MUST play this year and lets not forget that Wimbush shows up in June.

 

[BobbyMac]

I think it is more about what style of run-first offense you are going with. If you want to look like Alabama or Wisconsin, then Golson is probably the better option, but if you want it too look more like Auburn, Oregon, etc. then Zaire is probably the better option. If you go somewhere in-between those two (where I believe that a ND run-first offense would probably fall) then the picture becomes more muddled.

I wish I could see Golson operate in a pro set with the RB in the I. Hand it off up the middle or off tackle then use play action pass and rediscover the TE over the middle. Give him some separation from the line so he has room to pass over them. Then he can take off once in a while through the open lanes up the middle. It seems like a pretty easy thing to grasp.

.

 

[IrishFaninTX]

Same. I kind of feel like we know what we have with Golson at this point. It's a gamble to see if he'll clean up the turnovers this season if we stick with him as the full time starter. I'd rather see him split time with Malik so Malik gets more experience, but at the same time use Golson in passing situations if we must like we did against LSU.

If we can get the 2012 Golson back as far as turnovers but keep the 2013 version in regards to the number of touchdowns we would have the perfect Golson. He only had 6 picks in 2012 but also only threw 12 touchdowns.

 

[BGIF]

I wish I could see Golson operate in a pro set with the RB in the I. Hand it off up the middle or off tackle then use play action pass and rediscover the TE over the middle. Give him some separation from the line so he has room to pass over them. Then he can take off once in a while through the open lanes up the middle. It seems like a pretty easy thing to grasp.

.

He could excel but the chapter isn't in the play book.