I hope Turner or another QB gets a long hard look this offseason.

W

WhatDoIKnow

New member
I am sure we need another thread like this like an Eskimo needs ice.

The is a rant. I am not blaming the loss on Martinez, as it was quite the team effort.

The question I have, is Martinez a "difference maker"? I know stats-wise he measures up very well with past QBs, but what little bit extra does he bring to the table? Home run threat? Not against good teams with an athletic defense. Especially when they can tackle him with 2 hand touch rules. Do you think he does any "reading" in the zone read? I think that question was answered when he fakes a give and runs directly into two waiting defenders.

Passing? If you like nose-down rainbows. When he launched the TD pass to Bell, a collective groan filled the room. "Launches" like that are great for receivers running wide open and having a chance to wait on it. In the pocket he looks like the most non-athletic athletic QB that I have ever seen. I would rather have a statue back there that would at least step up to buy a little more time.

So if he doesn't really run, and can't really pass, what is he good at? What edge does he give us? He is without a doubt and athlete. I just don't think he is a "football" athlete.

The reason I mention Turner is because I believe him to be more of a football athlete. If we are going to running an option-type or zone read-type offense, we better have an athlete at QB. Dumb down the offense if we have to. We need to find something, anything we are good at. Right now I think Martinez is a net negative.

 
WhatDoIKnow said:
When he launched the TD pass to Bell, a collective groan filled the room.
Click to expand...
Sorry, couldn't get past this comment. Earlier in the year he was underthrowing them so much that they couldn't score a touchdown....which I did have a problem with.

Now we complain about touchdowns....Interesting.

 
gobiggergoredder said:
WhatDoIKnow said:
When he launched the TD pass to Bell, a collective groan filled the room.
Click to expand...
Sorry, couldn't get past this comment. Earlier in the year he was underthrowing them so much that they couldn't score a touchdown....which I did have a problem with.

Now we complain about touchdowns....Interesting.
Click to expand...

Well, his footwork on the pass was nothing to admire, but it did get there.

His INT and a few other tosses however, are far more worrisome.

 
gobiggergoredder said:
WhatDoIKnow said:
When he launched the TD pass to Bell, a collective groan filled the room.
Click to expand...
Sorry, couldn't get past this comment. Earlier in the year he was underthrowing them so much that they couldn't score a touchdown....which I did have a problem with.

Now we complain about touchdowns....Interesting.
Click to expand...
I knew that as soon as I typed it. It was just another dig (of hundreds) at his throwing motion and what goes through the minds of fans when he "launches" one. Could any other QB on the team not make that throw?

 
My only wish for Taylor wast that he could scramble. He's not very quick right and left. North and South he's very quick but he's also had some of that coached out (which we needed) along with still seeing the effects of his injury. Personally I think he grew a lot this season. He probably did better the second half of the year than I expected. For a guy in his 3rd or 4th year of playing QB he does relatively well.

That being said. There will be a QB battle again this spring and I hope that who ever is best gets the chance.

 
He isn't losing the game for the team anymore. I'd take it a step further and say that he is making plays. I think as he gets more comfortable (afraid of injuries and making the making the wrong decision), the big play running aspect will come back. Two months ago I would have never said what I am about to say. I still think he is going to get better.

 
Martinez is the least of our problems. When he was feast or famine we complained he wasn't more of a game manager. Now that part of his game has vastly improved, along with his passing, but we keep moving the goal posts.

 
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Stickney said:
gobiggergoredder said:
WhatDoIKnow said:
When he launched the TD pass to Bell, a collective groan filled the room.
Click to expand...
Sorry, couldn't get past this comment. Earlier in the year he was underthrowing them so much that they couldn't score a touchdown....which I did have a problem with.

Now we complain about touchdowns....Interesting.
Click to expand...

Well, his footwork on the pass was nothing to admire, but it did get there.

His INT and a few other tosses however, are far more worrisome.
Click to expand...
If you watch the play, Martinez throws the ball to the sideline expecting Abdullah to cut in and make the catch. Instead, Abdullah turned around and stayed at home. I think that was more a communication error than it was Martinez making a bad throw. Besides, that was Martinez first interception since the Michigan State game, if I'm not mistaken. It's not like the interceptions have been a big problem since the Wisconsin game.

As far as Martinez being a difference maker, it's tough to do so when your offensive line is that bad. I'm not making excuses for Martinez, because I think he has a ways to go (just like many other players do), but his offensive line did few favors yesterday. Furthermore, you all might remember Martinez got us down into scoring position on a huge run. He made an errant throw the next play, and then we had penalties and possibly either a turnover or some other lost yards (can't remember exactly what happen, but Martinez can't wholly be blamed for that collapse in scoring position).

 
I'll say here what I said in the other Taylor thread. To me, I think he grew enough over the 2nd half of the season that I believe he is the right guy. I think his dual threat ability is a big threat for defenses. He runs the zone read and play action as well as I have seen anyone run it. He has progressed MILES beyond where he used to be as a passer. It still doesn't look pretty, but he throws a pretty good ball most of the time. The only bad throw that I saw during the game was that INT that he threw right before half. Otherwise, he was pretty on-target.

And the thing that I like the most is this: Taylor is a competitor. I can't remember a single time that he has gotten rattled (maybe Wisconsin. Maybe). The guy is just a winner, and I think if he gets help from the O-Line and his receivers catch the ball, he can win us absolutely any game that we play. Taylor and Rex were the two steady players on the team throughout the year, and I don't exactly get why people are still calling for Taylor's head.

 
Still not seeing anything that makes a possitive difference to the team. If the answer is simply, "he is the best we've got", that is fair, but also pretty sad.

The oline play is an issue, but the QB can help them out a quite a bit also instead of going down when someone breaths a little heavy on him.

 
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