Cajuns' QB question still lacks the answer

[Turbine]

Not necessarily my friend. Mike D helped set offensive records here and he did it by being a runner. I'm not saying that is the norm, but it is possible to be successful with a QB who is a gifted runner and not a great passer. That said, obviously it's preferable to have a gifted passer.

Mike D had one of the prettiest long arch passes I have seen, but Bustle wanted him to throw it on rope.

[zephyr]

There was no reason to throw the season away. Haack didn't require a different offense. Our offense has a lot of plays built around Haack's throwing ability. Haack should have been allowed to run the offense as the QB unless/until he got injured. Eli should have been catching screens and check downs out of the backfield (all in our playbook)... and almost never running it up the gut. Nixon should have come in as a RB and Eli moved to the slot. That would have generated way more deception for defenses... and it would have given Haack and our OC some tremendous options. We half assed a play selection from our playbook in order to keep the dream alive of a dual threat QB... that really wasn't there for us.

Davis should have been Haack's #2 to get ready for our future. He needed to see a series or two in a couple of games, specifically to learn to throw high percentage passes (we have way too few high percentage routes... but that's another story)... not to see if he can run. Running isn't a skill an ahtlete needs to be taught.

And anyone with half a brain knows that you can succeed with a QB that throws well... but isn't a gifted runner... but you cannot succeed with a QB that runs well... but isn't a gifted passer. The first cure going into next year is our offensive coaching staff getting committed to intelligent play calling and player utilization... and making sure the best passer gets selected and helped to link up with his receiver corps... and never to be second-guessed unless and until he absolutely fails.

Hud would love to use your argument that he threw this season away for a better next year. That is not what happened. It got taken away from him by coaches and athletes from other schools that saw how inept our program management was. 8 teams ate our lunch coaching wise this past year. We were not out athleted by 8 of the 12 programs we played this past year.

We weren't going to beat anybody with our passing attack this year, even with Haack at the QB. He was OK but he didn't lead scoring drives. Our receivers were not very good. This was not solely on the QB's to begin with. No separation, drops everywhere and predictable play calling was just as much to blame as the QB play. We absolutely ran no playaction, no bootlegs or anything to change the field of the defense.

[Just1More]

We weren't going to beat anybody with our passing attack this year, even with Haack at the QB. He was OK but he didn't lead scoring drives. Our receivers were not very good. This was not solely on the QB's to begin with. No separation, drops everywhere and predictable play calling was just as much to blame as the QB play. We absolutely ran no playaction, no bootlegs or anything to change the field of the defense.

Haack sure did pretty well passing being that he was never backed up by his coaching staff. And several of his third and impossible... now you must pass downs... were created by the stupidity of his coaching staff... not Haack. Jamal should never have been that rusty to start the year (coach's fault... not Haack). Eli should have been in the slot (coach's fault... not Haack). Nixon should have been the big back with Eli in the slot (coach's fault... not Haack). And there's no way seeing that any excuse to pull Haack out was in play... that Haack got massive emersion in pitch and catch with his WRs this year (coach's fault... not Haack). And the routes the receivers ran were pathetic (coach's fault... not Haack).

What you and quite a few fans on here did this past season was watch Haack play and somehow come away with the false conclusion that he was responsible for the entire failed mission. You're partially exonerated... because your incorrect conclusion was severely assisted by our coaching staff.

[Just1More]

Not necessarily my friend. Mike D helped set offensive records here and he did it by being a runner. I'm not saying that is the norm, but it is possible to be successful with a QB who is a gifted runner and not a great passer. That said, obviously it's preferable to have a gifted passer.

We went 6-6 at best with MD. And because of his massive running... he came up lame... and that cost us. And besides... MD was a very successful passer in HS... and it probably didn't help that he was switched to special teams and weight lifting in a non traditional QB regiment (he was a powerful lifter) before becoming a QB. He did complete intermediate to short passes ok BTW. He just couldn't throw anything intermediate to long with any accuracy.

I don't disagree with your very odd exception to the rule... but MD and Babb both ran the best zone option read I've ever seen. And it didn't hurt MD and Babb to have Fenroy as their primary RB. I could see Eli and MB/Babb running that successfully even today. But that isn't what we had to choose from. And that was all pre Hud anyway. Don't discount that Bustle had Michael Vick at VT... and the man knew something about how to run an offense with a backfield that could run in fast gear. Hud has not run a fast gear deceptive offense yet IMO.

[Turbine]

We weren't going to beat anybody with our passing attack this year, even with Haack at the QB. He was OK but he didn't lead scoring drives. Our receivers were not very good. This was not solely on the QB's to begin with. No separation, drops everywhere and predictable play calling was just as much to blame as the QB play. We absolutely ran no playaction, no bootlegs or anything to change the field of the defense.

True and 3 pass attempts from inside the 10-yard line won't fool many opponents.

We have been inside the 10 yard line 18 times. We have run 48 plays. 7 of those were passes. 3 by Haack, 3 by Nixon and 1 by Jordan Davis. Haack and Nixon have each thrown 1 TD.

We have scored 10 rushing TD's in 41 rushes inside the 10.

10/41 = 24.39%

2/7 = 28.57%

[cajun4life]

True and 3 pass attempts from inside the 10-yard line won't fool many opponents.

Exactly!!!! He wasn't given the opportunity to throw for TDs!!!

[ManAboutTown]

Mind numbing.. Some people still can't accept that Haack was a capable player and the coach ____ed it up for him, and everyone else.

[GATOR GRUNT]

Mind numbing.. Some people still can't accept that Haack was a capable player and the coach ____ed it up for him, and everyone else.

Sabotaged comes to mind.

[zephyr]

Haack sure did pretty well passing being that he was never backed up by his coaching staff. And several of his third and impossible... now you must pass downs... were created by the stupidity of his coaching staff... not Haack. Jamal should never have been that rusty to start the year (coach's fault... not Haack). Eli should have been in the slot (coach's fault... not Haack). Nixon should have been the big back with Eli in the slot (coach's fault... not Haack). And there's no way seeing that any excuse to pull Haack out was in play... that Haack got massive emersion in pitch and catch with his WRs this year (coach's fault... not Haack). And the routes the receivers ran were pathetic (coach's fault... not Haack).

What you and quite a few fans on here did this past season was watch Haack play and somehow come away with the false conclusion that he was responsible for the entire failed mission. You're partially exonerated... because your incorrect conclusion was severely assisted by our coaching staff.

LOL, did he really? Your problem is that you and many on here are not willing to understand that this offensive limpness we had all season really was a universal problem. It wasn't just on the coaches, Haack, Nixon or the line. One variable is out of place, we can hopefully still overcome. But many of these variables are not firing at the same time and it creates a systemic failure. So now, you are blaming all of the 3rd and longs on the coaches? Really? It had nothing to do with Haack holding the ball too long or the line opening like a sieve? From what it seems like in your post, you are a fantastic Monday morning QB.

BTW, how was Jamal's rustiness to start the year the coach's fault? How were the poor routes run by the receivers necessarily the coaches fault? Do you assign blame to anybody but the coaches? What about the interceptions that Haack threw? I assume those were the coaches fault right?

[Turbine]

... BTW, how was Jamal's rustiness to start the year the coach's fault? ...

"no hits" in preseason was a coaching decision.

[CrappDaddy]

LOL, did he really? Your problem is that you and many on here are not willing to understand that this offensive limpness we had all season really was a universal problem. It wasn't just on the coaches, Haack, Nixon or the line. One variable is out of place, we can hopefully still overcome. But many of these variables are not firing at the same time and it creates a systemic failure. So now, you are blaming all of the 3rd and longs on the coaches? Really? It had nothing to do with Haack holding the ball too long or the line opening like a sieve? From what it seems like in your post, you are a fantastic Monday morning QB.

BTW, how was Jamal's rustiness to start the year the coach's fault? How were the poor routes run by the receivers necessarily the coaches fault? Do you assign blame to anybody but the coaches? What about the interceptions that Haack threw? I assume those were the coaches fault right?

I agree. It's mostly about the talent you have on the field. Nick Saban lost to ULM before building his dynasty. Was it bc he was a poor coach that year?

[ManAboutTown]

LOL, did he really? Your problem is that you and many on here are not willing to understand that this offensive limpness we had all season really was a universal problem. It wasn't just on the coaches, Haack, Nixon or the line. One variable is out of place, we can hopefully still overcome. But many of these variables are not firing at the same time and it creates a systemic failure. So now, you are blaming all of the 3rd and longs on the coaches? Really? It had nothing to do with Haack holding the ball too long or the line opening like a sieve? From what it seems like in your post, you are a fantastic Monday morning QB.

BTW, how was Jamal's rustiness to start the year the coach's fault? How were the poor routes run by the receivers necessarily the coaches fault? Do you assign blame to anybody but the coaches? What about the interceptions that Haack threw? I assume those were the coaches fault right?

J1M can speak for himself, but I'm going to chime in. Isn't it plausible that Jamal's "rustiness" was a consequence of lack of reps with a QB in the summer? I can account for at least one of the game ending picks, and that was 100% on a usually reliable receiver quitting on a route. Route running is a prime duty of the position coach. There has been ZERO consistency with route running since 2011. That's a fact.

And since we're too stupid to understand a systemic failure, let me take some obviously wrong takes. The injuries that crippled this team didn't start piling up until midseason. So can't blame that. The lynch pin of this entire situation began in the summer with the QB situation. There is no question about that. The trickle down affect permiated the locker room there after, injuries started, coaches got stubborn, players got selfish (then some got lazy) and losing broke the spirit.

But me too duM to No diffrrense.. Derrr