Let's Talk QB's (Who Should Be The Backup?)

[BamaMoon]

I'm sorry if this reiterates many comments already made in the post game thread. I wasn't able to post during the game or afterward last night. I tried to post a few times during the game and was literally speechless. Typed words and then had to delete them because I couldn't formulate any coherent thoughts because I was so angry.

Thoughts about BOB aside, my fears about JM were put on center stage last night. I think he's a great kid (heard he was baptized recently), he's a great teammate, but what we saw last night was unbelievable.

The whole purpose of this post is to say, I can't believe we'd let another kid assume he can be QB (JM) when we have a 5 star STUD QB in Ty Simpson at #3 on the depth chart. There is absolutely no way TS could have been worse (even if he didn't get many reps last week in practice) than what we saw last night from JM. How the staff didn't see this coming and wasn't prepared to give TS an opportunity last night is beyond me. I've got so many more thoughts, but this is enough for now!!!

 

[Moro Creek]

Agree with you BamaMoon. Ty should have played. We really don't how he would have done, but we do know that JM can't process fast enough to get the job done so make the change.

 

[KrAzY3]

we have a 5 star STUD QB in Ty Simpson at #3 on the depth chart. There is absolutely no way TS could have been worse

Milroe was pretty darn bad, but Simpson has thrown all of 3 passes in college. We don't see him in practice, but we know he's been getting third team reps. There are all kinds of little things that could be at issue, and yes you can get worse than 3 turnovers as bad as that sounds. So, I'm not going to be critical of not sending in the true freshman when Alabama had a guy that was perfectly capable of moving the ball and scoring. If Alabama couldn't pass, or run it really would have been a problem.

The real issue here to me is that you have to use your weapons appropriately. Does anyone really think Milroe would have looked this bad with Kiffin calling the plays? This was worse than Daboll calling plays for Hurts, which was generally a square peg, round hole type situation.

Alabama shifted between run with Gibbs or run with Milroe as the gameplan, to trying to have Milroe, a relatively inexperienced freshman make downfield reads. Where were all short passes Kiffin would draw up for Hurts? Heck, the one time it looked like they were going to get innovative and draw up a jet sweep they ran it up the middle into the heart of the defense.

I didn't expect Milroe to make a lot of great reads, or great downfield throws, but your offense in a game you had command of shouldn't dictate that.

 

[CajunCrimson]

I think the whole purpose of the downfield playcalling, was designed to clear out traffic for when he was able to scramble. That worked for about the first two drives. After that they adjusted, and we didn’t

 

[BamaMoon]

This game is the perfect illustration of why a "running QB" won't work anymore.

We moved the ball in a combination of ways (Gibbs runs, JM scrambles) but when it's 3rd and medium to long, you must have a QB that can throw a quick out for a first down. I know TS can do that.

It's not healthy to have to hold your breath every time your QB drops back to pass. Not healthy at all.

 

[BamaMoon]

I think the whole purpose of the downfield playcalling, was designed to clear out traffic for when he was able to scramble. That worked for about the first two drives. After that they adjusted, and we didn’t

And if that was our game plan, an 8th grader could come up with that??? But maybe it was because even BOB knows JM is not a passing QB.

 

[Padreruf]

I looked at my wife in the 4th quarter and said, "This is the least prepared QB I have seen at Bama in decades." That's coaching...not player. As many have noted, he has a good skill set, but we were asking him to do what he cannot do at this stage. Why is it that every team we play has a good 2nd team QB who plays well against us? Why don't we? I'm not trying to be critical of JM -- he played his heart out. However, the moment was too big...and kept getting bigger.

One other note and I'm out of here: why do we blitz linebackers on key 3rd downs, leaving the middle of the field open to a TE who just runs a simple button hook? We've seen that for 15 years now and I cannot understand why CNS cannot figure out that you have to cover a short route TE? I could call those plays...

RTR!

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

We haven't seen Ty. For all we know he barely knows the playbook and would struggle simply getting lined up.

 

[KrAzY3]

I think the whole purpose of the downfield playcalling, was designed to clear out traffic for when he was able to scramble. That worked for about the first two drives. After that they adjusted, and we didn’t

I get taking a few shots to try and soften things up, but I don't get that becoming an integral part of the gameplan. To me with a QB like Milroe, you need to have the training wheels on. You take them off and you get what we saw. To me you are trying to limit the things that can go wrong, and limit the things Milroe can do wrong. I really thought there would be way more short, easy completions.

We haven't seen Ty. For all we know he barely knows the playbook and would struggle simply getting lined up.

It's hard to image things being worse, but fumbled snaps and a bunch of false starts are the sort of things you can get with a completely inexperienced QB. I'm not sure at what point in the game it would have been safe to take that risk.

 

[BamaMoon]

We haven't seen Ty. For all we know he barely knows the playbook and would struggle simply getting lined up.

I know you watched the A-game day. I respectfully disagree. We've seen he can spin it. His and JM's throwing motion are like daylight and dark. He's a throw-first QB and JM is a run-first QB.

He was a 5 star recruit for a reason. And, something else too: his skill set it to run the type of offense BY runs, which is built around a strong passing game.

I know it's hindsight after seeing the debacle last night, but TY's skill set subs for BY much better than JM's.

 

[99ALUM]

I know everyone maybe thinking in the ‘right now’ but I look towards the future as well. If Jalen is the guy going forward and maybe into next year, be prepared to see a good number of our WR enter the transfer portal, because they won’t be getting the ball.

 

[Cruloc]

BOB was awful in this again. Seems to be a theme now. He didn't help Milroe at all.
Its ridiculous, that last drive, we need 1 first down....so we look like Milroe could just toss it to the man running in front of him....jet sweep....and he hits the edge. But no, we instead run it up the middle into at least 8 guys.

You can't convince me that we couldn't have run more zone read and more RPOs, slants, short hitches etc. Something to take the pressure off of Milroe trying to make a read. He was scared, his body language was awful....it brought that whole team down. Thats when an OC should be helping a kid. But our OC is in the booth, he can't put his arm around a rattled QB and calm in, talk to him man to man.

Now, Milroe was not ready last night. The moment was too big for him. The comparison has been made to Hurts when he was a freshman......Hurts was never this bad. Milroe was a RB trying to play QB, with a game plan set as if he was a seasoned QB. Thats square peg, round hole mentality.

The only way this team wins a championship is Bryce overcoming BOBs ineptitude as a play caller. Thats a big ask.

We played with fire several times last year and did great, making it to the title game. This year feels different. BOB is a detriment to the offense. He doesn't use what he has, he forces things into what he wants to do. Yes, Milroe was bad last night, but BOB put him in the position and then didn't help him in any way.

BOB should be embarrassed about his play calling and overall coaching, work to fix issues and help young guys. Doesn't seem like that can happen and so I expect nothing to change.

If we don't put 40+ on Tennessee, the streak is over. They will embarrass us if they can.

 

[BamaMoon]

I know everyone maybe thinking in the ‘right now’ but I look towards the future as well. If Jalen is the guy going forward and maybe into next year, be prepared to see a good number of our WR enter the transfer portal, because they won’t be getting the ball.

Yes, and we've seen this play out right before us the year Tua sat behind "old Jalen."

If we are recruiting 5 star passing QBs, why are we still recruiting run first QB that are, at best, project QBs??? You'd think we'd learned our lesson!

I just don't know why we put JM in a position to fail like this.

 

[KrAzY3]

Yes, and we've seen this play out right before us the year Tua sat behind "old Jalen."

If we are recruiting 5 star passing QBs, why are we still recruiting run first QB that are, at best, project QBs??? You'd think we'd learned our lesson!

I just don't know why we put JM in a position to fail like this.

It should be noted that Hurts is enjoying a lot of success right now as a starting QB in the NFL.

Sometimes it's about how you use your weapons. You won't get an argument from me that Hurts was misused, but to bring up Hurts in comparison in Tua is to remind us that Hurts could have been developed and used more properly. Remember, Alabama did not win a championship with Tua as a starter either...

So, is the issue the QB or how the QB is being used or developed?

 

[CajunCrimson]

It’s hard to win championships

There are many layers to this onion. We see what we are allowed to see. Not what’s behind the curtain.

When I saw Ty, late in a game earlier this year, physically grab Bond by the back of his jersey and move him into the right spot, you could tell he isn’t afraid to dive in.

 

[BamaMoon]

It should be noted that Hurts is enjoying a lot of success right now as a starting QB in the NFL.

Sometimes it's about how you use your weapons. You won't get an argument from me that Hurts was misused, but to bring up Hurts in comparison in Tua is to remind us that Hurts could have been developed and used more properly. Remember, Alabama did not win a championship with Tua as a starter either...

So, is the issue the QB or how the QB is being used or developed?

All I'm trying to say is it is my opinion we should NOT have to "develop" JM if we have a 5 star that is more prepared from day 1 to run the type of offense we run. That's all.

BTW, you won't get an argument from me that Jalen Hurts has become a very good QB, but how many years has it taken???

Why develop when you have the instant?

 

[gman4tide]

I know everyone maybe thinking in the ‘right now’ but I look towards the future as well. If Jalen is the guy going forward and maybe into next year, be prepared to see a good number of our WR enter the transfer portal, because they won’t be getting the ball.

You could see it on the faces and in the receiver’s reactions later in the game. They were frustrated.

 

[2003TIDE]

So you guys are upset at the play of the young inexperienced guy and your solution is to put in an even more inexperienced guy? Just making sure I understand.

 

[BamaMoon]

So you guys are upset at the play of the young inexperienced guy and your solution is to put in an even more inexperienced guy? Just making sure I understand.

That's what you think this is???

JM is a whole year ahead of TS in terms of "experience" and he's been getting #2 reps all year, plus he had a whole week with all the #1 snaps.

But you are making the assumption that all inexperienced QBs are the same skill set. They are not! JM is not a passer and TS is.

 

[81usaf92]

We haven't seen Ty. For all we know he barely knows the playbook and would struggle simply getting lined up.

Ty is the better passer out of the two. That’s from what I have gathered from people who have actually had eyes on him. But with the Oline issues and Milroe’s talent, it may have been a better option going with Milroe. However at any rate, any criticism of Milroe must start with BoB. This was probably his worst game calling stuff and it makes the Kiffin peach bowl look like ace game calling.