Thoughts on QB situation after Game 5?

[RammerJammer14]

I guess you were not around in Jalen Hurts' first year...his QB play just about drove us fans crazy. About the time you would feel he needed to be replaced, he would have a spectacular game/half. If I never again see him roll right and step out of bounds for a 5yd loss I will die a happy man.

FIFY. 😁😭

 

[TideEngineer08]

Some of this conversation is starting to remind me of the ones that were had during the Shula era and that saddens me deeply.

 

[TexasBama]

Some of this conversation is starting to remind me of the ones that were had during the Shula era and that saddens me deeply.

I applaud this post

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

I don’t even know that the deep ball is really that good. Milroe throws over the wrong shoulder of the WR a lot. We aren’t making deep throws where the WR is streaking down the field, catches the ball in stride, and scores. A lot of them are jump balls that the WRs and TEs are having to climb a ladder to grab (and they have), and the play ends where they caught it.

No one is 100/100 on deep balls. He's made a number of impressive ones. Off the top of my head the TD to Hale while getting hit vs Ole Miss was fantastic. His TD to Burton vs Texas was also a good throw.

He's not the elite of the elite as a deep ball thrower but he's pretty good.

 

[TexasBama]

if we just had a quarterback as good as Tua, we could lose to Clemson by 28 points

 

[CrimsonTitles]

It is what it is. We have a young OL and a young QB. The play of the former has always determined the play of the latter. The last six quarters of play have shown this. When the OL gives Milroe time to make decisions he does well. When he's running for his life 1-1/2 seconds after chasing down an errant snap all bets are off.

A lot of the complaints we're hearing about this Jalen are the same we heard seven years ago about the other Jalen in 2016. He held the ball too long. Didn't see the field well. Didn't check down receivers. Pulled it down and ran too soon. That Jalen had nine interceptions against 23 TDs in 11 regular season games. We also had an OL riddled with underclassmen that year.

This Jalen has three interceptions against six TDs in four regular season games. Behind a relatively young OL. The tracks are similar, no?

All I can do is cheer, pray and be patient. History often repeats itself.

So Milroe is gonna lead us to the Natuonal Championship game, and Ty is gonna come in and lead a comeback in the second half for another Natty?

 

[CB4]

I applaud this post

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I just know when you saw that post you thought to yourself “This presents a tremendous challenge, but a tremendous opportunity as well….”

Awshucks……

 

[mlh]

I applaud this post

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Is that Dabo in the background?

 

[Cruloc]

We all need to....hold the rope.

 

[JDCrimson]

Simpson would have been the guy had we gotten better execution by the OL despite the reasons for their poor play.

Given the unreliable play of the OL, Saban has made the decision to roll with Milroe until or if Milroe expands his game.

There still may be a window for Simpson later in the season but it will be based on better execution (and maturity) from the OL. I believe that he should be worked into the game plan if for nothing more to give opposing defenses more to prepare for.

 

[BamaInBham]

Aside from living in a world of pure imagination apparently.....Simpson should have been the guy. No, he didn't get "a shot" in the USF game, he got put out there with an OL give what appeared to be half effort. He did, however, seem to get the team to respond in the 4th and did lead them to 2 TD's. He also made throws Milroe isn't going to make.

The offense would be farther along if Simpson had been given the keys. Now, we are stuck running what we've got. Milroe had time on those two sacks vs MSU, he held it. He will not throw the ball away.

As the Unofficial Coach video said......we are running with a QB at a 4th grade reading level, when we could have been running with a QB at a 10th grade reading level.

Anyone who thinks this is a replay of Jalen vs Tua is the one living in a fantasy world. JM is a better passer than JH was at that time, and improving much more quickly; and TS is not in the same universe with Tua in any way.

It was not as though Milroe blew Saban away, he wanted Simpson, or anyone, to take the bull by the horns but he could not do it. CNS was still unclear when the season began, that's why he gave TB who had moved ahead of a declining TS, an opportunity to show what they could do in the USF game. TB had an epic fail, and TS seemed to me to be overmatched at this point in his development, against the worst team on Alabama's schedule. MIlroe had not been demoted, but Saban wanted to compare the 3 QBs based on some live game action. The staff and/or Saban concluded that JM was the answer.

It appears that a handful in the fan base are fully invested in JM's failure based on their own amateur opinions (most everyone has voiced opinions that have been proven wrong time after time) alluding to ridiculous conspiracy theories based on rumor, appealing to local anonymous clowns primarily looking for clicks, to support their claim that coaches at the top of their profession historically should bow to their opinion. Any excuse to bash JM and exalt or excuse TS.

This is not just msg board discussion but has degenerated into an attack on a player whom the coaches have chosen. It has created a toxic environment. That attack rarely or never can recognize a thing JM does well, especially with regard to accuracy or the thinking parts of the game, or the real improvement that he has made. Their hero does only what is right and there is always an excuse for any "apparent" shortcoming. Just waiting on the national or at least local media to take this and run. They'll have a ball. Maybe it's already happening, idk.

 

[KrAzY3]

Some of this conversation is starting to remind me of the ones that were had during the Shula era and that saddens me deeply.

It reminds me a lot of the Blake Sims and Jalen Hurts debates, which doesn't really sadden me that much consider both really turned out to be pretty good, heh.

 

[UAH]

I don't understand this kind of revisionist take against a team that was one of the worst Alabama will play all year.

Simpson played basically half of the game, right?

He attempted 9 passes which accounted for 73 yards. He "ran" the ball 9 times (5 sacks) for a total of -12 yards. It was USF by the way...

You double that and you have 18 passing attempts for 146 yards and 18 rushing attempts for -24 yards rushing against weak competition. That's 36 plays, 123 yards.

Against a better Miss. State team here's what Milroe did. 12 passing attempts for 194 yards, 11 rushes for 69 yards.

So, 33 plays for 264 yards. Now I'm no math expert, but I think 264 is better than 123 and I'm pretty sure Miss. State is better than South Florida, but there's also the fact that Alabama beat Miss. State by a wider margin.

Yet, the conclusion I'm supposed to reach because yards and points and things like that don't matter is that Simpson is the solution. Got it...

And yeah I know that the idea is that Simpson can make some throws that Milroe can't make, and I won't even argue that point. I will remind people that I had to listen to a lot of the same stuff when Phillip Ely was supposed to be a far better QB and passer than Blake Sims. There were pages and pages of people bashing Blake... and pages and pages of people being wrong for the record.

I'd at least wait until Simpson actually plays well to decide he's the man.

I fully appreciate the disdain for Clemson on here but as an example we look at Cade Klubnik and the horrible game that the team had in the 1st game against Duke (Klubnik was in Simpson's class and and they were rated virtually the same.) Against Syracuse Klubnik went 23 - 27 for 263 yards and 2 TDs he looked quite effective making intermediate throws. It is universally difficult to beat a talented team without forcing the safeties and linebackers into coverage. When a QB can't threated the middle of the field the offense is in deep Yogurt

 

[BamaInBham]

I fully appreciate the disdain for Clemson on here but as an example we look at Cade Klubnik and the horrible game that the team had in the 1st game against Duke (Klubnik was in Simpson's class and and they were rated virtually the same.) Against Syracuse Klubnik went 23 - 27 for 263 yards and 2 TDs he looked quite effective making intermediate throws. It is universally difficult to beat a talented team without forcing the safeties and linebackers into coverage. When a QB can't threated the middle of the field the offense is in deep Yogurt

Thankfully, Milroe is doing well with intermediate passes. He was 7-7 vs MSU. Over half of his passes in that game were intermediate passes. One, maybe two, deep throws. A couple of short throws or dump offs - 10-12 overall. There are some Bama fans, at least on this board, who for some reason think JM has trouble with intermediate throws. It is simply not the case - at least not in the last couple of games.

 

[KrAzY3]

When a QB can't threated the middle of the field the offense is in deep Yogurt

Wasn't this all said during Hurts time at Alabama?

What I recall was a true freshman Hurts putting Alabama up on his final drive, and if Alabama's defense had just held they win the game and the championship.

He had his flaws, he wasn't perfect, but Alabama still could have won a championship with him. We do not know that about Barnett.

What I do, on a factual basis know is that Alabama can beat a good team with Milroe because they have. I do not know that about any other quarterback Alabama has, in fact what I do know about them is very disconcerting because I saw a team struggle to beat a mediocre team with the other quarterbacks playing.

It's not an ideal situation, but it's also not a situation to gamble the season on an unknown.

To go with your example, Clemson is already out of the playoff hunt. Alabama is not. I can see the comparison though, he's a passer with potential, but he's still a work in progress. Perhaps if Alabama picks up a second loss the issue can be investigated further, but I and Nick Saban would probably prefer not to develop a QB the way Clemson did this year.

here are some Bama fans, at least on this board, who for some reason think JM has trouble with intermediate throws

I once got in an argument with 4 or 5 people on here at once who universally insisted that Blake Sims could not throw a deep pass. That he was incapable.

I repeat they insisted that Blake Sims could not throw the deep ball! I was like I saw him throw it at A-Day, I know he can, but they in a weird backwards, groupthink bit of insanity insisted repeatedly he could not, on what basis I do not know.

So I'm always inclined to take some things spoken as fact with a grain of salt

 

[TexasBama]

Is that Dabo in the background?

It is, and he's just happy to be there

 

[81usaf92]

Thankfully, Milroe is doing well with intermediate passes. He was 7-7 vs MSU. Over half of his passes in that game were intermediate passes. One, maybe two, deep throws. A couple of short throws or dump offs - 10-12 overall. There are some Bama fans, at least on this board, who for some reason think JM has trouble with intermediate throws. It is simply not the case - at least not in the last couple of games.

Is he progressing? Yes, but he is also going against pretty lousy defenses too. This week is a huge step up in competition. So we will really know how much he has really progressed from the Texas game in terms of reading and intermediate throws.

 

[RammerJammer14]

No one is 100/100 on deep balls. He's made a number of impressive ones. Off the top of my head the TD to Hale while getting hit vs Ole Miss was fantastic. His TD to Burton vs Texas was also a good throw.

He's not the elite of the elite as a deep ball thrower but he's pretty good.

Did I claim that most QBs or any QBs are “100/100” on deep balls? No, I didn’t. That is ridiculous and you are building a straw man to knock down. I said that I hear about how he has an amazing deep ball, but I don’t really see that in practice. He has an arm, sure. Has has made a couple good deep throws. But I just think the hype about his amazing deep ball is just that, hype to explain away other deficiencies. I’d call it average. I don’t really have a problem with average deep balls. I just keep seeing people claim he has an amazing deep ball. I disagree. That’s all.

 

[RammerJammer14]

I fully appreciate the disdain for Clemson on here but as an example we look at Cade Klubnik and the horrible game that the team had in the 1st game against Duke (Klubnik was in Simpson's class and and they were rated virtually the same.) Against Syracuse Klubnik went 23 - 27 for 263 yards and 2 TDs he looked quite effective making intermediate throws. It is universally difficult to beat a talented team without forcing the safeties and linebackers into coverage. When a QB can't threated the middle of the field the offense is in deep Yogurt

Yogurt. I hate yogurt.

 

[colbysullivan]

I can understand some here but, come on man, you're better than this.

And you don't know the motives behind the relatively few number of passing attempts. I seriously doubt it was because of fear. Ironically,. with "Radar Milroe" we need to compare the number of completions because he hits almost all of his attempts.

Discounting the first 2 drives, like the 2nd half vs OM, the Alabama offense began to look like a good, efficient and legitimate SEC offense: the QB handing off to decent runners or running himself or dropping back to scan the field to hit mostly intermediate passes. Jalen Milroe led Alabama on 6 scoring drives in his next 7 possessions, 3 TDs and 3 FGs. Then he left the game. He had 2 sacks, one in which he was was plowed under by a good pass rush, the other, the only time in which he drifted to the right and ran OOB with a loss. He connected on 7 intermediate passes for explosive plays and 3 short passes or dump offs. His accuracy is very good: he was 10-12 164 yards, elite 13.7 ypa. He made good quick decisions for the most part on his 3 or 4 very effective runs.

His improvement has been startling. Against 2 SEC defenses the last 2 weeks, he is 27-33 82%, 389 yds, 11.8 ypa, 1 int. Can't ask for much more. He may crumble at some point, but at this point he is looking better and better each week to where vs MSU, he looked like an SEC QB. He has greatly reduced the number of times he engages in his maddening practice of rolling OOB short of the LOS or unnecessarily taking a sack.

Some Alabama fans seem so invested in his failure that they refuse to see what any objective observer can't help but notice and any Bama fan can't help but be encouraged by - that is very definite and remarkable improvement. Each week, often each half. The stakes are rising, the environments are becoming more hostile, and he might collapse at some point, however unlikely, but he is playing well and most importantly, better and better. Most Bama fans are pulling for him. That doesn't mean they can't see room for improvement but they can definitely see and point out the good encouraging signs.

Rewatch the game and focus on the good, forgetting the first 2 drives, as well as his overall weaknesses, for just a moment. You might be impressed and encouraged.

“His improvement has been startling”?!?!?!?

BRO WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?