Alabama QBs in 2024

[landonew]

The problem is that you joined here on 11-21-23… probably the highest point of time to be on the Milroe fan club. You started with numerous over the top posts that were taken as trying to dunk on posters that you despised while you were a lurker or that you had some personal connection to Milroe and wanted to get back at people. Because very few times did you really continue the conversation more than “Milroe is the greatest” or “He is going to show you all”.
Keep in mind this is in the middle of a bunch of threads popping up trying to chastise others at how to be a proper fan and force people to say they are idiots.

My point is that you can’t get mad at people coming back at you once you have been doing for the last two months. In fact I would probably argue that the reaction to the “I told you so” crowd is actually far tamer after the Michigan loss than what they probably deserve. It seems most of the discussion has been centered around if there can be a true quarterback battle in the spring and where we can get better before we head up to Wisconsin in September. Far less of this has been directed at getting even with other posters like it has been the last two to three months.

You're not altogether wrong I suppose, but I'm not mad at anyone. Early on, I trolled some folks and said somethings to get a reaction, and in-retrospect that probably hurt my credibility. More recently, I've made a concerted effort to be objective and cite support for my positions. As I've stated elsewhere, I graduated from Alabama in 2008, and have read Tidefans for over 10 years. I am a corporate attorney, who does not generally have time to contribute to internet forums, but this particular issue resonated with me for whatever reason, as I felt that JM was not getting a fair shake, and that a vocal minority had turned this forum into an echochamber of negativity towards JM. So yes, I have an Agenda. But most of what I've said, at least recently, has been supported by evidence, whether it be direct statements from coaches, All 22 film evaluations, etc.

That's not to say I'm correct about everything. Some really good posts, by folks who disagree with me about JM, have actually made some excellent points, e.g., gtgilbert, Big10tide, etc. Hopefully, some of what I've said has given some folks a fresh perspective as well. I do feel the discussion has benefit. Hope others feel the same.

 

[AWRTR]

It’s going to be much easier now that the blueprint is out.

He doesn’t pull the trigger quickly, so immediate pressure is easy for most defenses. The defense can get to him before he decides to throw, so covering elite receivers isn’t going to be so tough.

It's alot like Hurts. Once there was alot of film people learned to limit him. He grew as a QB enormously the year he was the backup and has become a complete QB with great wheels to boot. I hope the same for Milroe.

 

[RammerJammer14]

A lot of the plays ya'll label as “misreads” are not actually misreads. That’s not to say he doesn’t misread defenses, I just think this is being blown out of proportion.

Not every underneath receiver that “appears” wide open on broadcast TV is truly wide open, particularly with safeties playing zone coverage over the top (the safety breaks away from the underneath receive and towards the ball as the ball is thrown to another player ... giving the perception that the underneath receiver was wide open, when in fact they were not). I also think CNS and CTR have coached JM to be very conservative with the ball. If JM was truly as bad at reading defenses as you all suggest, why has he thrown so few interceptions since the Texas game? Bad reads plus inaccurate throws equal interceptions. That analysis just doesn't add up.

I think you are inferring things that aren’t really true. Yes, we understand that just because a guy doesn’t have man coverage hugging his hip doesn’t mean he is open. We understand what a zone defense is. Milroe still doesn’t see a lot of the actual open guys, or does but doesn’t have the confidence to make the pass.

As to your question, why didn’t he throw more interceptions after the Texas game, you pretty much answered that yourself, although I don’t think it is the big positive that you seem to be implying. It’s the same reason that Hurts had very few turnovers but also lead a lot of stalled drives- Milroe was coached to be conservative with the football because we would prefer to punt and play field position rather than have a costly turnover. This was good because we stopped turning the ball over so much (dude was averaging like 2-3 turnovers a game from last season through the Texas game). But it was bad because it means that we did not have the ability this entire season to make the plays that the WRs and TEs earned and that the D was giving us. Milroe stopped throwing as many interceptions because he stopped throwing certain passes.

There were so many passes that just disappeared from our playbook. And it wasn’t because we had a new O coordinator. We basically dropped any kind of screen, most swing passes, and almost all the sideline fades. Because we couldn’t execute them.

 

[81usaf92]

As to your question, why didn’t he throw more interceptions after the Texas game, you pretty much answered that yourself, although I don’t think it is the big positive that you seem to be implying. It’s the same reason that Hurts had very few turnovers but also lead a lot of stalled drives- Milroe was coached to be conservative with the football because we would prefer to punt and play field position rather than have a costly turnover. This was good because we stopped turning the ball over so much (dude was averaging like 2-3 turnovers a game from last season through the Texas game. But it was bad because it means that we did not have the ability this entire season to make the plays that the WRs and TEs earned and that the D was giving us.

Everyone realizes that Jalen Hurts threw only 1 interception in 2017 right? Its funny also that Jalen was very high on passer proficiency in 2017 as well. Yet everyone knows that the best quarterback was on the bench and Jalen was a liability.

My point is that while interceptions are negative stats, very few of them do not necessarily mean that it is a sign of great quarterback play.

 

[AlexanderFan]

Everyone realizes that Jalen Hurts threw only 1 interception in 2017 right? Its funny also that Jalen was very high on passer proficiency in 2017 as well. Yet everyone knows that the best quarterback was on the bench and Jalen was a liability.

My point is that while interceptions are negative stats, very few of them do not necessarily mean that it is a sign of great quarterback play.

Obviously not everyone. Milroe went backwards and took sacks as opposed to rolling right and throwing the ball away.

 

[CB4]

Everyone realizes that Jalen Hurts threw only 1 interception in 2017 right? Its funny also that Jalen was very high on passer proficiency in 2017 as well. Yet everyone knows that the best quarterback was on the bench and Jalen was a liability.

My point is that while interceptions are negative stats, very few of them do not necessarily mean that it is a sign of great quarterback play.

Correct. While you don’t want wholesale picks, there is a risk/reward balance. Some say too few picks sometimes indicates a far too conservative approach and leaving opportunities for points on the field.

 

[Ledsteplin]

I still believe in JM. He needs to improve.

It's difficult when the OL doesn’t offer much protection. I recall one play against Michigan, where a defender ran right through the middle and sacked Milroe. No one touched him.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Everyone realizes that Jalen Hurts threw only 1 interception in 2017 right? Its funny also that Jalen was very high on passer proficiency in 2017 as well. Yet everyone knows that the best quarterback was on the bench and Jalen was a liability.

My point is that while interceptions are negative stats, very few of them do not necessarily mean that it is a sign of great quarterback play.

From the Ole Miss game to end of season, Milroe had only 4 interceptions. That's not that many.

 

[81usaf92]

From the Ole Miss game to end of season, Milroe had only 4 interceptions. That's not that many.

Again… Hurts had 1 all season in 2017. You can’t tell me that Hurts was playing at a high level just based solely on 1 interception.

I would say him throwing 8 interceptions at Oklahoma was a far more impressive year as a quarterback than throwing 1 and 2 interceptions at Bama.

 

[B1GTide]

Again… Hurts had 1 all season in 2017. You can’t tell me that Hurts was playing at a high level just based solely on 1 interception.

Forget picks - there were countless 3 and outs because he did not complete passes to wide open receivers. Those are also possession turnovers.

 

[81usaf92]

Forget picks - there were countless 3 and outs because he did not complete passes to wide open receivers. Those are also possession turnovers.

I think people are using what I consider “NFL stats” to justify flawed quarterbacks. Yeah give me any NFL quarterback going through 17 games with 4-6 interceptions and a high passer efficiency and I would say he is a great quarterback. It’s because he is going against the best defensive players in the world for 17 games. In college with those stats I’m asking two questions “1 is it a P5 quarterback and 2 how many TDs do they have” because college is full of Mickey Mouse defenses with their guys being lucky to make a practice squad. In college football you need to be able to score and score a lot. Interceptions are less of an issue than the constant 3 and outs.

 

[UAH]

Next year, JM will be a second year starter. He’s improved and will continue to improve next year. How have we done “nothing” to improve at QB?

I know some folks on here have written-off JM as not being talented enough or capable of improving to the extent needed. That’s all well and good, but the folks actually making those decisions do not share those opinions.

I expect that in five years Milroe will have cancelled a couple of NFL checks, spent some time as QB 3 in the NFL and will be operating a State Farm franchise (or other) back in Texas.

 

[B1GTide]

I expect that in five years Milroe will have cancelled a couple of NFL checks, spent some time as QB 3 in the NFL and will be operating a State Farm franchise (or other) back in Texas.

I hope not. I want him to improve. But he has to want it, and put that want to work.

 

[Ledsteplin]

 

[landonew]

As to your question, why didn’t he throw more interceptions after the Texas game, you pretty much answered that yourself, although I don’t think it is the big positive that you seem to be implying. It’s the same reason that Hurts had very few turnovers but also lead a lot of stalled drives- Milroe was coached to be conservative with the football because we would prefer to punt and play field position rather than have a costly turnover.

I'm not seeing a lot of disagreement between us here. We agree that JM's accuracy issues likely influenced the amount of "leash" he was given in terms of targeting intermediate receivers. While that's not necessarily a "positive," it does suggest that moderate improvements in both accuracy and reading defenses could make him significantly more effective as an intermediate passer.

Over the last 8 seasons, CNS has not started a QB at Alabama that did not ultimately start in the NFL. He's got a great track record for developing talent at Alabama. Maybe give him, and by extension JM, the benefit of the doubt? If Jimbo Fisher was our coach, I would not be defending JM.

There were so many passes that just disappeared from our playbook. And it wasn’t because we had a new O coordinator. We basically dropped any kind of screen, most swing passes, and almost all the sideline fades. Because we couldn’t execute them.

Some of this is due to JM's limitations as a passer, but a fair bit of this is because we transitioned from a pro-style QB in BY to a dual-threat QB in JM, and the playbook naturally had to adapt. Hopefully, some of these plays can be re-introduced next season as JM improves (or with TS or JS as QB1).

 

[landonew]

Who has questioned his integrity or said derogatory comments about milroe on TF?

Examples below.

He needs to transfer or go to the NFL. I’m tired of having a “Jalen Milroe problem”

BoB tells him he shouldn’t be a quarterback. Sounds like BoB may have been tired of throwing spaghetti against the wall and none of it sticking.

I expect that in five years Milroe will have cancelled a couple of NFL checks, spent some time as QB 3 in the NFL and will be operating a State Farm franchise (or other) back in Texas.

 

[AlexanderFan]

Examples below.

Yep, I said it. It fits the definition of “derogatory “ in regards to his response of the coaching he’s received. Nobody has questioned his integrity. Nobody has said anything other than he’s not a major college quarterback.

Any other thoughts you have regarding n your head are strictly your bias against people who disagree with you.

 

[rolltide7854]

I think people are using what I consider “NFL stats” to justify flawed quarterbacks. Yeah give me any NFL quarterback going through 17 games with 4-6 interceptions and a high passer efficiency and I would say he is a great quarterback. It’s because he is going against the best defensive players in the world for 17 games. In college with those stats I’m asking two questions “1 is it a P5 quarterback and 2 how many TDs do they have” because college is full of Mickey Mouse defenses with their guys being lucky to make a practice squad. In college football you need to be able to score and score a lot. Interceptions are less of an issue than the constant 3 and outs.

We found that out in the second championship game against Clemson. Our defense was exhausted after all the 3 and outs.

 

[81usaf92]

We found that out in the second championship game against Clemson. Our defense was exhausted after all the 3 and outs.

Yeah. Clemson basically played on our line the whole game and dared us to throw.

 

[CB4]

Yeah. Clemson basically played on our line the whole game and dared us to throw.

As did Auburn in 2017.