If you view a quarterback as a tool, it's not a matter of questioning the tool so much as how well it is used. I said, before Tua ever started a game that it was dangerous to be over-reliant on quarterback play. Back then I cited stats and the like showing why that's not something you want to do. It has never been a question of if Tua is good enough. It's a matter of putting too much on his shoulders. This does in fact get back to the topic of his ankle, the more he does, the more he's exposed and 90% of the time he simply doesn't have to do as much as he ends up doing.defense has been crap in tua's time. qb get too much credit /blame for losses.
As far as defense, it's not the best Alabama defenses, but that's in part a result of lack of clock management. When you have 1 minute possessions, you put the defense's back against the wall. Of course they look bad. It's not as bad as some people seem to think though. The 2015 defense, the team that Coker played for gave up over 15 points per game. They gave up over 40 twice. This team gives up 18 points per game. If stressed in the same way, the 2015 defense performed in similar fashion. The 2019 defense has to defend over 4 more plays per game for example.
The 2018 defense actually gave up about the same points as this year's defense, which is 18 PPG. What might have changed though that saw a sudden rise in PPG given up (a full touchdown)? I looked at a lot of those games and I continually saw time of possession issues, and I bought it up back then, even in some big Alabama wins. They were better the previous seasons, when Alabama was less pass oriented. Might it have something to do with a complete change in Alabama's clock management and putting more stress on the defense? Saban has commented on this as a factor, so we know it's part of the problem. Obviously it's not the only factor, but it is irrefutably a factor.
While it's not fair to blame the QB for defensive issues, it's also not fair to blame the defense for problems the offense creates. The issue though is not that the defense is a bit worse. Does anyone here really think Tua isn't good enough to make up a 3 points per game gap over Coker? Obviously he's more than talented enough to do that. The question then is if he's being most effectively used, and in turn is someone like Najee being used most effectively. Is the defense being put in bad positions by short possessions? Could Alabama get more out of the running game and in turn both take pressure off Tua but also take pressure off the defense?
It's one thing to say hey Tua has to do more because the defense isn't as good. Alright. However, this is not only the possible way things could go.
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