QB Competition 2018

[teamplayer]

And Clemson has a better front four, so if Jalen stays greedy with the ball, we could be in for a long night.

I've seen games where I thought Jalen should have kept the ball more and games where he should have handed off more. The real key is for him to make the correct read and not have his mind made up beforehand. I don't care if he runs 30 times if he runs for 200 yards, and I don't care if he has zero yards if our running backs have 250 yards. He needs to make the correct read and hit his open receivers. If he does, our offense will be difficult to stop. If he doesn't, the better defenses make us look very average.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I've seen games where I thought Jalen should have kept the ball more and games where he should have handed off more. The real key is for him to make the correct read and not have his mind made up beforehand. I don't care if he runs 30 times if he runs for 200 yards, and I don't care if he has zero yards if our running backs have 250 yards. He needs to make the correct read and hit his open receivers. If he does, our offense will be difficult to stop. If he doesn't, the better defenses make us look very average.

Have you noticed how we've looked against the better defenses?

 

[gtgilbert]

To add, the center of your o-line actually holds up pretty well against good d-linemen. He could absolutely step up on most plays.

Yep - the time is there if he'll trust the OTs to push the pressure past him.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

MY opinion only—The remaining one or two games, I think, should help determine what direction we choose to go in next year. Either Jalen proves he can run a consistent passing attack against very elite competition or we need to give Tua a chance.

Correction:
He needs to make better decisions on the field as far as passing attack against very elite competition and learning when not to run/ when to run....

 

[deliveryman35]

Correction:
He needs to make better decisions on the field as far as passing attack against very elite competition and learning when not to run/ when to run....

Without splitting hairs, how is that a correction?

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Correction:
He needs to make better decisions on the field as far as passing attack against very elite competition and learning when not to run/ when to run....

I think he either makes those adjustments or we will see Tua on the field. Just my opinion, of course...

 

[teamplayer]

Have you noticed how we've looked against the better defenses?

Uh, yes. Is this a trick question? This isn't a new concept or thought that others haven't noticed since last year. Jalen is good at certain things and not so good at others, but I trust he is working hard to improve just like every other player who represents UA right now. I do get confused by those who think that Tua is great without actually showing as much as Jalen has, but I also understand the enthusiasm for Tua when I see him make certain plays. However, I very much assume that Jalen is our best QB since he is the one who the coaches are playing. If Tua surpasses Jalen, I expect the coaches will play him. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Tua passes Jalen in the spring, but it also wouldn't surprise me at all if Jalen is still our starting QB next fall, strengths and weaknesses still present.

 

[bigjue24]

I think he either makes those adjustments or we will see Tua on the field. Just my opinion, of course...

I tend to agree with you. The hook may be short in the playoffs, but I'm not sure he starts in Orlando next year at all. Tua has the opportunity to pass him by.

 

[drwho]

I think he either makes those adjustments or we will see Tua on the field. Just my opinion, of course...

And, you're not alone.

 

[Alanbama27]

I've been saying this for a while, but it certainly seems to be coming true. I felt Hurts wasn't used properly throughout the season and I thought that Daboll's play calling would catch up to Hurts.

Now, that doesn't mean that Hurts is without his faults, but Hurts is a tool and it is Daboll's job to put him to best use. It isn't a question of whether or not Hurts can make certain throws, because it's Daboll that is asking him to do that. The question rather is can Hurts move the ball? I think we've seen enough to say yes. You have to call plays that make best use of the weapons you have on the field, not draw up plays that in theory a hypothetical quarterback might make. Sure Tua might have executed Daboll's gameplan better, but Hurts was the quarterback that was in the game. The complete lack of a lot of shorter stuff throughout the season, and running Hurts too often seems to have caught up to Alabama. I don't think it makes sense to change quarterbacks because your OC isn't doing a very good job calling plays. It's hard to argue that the play calling situation Hurts has had to deal with the past couple of seasons has really given him the best chance to succeed.

Think about this though, Ridley doesn't get mugged on every play and Hurts might have thrown for 100+ more yards and had at least one more passing TD. We might not be complaining about the play calling or Hurts in that scenario. On the flip side, it was happening...

Couldn’t agree more! Against MSU we threw quick slants that were wide open and hurt them! We threw to the tight end multiple times. Against Auburn the quick slants were wide open because they were rushing 6 and 7 a lot! Dabol simply called a bad game. He tried to run Hurts in first down so often it was very predictable! He barely ran the toss sweep with Jacobs who destroyed MSU! As we saw in the UGA/AU game (SECCG) UGA ran toss sweeps that killed AU! Dabol simply out smarted himself!


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[drwho]

Dabol simply out smarted himself!

Haven't heard it put that way before.

 

[B1GTide]

Couldn’t agree more! Against MSU we threw quick slants that were wide open and hurt them! We threw to the tight end multiple times. Against Auburn the quick slants were wide open because they were rushing 6 and 7 a lot! Dabol simply called a bad game. He tried to run Hurts in first down so often it was very predictable! He barely ran the toss sweep with Jacobs who destroyed MSU! As we saw in the UGA/AU game (SECCG) UGA ran toss sweeps that killed AU! Dabol simply out smarted himself!

Against my better judgement I went back and watched that game again last night. After watching it again, I am not so sure that Daboll called a bad game. Now, at some point he should have adjusted to Jalen's play in the game, and he didn't, so that is on him. But I saw receivers open over the middle on virtually every play where Jalen took off running too soon.

So, IMO, that was on Jalen, not Daboll. But at some point Daboll should have seen what was happening with Jalen and made a call - change QBs or change play calls. So why did they leave Jalen in the game and why keep calling the same plays? Turns out that Alabama was still in the game late in the 4th. Even with all of the bad play, you moved the ball. But here is where the game was lost:

Botched FG attempt at the very end of the 3rd qtr (Auburn fed off of that momentum swing and scored their last TD)
Foster running a 3 yard route on 4th and 4 at the Auburn 30 yard line with 9 minutes to go in the 4th qtr

Because of those 2 plays, Jalen tried to do way too much with not enough time on the clock on your last drive. JMO, but if those 2 plays above had gone differently, Alabama wins that game - and neither of those botched plays were on Jalen.

It really came down to just those 2 plays, with Auburn playing their best defensive and offensive game of the year, on a day in which they would have beat anyone (including every playoff team).

So, sure, Jalen needs to improve. And so does Daboll. But as long as Alabama plays just a tiny bit better than they did against Auburn, you are going to win #17.

 

[ProudTider]

Against my better judgement I went back and watched that game again last night. After watching it again, I am not so sure that Daboll called a bad game. Now, at some point he should have adjusted to Jalen's play in the game, and he didn't, so that is on him. But I saw receivers open over the middle on virtually every play where Jalen took off running too soon.



So, IMO, that was on Jalen, not Daboll. But at some point Daboll should have seen what was happening with Jalen and made a call - change QBs or change play calls. So why did they leave Jalen in the game and why keep calling the same plays? Turns out that Alabama was still in the game late in the 4th. Even with all of the bad play, you moved the ball. But here is where the game was lost:

Botched FG attempt at the very end of the 3rd qtr (Auburn fed off of that momentum swing and scored their last TD)
Foster running a 3 yard route on 4th and 4 at the Auburn 30 yard line with 9 minutes to go in the 4th qtr

Because of those 2 plays, Jalen tried to do way too much with not enough time on the clock on your last drive. JMO, but if those 2 plays above had gone differently, Alabama wins that game - and neither of those botched plays were on Jalen.

It really came down to just those 2 plays, with Auburn playing their best defensive and offensive game of the year, on a day in which they would have beat anyone (including every playoff team).

So, sure, Jalen needs to improve. And so does Daboll. But as long as Alabama plays just a tiny bit better than they did against Auburn, you are going to win #17.

Very true. I also believe Bo's 4-yard reception on a 3rd and 5 was a missed opportunity. I just have to believe Damien or Josh beat that open field tackle by Roberts and we go on to make it 21-13.

 

[JDCrimson]

I think we all need to read between the lines of what Earle is saying - the leash on Jalen has likely been significantly shortened and probably isn't exclusively for a few bad plays in the Auburn game.

Something tells me a message was delivered crystal clear there is only one bus and CNS is driving it.

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[drwho]

But I saw receivers open over the middle on virtually every play where Jalen took off running too soon.

Not that I disagree, but why do you change plays when receivers are wide open over the middle. I think that's on Jalen, too. If the play caller is getting open receivers on most plays, then it's on the QB to get them the ball.

 

[B1GTide]

Not that I disagree, but why do you change plays when receivers are wide open over the middle. I think that's on Jalen, too. If the play caller is getting open receivers on most plays, then it's on the QB to get them the ball.

Agreed - that is why I said that I didn't put it on Daboll. That was my point exactly. Of course, you have to put the decision to leave Jalen in the game on someone, but I explained why even that made sense.

 

[CoachJeff]

I tend to agree with you. The hook may be short in the playoffs, but I'm not sure he starts in Orlando next year at all. Tua has the opportunity to pass him by.

Then this January may be the last time we see Hurts play at Alabama.

 

[Moro Creek]

Then this January may be the last time we see Hurts play at Alabama.

You could be right, or we might see him at another position in the spring.

 

[B1GTide]

You could be right, or we might see him at another position in the spring.

Or he could totally kill it and make everyone feel bad for doubting him.

 

[Moro Creek]

Or he could totally kill it and make everyone feel bad for doubting him.

I suppose anything is possible.