Graham Mertz, Game Manager Appreciation Thread - (updated to 2024 season)

“Safe passes out to the flats”? What are those?

 

This is kind of my thought. While Mertz's numbers are kind of lower output and you might assume he is only throwing safer passes, he's often having to scramble and thread the needle to complete a 5-yard pass. They're not safe, easy throws like Chris Leak could execute in his sleep.

Now one could ask why we don't have a bunch of safe, easy throws like that for Mertz but that is a different topic.

 

I’ve always considered “safe passes out to the flats” as a bit of an oxymoron

 

I’m thinking Saban would dearly love to have Mertz in his qb room right about now.

I like that Mertz makes quick decisions. Yea, we’re not tossing the rock far downfield right now, but a lot of that is we’re still unsettled on the OL, IMO.

At least all the Heupal offense adoration can subside for a while. There are times when it it all comes together in any offensive scheme, but that type of offense is difficult to sustain year over year in a program. Use it when you’ve got the talent and experience (LSU is the one year that comes to mind of a wide open offense to win a championship) but there’s a lot that can go wrong when you don’t.

 

Wish we could implement some version of what the dolphins are doing with their short passing game. I imagine it looks easy when you have Tua throwing to Hill, waddle and company but using Wilson, mizell, Pearsall along with Etienne could be a "safe" short passing game that is effective. That offense was frustrating to watch from a non dolphin fan perspective. The ball is out in less than 2 seconds every time.

 

I agree with most of this. But I just researched the game and he made a ton of plays that put him in a step above. Changed arm angle on the TD to trell, huge 3rd down completions, throws to the edge of the boundary, zip, touch, the right checks, looking off linebackers and understands how the pre snap motion should ACTUALLY work and setup trap runs…. Idk…. I’m starting to think he is not just another guy.

 

McDaniel is one of the best play designers in all of football.

 

This game was a shocker to me and I am glad that I was completely wrong on the outcome. I picked UT 31 to 16 - almost the exact opposite of what the outcome was. So I will happily eat the crow as they say. I will just jump on the defensive improvement bandwagon with the rest of the fan base. Gap control and especially edge control on the run game is night and day. Yes we gave up some big plays but that is life in college football, especially with a younger defense. Very easy to get the matchup you want in college. Optimistic with this unit though. Last year it seemed like we could never get off the field on 3rd down and this is much better as well. They really look improved and my real point of contention was them getting literally carried by the RB in the 3rd and 4th quarter. Need to toughen up and take those runners down. I also like the split safeties and they way the corners are playing smarter ball.

The offense is puzzling to me though. I will take the win and of course we looked better against UT than we did against the Utes. The "game manager" label on Mertz is fair right now but I do not see that as a bad thing. The kid did not have stellar numbers at Wisconsin and they are really limiting some of the routes and packages they put out there for him. I was surprised by UT's defensive strategy and there were a few plays early where they did not even cover the motion man for UF which makes for easy throws. It is unclear to me why they did not completely stack the box like Utah did and just make Mertz throw the ball all game. I think most teams will do exactly that.

Things I hate about this offense that hopefully will change as Fred Mertz get's more comfortable and the staff has more faith in him:

1. Route trees or options. It really looks like the routes are static. By this I mean the receiver is going to run a specific route and not have the option to read the coverage and break or hitch depending on what they see. Obviously I could be wrong but this looks to be the case and is really ineffective at times.
2. More wide sets. If we want to leverage Mertz as an accurate short pass guy I think we need to spread the field more and get some windows for him to throw into. UT really did not stack the box as often but in the Utes game they would have six or seven guys in the box and UF would run play action out of that with two wideouts. Really difficult to get balls to receivers in that formation and no one gave a sh1t about the play action.
3. More wideouts. Stop running two receivers in cover 4. You have to change that play prior to the snap or you will be throwing to your outlet receiver all game with your wideouts bracketed. Just football 101.
4. I like the bunch set. Very effective when run correctly. Again, some actual route trees there instead of static routes. Use that set to rub and disadvantage at least one of the cover guys. Make the cover guys make the hard decision, force them to hand off coverages, etc. Also please stop having two receivers in the same window. I get a trailing receiver that pulls coverages but they are way to close at times. Create the window and use the field.
5. Even more power running blocking. Saw more of this in the UT game so keep that up. We have a relatively big O line. Zone blocking is hard and it is tough on larger linemen in terms of their speed and endurance. There is nothing wrong with a run heavy offense that uses power blocking. If anything with the right personnel it is a very effective way to win the war of attrition. Punish their line and their linebackers before Etienne and Johnson even get to them and then punish them again with those backs. Sometimes just beating the living sh1t out of someone is better than finesse. Play to your strengths.
6. With some more creativity on the routes Mertz can then look to throw some long balls. Right now we do not have that deep threat but that is, in my opinion, a function of the scheme and not the players. We have some young talent to at least keep them honest but right now I do not think most defenses are worried about that.

Generally speaking the offense was obviously better but again I question what UT was doing on defense. Stack the box and make Mertz win was very effective for the Utes. Mertz threw for 330 yards of offense and we only scored 11. That is the play against us and imo the list above is the counter to that. Mertz can clearly manage the game and make short to medium accurate passes. Open the field up, stretch the defense, and then run power when you see the matchup you want.

 

Indeed - a very fine game had he.

There were a lot of posters on the Mertz train preseason and we all had high hopes. My refrain was "can he handle the pressure of being UF #1QB and can he handle SEC pass rush intensity."

Looking good on both.

Don't expect much downfield passing until the Oline improves and he can trust them.

 

Piqued my interest so I had to do a quick search. I know we have had some down years lately but how the hell does the Swamp not make the top 5 for loudest stadiums on several lists? Husky stadium? Autzen? Sanford? Loud but louder than the swamp?

 

The first drive against UT was frustrating due to getting zero points out of it, but I was still wide-eyed that the Gators opened their SEC season with a seven-and-a-half minute drive. I liked that a lot.

 

Half of what you see on the internet is false and the other three quarters is just wrong.

 

#8 at this moment. Then again, he's not in the top 50 for either Yards/Reception or Yards/Attempt, so one could conclude that it's easier to be accurate when you never throw long.

 

That screen (you know the one) was a thing of beauty. I went from “What the hell is he doing?” to “What an amazing amount of patience!”
He waited until the last possible moment and made a great play. It’s a little thing, but says something about his mindset.

 

In the PC he talked about prepping it a lot last week. They told him to hold until last second and it worked perfectly.

 

I believe that QBR is heavily weighted to yards per attempt. I’d like to see us develop a downfield game.

 

Field Marshall Mertz? The Swamp Fox? Lol... Nah, I like field General Mertz better. He and his Gator Army are coming for you!

 

I see you're as old as I am.

 

The ultimate game manager is Peyton manning with Denver superbowl season. He was pretty much washed up by then and couldn’t go deep at all.

So he managed the games and relied on the defense to win.