There was plenty of discussion last year regarding o line play and the play calling. Unfortunately, the play calling hasn't improved and the line play has regressed. Injuries/suspensions haven't helped.
I like Mertz. Before I had ever seen him play a down, I learned of his 18 picks thrown at Wisconsin..... I was probably the President of the doubt club against him..... But as the season has progressed he has made me a believer in him. He's got good zip when he needs it, I think he scrambles and runs pretty good, definitely has stones when he runs. Holds the ball longer than should at times but at least he's trying to make a play. Hopefully the rest of the year goes better for the Gator boys. GO GATORS!!!!
If SOS was calling the offense Mertz would have close to DW numbers. Both could win games with the right call on at the right time.
Not with that OL. SOS could come up with a better game play, but he doesn't walk on water, and to be successful with our OL, he'd have to be a miracle worker.
His MO was never about pocket mobility. If anything, his pocket presence is better than everyone we've had since Tim. There were times he slipped out of a sack only to complete a Mahomes pass. Yes he does get sacked, but those are from defenders that are in 5th gear and he has no chance to even think about unloading. In most cases, he would have been called for intentional grounding on top of the sack. First you guys criticize him rolling out of the pocket, then you complain he won't throw it away if he does stay in the pocket. Throwing it away from in the pocket with no receiver in the area is grounding. You could run 80 yards backwards but if you don't get beyond the tackle box, it's going to get called grounding.
I actually agree with you. You have to watch the Varnadore and GNFP breakdowns to fully appreciate what I am trying to say. I will restate it like this: in a multiple choice test Mertz is picking the correct answer but not the most correct answer. He gets partial credit because his selections are within Napier’s game plan as a “game manager” but if the same plays were given to Tua Tagovailovoa he would take the deep receiver. I am not saying I want another Tua as QB, but I am saying that with minor tweaks to the receiver routes in terms of timing and spacing those deep routes or other intermediate routes might become better options.
Yeah, minor tweaks to the receiver routes along with major tweaks to the offensive line and you're onto something.
I didn't criticize him at all just stated what I've seen also I stated that he's been better than I expected just wish his down field vision was better because every game this year not just yesterday we've had receivers running open
Well, offensive line is something that generally does not get tweaked—even though we have 5,327 o-line coaches and 69 analysts.
Mertz has his issues (locks onto people, doesn’t see open receivers) but he has been better than I expected. But bench him for a younger player? No way. Hasn’t deserved that and I don’t think there is another power 5 QB on our roster.
I’m not advocating a bombs away, air raid style offense. Has anybody ever won a national championship doing that? I ask because I can’t think of anyone. It’s fun to watch but usually not winning football because if you live by the bomb (or three point shot, or home run) you are gonna die by it. BUT having said that, what IS important is that the threat is there, that you have to account for that possibility and in Gainesville for the last two seasons that possibility does not exist. Stop the one dimension and you stop Billy Ball.
Reminds me of 96. Without Taylor back there, I doubt we do what we did. I love me some Spurrier but I have at times wanted to throw shit at my tv yelling hand the damn ball off.
