It’s a team sport, but one player can cost you the game. So far, Mertz hasn’t cost us a game for you to be bashing the kid. AR lost a few games for us and probably was the reason we beat Utah last year. I would say we need more data points before declaring this offense as anything but a work in progress…especially with the patchwork offensive line that you’re so ready to count out.
We’ve played 1 game this year…that’s why I am using 1 game. It is a literal fact our offensive performance vs Utah was worse than our 2022 It’s the data point we have. Maybe we improve, maybe we don’t. The other thing we have is the talent level. We have huge talent drops at QB and OL. Same at RB. More talent at WR. Again, facts. The RBs actually played well vs Utah. Advanced data points the problem with the passing game.
Im not the one saying the offense is better this year. I’m just talking facts using the data we have. Others seem to be making up results for future games. When the real results come in the data will firm. Do people really think the offense performed well vs Utah? Why are you focused on AR? He had a good year last year and as most QBs in the 25-50 range he had some up and down games. I hate to break it to you but all QBs in that range have bad games. Mertz has had plenty of them. Regardless why are people hell bent on trying to make Mertz better than AR (which is hilarious)? Who cares? Focus on what matters, total offensive production.
Recognizing that we played a poor HS team is not “woeful and world weary”. How we perform vs comparable P5 teams is how the team will be judged.
I just like how Scott Strickmando maybe set us up for the future with Austin Armstrong as a potential "promote from within" head coach! (not that I don't believe in what Napier is doing, I mean if Napier moves on in future for whatever reason, would be great if this "army staff" could also create a HC in waiting).
So far I’m much more concerned with the oline. Mertz looks to have the ability to lead a much more consistent offense than we had last year but he was sacked five times vs Utah and was forced to keep it short with lack of time to go downfield. Tennessee is going to bring it and try to pressure Mertz also. Hopefully we pick it up much better this week and get some deeper routes quicker. We have to go over the top to loosen up the run game. I doubt our line can run against a stacked box. Napier sees what we see too. The Utah gameplan surely didn’t account for the complete lack of a running game.
Tennessee qb isn’t much of a test either. It looks better so far but when do we play our first good passing attach?
Third game in against a solid sec team should tell us plenty. If we can move the ball consistently on these guys, we should have some to work with going forward. 13 yards of rushing again would be really bad news. You can’t scheme an offensive line.
Advanced stats? We could block shit is not a stat. All stats are skewed by that fact. 70% passes is pretty damn good with no running game and tge defense pinning their ears back every play. If Mertz wasn’t able to make all those quick decisions and get someone the ball, we may have never gotten a first down. They’ve had two weeks and a walk through game to figure out how to make this line more effective. We’ve got a couple guys back and I hope to see a better gameplan than game one taking into account that we will see a loaded box until we beat it.
1-1 after two games in ‘23 as in ‘22. Will you give the offense props if we are 2-1 after this weekend in the ultimate measure of production…which is wins and losses? Anyone can pull random stats to illustrate a point.
You cant use the ultimate measure of success vis a vis W/L with matt. He only cares about justifying the use of advanced metrics to support his admiration of AR above all else.
There is no debating anyone who works this hard to promote a narrative. If you want to hear all about how hopeless, hapless and just downright gawd-awful GM and BN are... Matt's your road dawg. If you're more interested in a reasonable overview that includes the good, the bad, the TBD... then probably not so much.
Growin' yer own... so to speak. As a theoretical concept, that strikes me as an imminently practical solution - at some point in the future, to be sure.
Like Coach Pell told me when I asked him at the Reitz Union: - When you boil it all down coach, what does it take to win? Coach Pell: Blockin and Tacklin son, blockin and tacklin.......... The team that does that best will win 90+ % of the time.
I have a feeling Matt06 has already made his decision about this staff tommy. His criticisms are not unjustified, UF has warts under Napier. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the instant gratification crowd is becoming more vocal and intense. Looking more and more like 2 years is the new benchmark for success. Hey I get it about JIMBO. Guys in year six and still sucking. I would counter by simply asking, OK, throw the guy out, pay the 32 million, then what? Call Scott Frost?? Mel Tucker? Saban? Smart? Some posters were suggesting Brian Kelly was a great move for LSU. Go over to Tiger Bait and check them out about that now. Or better yet check posts after the FSU game. I don't think Dion is coming. Kiffen? I won't deny he is a good playcaller and a decent coach. It would be a tough take for me because my perception is UF would just be another "mark" for another big payout from his perspective once he moves on. I don't see any championship banners under that guy. The season did not end at Utah. Perhaps we should wait at least a few more games before burning the program down again.
