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So I just finished re-watching the "Stephen Morris breakdown" video, and with the consensus that he's basically the key to the whole season, I'd like to get a discussion going on him.
First, I want to give my thoughts on his strengths/weaknesses based simply on last year's Maryland game tape (not a great way to make generalizations, but it's really all we have...)
Strengths -
- Arm strength. Obvious choice here. What I like about his arm is that he doesn't gun everything - there is some definite touch to his passes when called for. But when he wants to, he can stick it in a tight spot (no homo.)
- Pocket presence. This one jumped out at me on the film. If you notice, he's always looking downfield and stays very tall in the pocket. He steps up in the pocket most of the time (see also Lu's hair-pulling re: Jacory Harris) and his mechanics are pretty darn solid.
- Poise. This goes along with the above, but Morris' command of the field and trust in the playcall is evident in his game film (almost to a fault - see below), and should only improve with additional reps/confidence. He also isn't gun-shy after making a mistake - doesn't seem to rattle very easily.
- Athleticism. Morris can definitely use his legs to get out of trouble. That said, he's not a "running QB" by any stretch. He's got the tools to make a guy miss and pick up a first down, but again - he always seems to be looking downfield, which is a huge advantage IMO.
Weaknesses -
- Stare-down. Ah, the doom of every young QB. Most of Morris' turnover issues seem to be a result of staring down his WR from the snap and allowing the defense to make a play on the ball. In theory, this should improve with coaching, reps, etc., but it begs the question as to how much he has learned under Fisch in a year...
- Progression/Decision-making. This is tied to the above of course, but this one has to do more with his comfort level in making reads quickly and releasing the ball in a timely manner. It seemed that 80-90% of the time he was waiting for his primary read to get open rather than go through his progressions and find the 2nd/3rd read or check-down.
Now, what has me optimistic is that the above weaknesses are indeed coachable - IF Morris can break some of his bad habits, he has many of the "uncoachables" that make up a great QB.
Side-note on playcalling: On the Maryland video, I saw a lot of sit-down routes in the middle of the field, with the deep ball primarily coming off playaction. I think this is a smart way to gameplan for Morris' strengths - let him get comfortable on the 5-7 yard hitch and then take a chance on single-coverage every so often. However, if the ball arrives late on the curl routes...well, just watch the last play.
So, for those that have seen Morris practice this year, or have thoughts on his play - I'd love for you to weigh in. Can he improve on his decision-making? Does he look "coached-up"? How do you see the playcalling this year? I know D$ has mentioned the Cutler comparison - what are the board's thoughts on this?
First, I want to give my thoughts on his strengths/weaknesses based simply on last year's Maryland game tape (not a great way to make generalizations, but it's really all we have...)
Strengths -
- Arm strength. Obvious choice here. What I like about his arm is that he doesn't gun everything - there is some definite touch to his passes when called for. But when he wants to, he can stick it in a tight spot (no homo.)
- Pocket presence. This one jumped out at me on the film. If you notice, he's always looking downfield and stays very tall in the pocket. He steps up in the pocket most of the time (see also Lu's hair-pulling re: Jacory Harris) and his mechanics are pretty darn solid.
- Poise. This goes along with the above, but Morris' command of the field and trust in the playcall is evident in his game film (almost to a fault - see below), and should only improve with additional reps/confidence. He also isn't gun-shy after making a mistake - doesn't seem to rattle very easily.
- Athleticism. Morris can definitely use his legs to get out of trouble. That said, he's not a "running QB" by any stretch. He's got the tools to make a guy miss and pick up a first down, but again - he always seems to be looking downfield, which is a huge advantage IMO.
Weaknesses -
- Stare-down. Ah, the doom of every young QB. Most of Morris' turnover issues seem to be a result of staring down his WR from the snap and allowing the defense to make a play on the ball. In theory, this should improve with coaching, reps, etc., but it begs the question as to how much he has learned under Fisch in a year...
- Progression/Decision-making. This is tied to the above of course, but this one has to do more with his comfort level in making reads quickly and releasing the ball in a timely manner. It seemed that 80-90% of the time he was waiting for his primary read to get open rather than go through his progressions and find the 2nd/3rd read or check-down.
Now, what has me optimistic is that the above weaknesses are indeed coachable - IF Morris can break some of his bad habits, he has many of the "uncoachables" that make up a great QB.
Side-note on playcalling: On the Maryland video, I saw a lot of sit-down routes in the middle of the field, with the deep ball primarily coming off playaction. I think this is a smart way to gameplan for Morris' strengths - let him get comfortable on the 5-7 yard hitch and then take a chance on single-coverage every so often. However, if the ball arrives late on the curl routes...well, just watch the last play.
So, for those that have seen Morris practice this year, or have thoughts on his play - I'd love for you to weigh in. Can he improve on his decision-making? Does he look "coached-up"? How do you see the playcalling this year? I know D$ has mentioned the Cutler comparison - what are the board's thoughts on this?
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