Stephen Morris - The Regression

[sebastian91]

Why do ppl keep harping on this "middle of the field" bs?

The offense is still moving up the field at will regardless.

Who cares, thats not going to prevent any of the bad interceptions he's thrown this season.

He just has to take the sack or throw the ball away when there is nothing there, and move on to the next play..... you all are trying to make more of this then it really is.

He has ankle issues, he's working w/ his 3rd offensive coordinator and just has to get back in sync..... if you dont think those things have more to do w/ his "inconsistencies" this season, then anything, then you just want to come up w/ reasons to MOPE.

Disagree on some of that. Defenses know that he doesn't use the middle of the field, which is why he's always throwing into double and triple coverage on the sidelines or deep (and getting picked, especially when he throws late because he's abandoned the pocket). I don't know if that's because the plays are designed with sideline and deep routes, or if he doesn't see the middle of the field. However, he used Mike James a lot out of the backfield last season (he still didn't use the TEs enough). I've rarely seen the RBs used this season, and the TEs are still not being used. That said, I do believe that his ankle and 3rd OC are legit issues as well.

 

[rudebuddha]

I'm going to blame something else.

The schedule.

Morris took most of FAU off. Then played against a full strength Florida. Played very little against Savannah State and USF and suffered a blown tire to boot.
He then played GT and UNC with very sporadic weeks leading up to the games and was clearly hobbled against GT and UNC.

In 7 weeks Morris has really only played in 3 of those weeks and in 2 of them he has been gimpy. Whether it's his plant foot or his push off foot, either is going to ***** up your mechanics.
Look at that 80 yard in the air completion to Dorsett against UNC. With a healthy 2 legs Morris probably hits him in stride at 90 yards.

He is obviously rusty, and doesn't have the greatest communication with the receivers.
I blame that on having pretty much 2 weeks off between the early games.

We definitely need him healthy and sharp to keep Fsu's secondary worried about covering the whole field, particularly 60+ yards down the field.
I'm pretty sure the reason Morris completes those deep bombs every game is because secondaries usually never have to worry about a ball thrown that far.
How many qb's has anyone seen this year rifling, not lofting, 60-70-80 lasers? It's like the sideline. Once a wr runs past a certain point db's figure he's run himself out of the play,

He needs to use the Wake game as an opportunity to get sharp and build on the chemistry with the o line and receivers.

We might also need a new silent count for Tally besides the butt tap, or else Flowers is going to have 10 lunging holding penalties by the first half.

 

[UMFarArcher]

SteMo failures have nothing to do with who his OC is, or isn't. Nor does it have anything to do with some bogus *** injury.

Putting it in laymen terms. SteMo isn't that good.

So then who is responsible for smashing the University of Miami all time passing record for a single game last season? Was that on Fisch or Morris?

You can have a Mach 6.5 ramjet aircraft that racks up some phenomenal miles in just a few hours.

But if the damned things crash every third flight - to **** with the other statistics. They're not worth a ****.

 

[Bennubird]

I agree completely. I think our coaches have called plays to limit Morris' penchant for turnovers. I thought that was why as soon as we got out in front of uf Coley shut it down and let Driskiel implode rather than Steven.

I think Fisch had a lot to do with it

we have completely abandoned the middle of the field in the passing game. idk wtf they are doing out there. just run run run please

The middle of the field is actually where most INTs happen. When you have a QB who is pick happy the middle of the field is the last place you want him focused.

 

[stat1124]

This!! That last interception he threw in the UNC game made absolutely no sense at all. He was two steps from out of bounds and instead of just heaving it out of bounds, he throws across his body on one foot and not sure if he even seen the DB underneath rolling to the sideline. What is even more maddening is if he gave the ball an extra 6 inches to a foot, we probably would have caught it but it was an ill advised throw and made no sense at all.

He's trying to make the big play all the time. Find the check downs or throw it away.

This. Trying too hard to impress NFL scouts. I have seen countless guys open underneath only for Stephen to chuck it deep into double coverage ala Jacory.

His footwork has been awful as well. Too may bail out throws in the face of pressure which is why the ball sails on him.

Saw a stat on his third down production. 38% with 6 INTs after completing 58% last year with only one INT. I think most of his bail out throws have come on 3rd down when teams send the house. They will continue to do so until he shows he can make the right reads and stand in and complete the balls to our guys and not theirs.

 

[Odin]

Morris is streaky, and that streakiness leads to reactionary threads like this. Going into the UNC game, he was statistically one of the most efficient and highest-rated passers in the nation. Some of that was due to competition, but he only played 2.5 quarters against USF and Savannah State and had to go against a QB-killing Gator defense.

He is what he is. At this point, he is a rich man's Brock Berlin (although I'm sure the revisionist historians will dispute the "rich man's" part).

Morris hasn't regressed, he just hasn't made the jump to elite status some of us were hoping for. Here's what I do know: he is our best quarterback since Dorsey and our second-best quarterback in two decades. He's tough, he can lead game-winning drives, he has a special arm and he's been the leader of the best 'Canes team in many years.

I'm excited to see how he finishes his college career.

So IYO he's gone from a sure late 1st round pick to now a rich man's Brock Berlin.

 

[DMoney]

So IYO he's gone from a sure late 1st round pick to now a rich man's Brock Berlin.

When did I say he was a "sure late first round pick?" Read Post 14 of this thread. I say very clearly that "smart money has him in the late second round." In that same post (which was April 2013), I predicted his buzz would pick up around the Manning Passing Academy. No surprise that he dazzled in that setting.

http://www.canesinsight.com/threads...ng?highlight=morris+draft+second+round+dmoney

Based on how he performed in front of a ton of scouts/executives on Thursday, I'd say he's in the third-round range right now. We'll see how it plays out. It's no secret I like the guy. I've been driving his bandwagon since he was a HS prospect, and he's accomplished more than almost anybody expected. Still a lot of football left and I can't wait to see how he finishes.

 

[Canesfan1899]

Has to learn that an incompletion isn't going to kill you but an interception tossed into traffic when you're already in field goal range can lose you games.

 

[rudebuddha]

So IYO he's gone from a sure late 1st round pick to now a rich man's Brock Berlin.

When did I say he was a "sure late first round pick?" Read Post 14 of this thread. I say very clearly that "smart money has him in the late second round." In that same post (which was April 2013), I predicted his buzz would pick up around the Manning Passing Academy. No surprise that he dazzled in that setting.

http://www.canesinsight.com/threads...ng?highlight=morris+draft+second+round+dmoney

Based on how he performed in front of a ton of scouts/executives on Thursday, I'd say he's in the third-round range right now. We'll see how it plays out. It's no secret I like the guy. I've been driving his bandwagon since he was a HS prospect, and he's accomplished more than almost anybody expected. Still a lot of football left and I can't wait to see how he finishes.

First off, let me tell you that of all the posters on her, you are one of the handful that deserves a lot of respect.

You seem to know your qb's.

How many college or pro qb's playing right now could make that throw to Dorsett in the UNC game?
If you do the math to get the hypotenuse distance, I'm putting that throw at 80 yards+ in the air with a bum wheel.
And it wasn't a punt. That ball was drilled in there.

NFL gm's look at potential. With 1st round qb's it's a crapshoot. You either have it up stairs like Peyton, or you have the arm like Marino or Elway.
Usually you flop as a 1st round qb, but one thing is always a sure bet: NFL gm's will always become enamored with a huge arm.
Look at Jake Locker. Kid couldn't hit hit a barn door from 10 feet away in college, but you put him 60 yards away and he'd put a hole in the door half the time.
Blaine Gabbart could chuck it far, but couldn't read a defense with a gun to his head. Same with Heath Shuler, Andre Ware, Dan McGuire etc.,

If Morris shakes off the rust and finishes this year like he did last year, people are going to fall in love with him.
Maybe even 1 or 2 Miami Hurricane fans.

 

[moshated305]

So IYO he's gone from a sure late 1st round pick to now a rich man's Brock Berlin.

When did I say he was a "sure late first round pick?" Read Post 14 of this thread. I say very clearly that "smart money has him in the late second round." In that same post (which was April 2013), I predicted his buzz would pick up around the Manning Passing Academy. No surprise that he dazzled in that setting.

http://www.canesinsight.com/threads...ng?highlight=morris+draft+second+round+dmoney

Based on how he performed in front of a ton of scouts/executives on Thursday, I'd say he's in the third-round range right now. We'll see how it plays out. It's no secret I like the guy. I've been driving his bandwagon since he was a HS prospect, and he's accomplished more than almost anybody expected. Still a lot of football left and I can't wait to see how he finishes.

First off, let me tell you that of all the posters on her, you are one of the handful that deserves a lot of respect.

You seem to know your qb's.

How many college or pro qb's playing right now could make that throw to Dorsett in the UNC game?
If you do the math to get the hypotenuse distance, I'm putting that throw at 80 yards+ in the air with a bum wheel.
And it wasn't a punt. That ball was drilled in there.

NFL gm's look at potential. With 1st round qb's it's a crapshoot. You either have it up stairs like Peyton, or you have the arm like Marino or Elway.
Usually you flop as a 1st round qb, but one thing is always a sure bet: NFL gm's will always become enamored with a huge arm.
Look at Jake Locker. Kid couldn't hit hit a barn door from 10 feet away in college, but you put him 60 yards away and he'd put a hole in the door half the time.
Blaine Gabbart could chuck it far, but couldn't read a defense with a gun to his head. Same with Heath Shuler, Andre Ware, Dan McGuire etc.,

If Morris shakes off the rust and finishes this year like he did last year, people are going to fall in love with him.
Maybe even 1 or 2 Miami Hurricane fans.

I get your point but that throw to Dorsett was more luck than anything. We know Morris has a strong arm but it would have been an INT if the defender times his jump correctly. It was not a smart throw. I believe the previous two throws were also deep balls as well. He has fallen in love with the deep and needs to break that habit.

 

[DiegoCane]

He's trying to make the big play all the time. Find the check downs or throw it away.

This. Trying too hard to impress NFL scouts. I have seen countless guys open underneath only for Stephen to chuck it deep into double coverage ala Jacory.

His footwork has been awful as well. Too may bail out throws in the face of pressure which is why the ball sails on him.

Saw a stat on his third down production. 38% with 6 INTs after completing 58% last year with only one INT. I think most of his bail out throws have come on 3rd down when teams send the house. They will continue to do so until he shows he can make the right reads and stand in and complete the balls to our guys and not theirs.

This makes no sense at all. He is going to impress scouts by making the wrong read? Scouts already know he has a monster arm, he has nothing to prove in that category.

 

[canesproponent]

Brock Berlin as a Senior was MUCH better than Morris as a Senior, as of right now. Definitely. No debate.

 

[USwag]

Morris can only throw deep or to the sidelines. Anything 10-15 yards in the middle will be picked or dropped by a linebacker. I don't know why just watch the film. He is very inconsistent with his accuracy.

 

[The Franchise]

Morris is throwing more picks this year, but, other than that, he looks exactly the same as he has for 3 years. Opponents also dropped a whole lot of picks last year. He hit a bunch of defenders between the numbers last year, and they just didn't squeeze them.

He's always been this guy. This is who he is. He'll make some incredible throws, and then he'll kill you the next series. That's Morris.

This is pretty much how I see it. I've got this lingering hope that he puts it together. It's the only way we can make a legitimate run. Maybe that's forced optimism.

I think it's probably forced optimism, but I have the same thing going. Our best hope is that he had his worst game against a team that we could beat when he played horribly. If he plays anything like he did against UNC when we play fsu or Vag Tech, and we're dead. Maybe he'll get on a hot streak like he did the last 3 games of last season. He's going to need to be that good for us to have a chance against fsu and almost that good to beat VT.

 

[jw410]

Fisch is an interesting answer. I think he had something to do with Morris' (and Harris') results in that he protected them through play calling. However, Morris is a senior QB who has a ton of starts. Coley really can't afford to protect him and I wouldn't expect him to do so. If we have to for FSU and VTech, no bueno.

I agree. I think the mere fact of changing the OC had some effect but nothing compared to this change in mechanics from the injury. This year was Morris's third OC in 4 years...that is a lot.

Wake Forest is better on defense than UNC, but we're at home and we have the long week to prepare. This is a good game for Morris to bounce back. Morris is a senior and needs to lead this team, IMO he is the difference maker against FSU.

Mind you, I said interesting because I don't think it's all about Fisch. I think the change and Morris being a 4th year changes the expectations. Morris' up and down issues have always been there. The ankle may make it more pronounced, but his accuracy has always been erratic.

Lu,

I feel like beyond him being a little inaccurate.. Stephen is a poor decision maker. I mean seriously some of the decisions he makes inside the pocket is unacceptable for a guy who has played qb for the better part of his life.

He should have a "feel" for when to hold it, throw it away, or take off and run. I just wish he was a better game manager at this point.

 

[SmokeyRone]

Is regression the right word? He played awful against every good team he faced for four years.

Seems like consistantly bad would be a more apt term?

 

[sotacane22]

he wants to make the big play every down he needs to relax and just get the ball to the playmakers we have so many, and stop worrying about being a leader so much just play football al golden will lead

 

[cubin10]

So IYO he's gone from a sure late 1st round pick to now a rich man's Brock Berlin.

When did I say he was a "sure late first round pick?" Read Post 14 of this thread. I say very clearly that "smart money has him in the late second round." In that same post (which was April 2013), I predicted his buzz would pick up around the Manning Passing Academy. No surprise that he dazzled in that setting.

http://www.canesinsight.com/threads...ng?highlight=morris+draft+second+round+dmoney

Based on how he performed in front of a ton of scouts/executives on Thursday, I'd say he's in the third-round range right now. We'll see how it plays out. It's no secret I like the guy. I've been driving his bandwagon since he was a HS prospect, and he's accomplished more than almost anybody expected. Still a lot of football left and I can't wait to see how he finishes.

First off, let me tell you that of all the posters on her, you are one of the handful that deserves a lot of respect.

You seem to know your qb's.

How many college or pro qb's playing right now could make that throw to Dorsett in the UNC game?
If you do the math to get the hypotenuse distance, I'm putting that throw at 80 yards+ in the air with a bum wheel.
And it wasn't a punt. That ball was drilled in there.

NFL gm's look at potential. With 1st round qb's it's a crapshoot. You either have it up stairs like Peyton, or you have the arm like Marino or Elway.
Usually you flop as a 1st round qb, but one thing is always a sure bet: NFL gm's will always become enamored with a huge arm.
Look at Jake Locker. Kid couldn't hit hit a barn door from 10 feet away in college, but you put him 60 yards away and he'd put a hole in the door half the time.
Blaine Gabbart could chuck it far, but couldn't read a defense with a gun to his head. Same with Heath Shuler, Andre Ware, Dan McGuire etc.,

If Morris shakes off the rust and finishes this year like he did last year, people are going to fall in love with him.
Maybe even 1 or 2 Miami Hurricane fans.

He is a true CANE, we should love him, he just needs to play better for us beat F$Who. Have some faith he may fool you, then again he may not.

 

[The Franchise]

Ever notice how little Dorsey was sacked, then when the backup came in, he was always sacked? Morris needs to get through his progressions. He needs to start making the easy throws instead of going for the big plays all the time.

I said this when Morris played against Maryland a couple years ago and have been saying it ever since, but the difference between good and great at that position comes down to how you handle pressure. Morris handles pressure situations well, but he doesn't handle defensive pressure well.

The great QBs make good decisions under duress. He doesn't do that, and that's why he'll likely never be great. The synapses just don't fire quickly enough with him.

 

[DMoney]

NFL gm's look at potential. With 1st round qb's it's a crapshoot. You either have it up stairs like Peyton, or you have the arm like Marino or Elway.
Usually you flop as a 1st round qb, but one thing is always a sure bet: NFL gm's will always become enamored with a huge arm.
Look at Jake Locker. Kid couldn't hit hit a barn door from 10 feet away in college, but you put him 60 yards away and he'd put a hole in the door half the time.
Blaine Gabbart could chuck it far, but couldn't read a defense with a gun to his head. Same with Heath Shuler, Andre Ware, Dan McGuire etc.,

Similar guys IMO. Morris doesn't run as well and is more of a pure passer, but both are tough, high-character team leaders.