Quote:no kodiak

i am making this much of a fuss based on no film study

 

yes i have watched him play but with manziel i don't see it


can someone list his good points too me because no matter how many times I watch him, i just don't see it



 
i see these good points


fantastic feet-

no denying it shifty as a whippet and moves like a greyhound- can't argue with that is a true duel threat qb


improvisation-

shifts the pocket well can step up and throw or relocate the pocket or take off and get yards


can throw the ball from any position-

the best qb to my mind is aaron rodgers the factor that takes him above the other three (brees manning brady ) is that he can roll out and still throw just as well and throw on the run. manziel certainly has that ability and more


plays well under pressure-

has all that attention and still  brings it- fair play to the kid


reputation- 

would bring attention to town


so there's your good points, no denying them- reminds me of a more clutch rg3


bad points



 
relies too much on the read option-

manziel runs the ball far too often. His typical first down is a read option run for about 4-8. That puts him at 2nd and 4 which opens up his options so much and puts him under next to no pressure on the next down... he can run it... hand it off... short throw long throw eveything is possible.



 
that first read option run will not last or work in the nfl, nfl coaches will scheme for it and eliminate it- see rg3 and kapernick- it will work occassionally but not as often as manziel seems to need it to to work in college



 
sets his mind too early-

if manziel decides to pass he passes... the pocket can be collapsing around him and he will do pirouettes and back flip to get away but then lob a massive jump ball into the middle of the field instead of just running it for a couple of yards or just throwing it away



 
runs from clean pockets-

the slightest sign of pressure manziel will go, his pocket presence is excellent but i've only seen him step up when he had to, ie both de's coming round the sides and being pushed deep by his tackles. Kudos to him for stepping up on that occassion but typically he rolls out cutting off half the field



 
great receivers-

those jump balls and 50/ 50 passes usually go his way whilst even against bama people were coming wide open for him on the deep routes


Just notice as well when evans has a bad game or is well covered manziel puts up bad numbers



 
footwork-

he does this wierd hoppy thing when he is going to pass i can't really describe it but he sort of skips but it's higher than anything i've seen before... i wonder if it's looking over the line or constantly wanting to take off but he doesn't plant nicely and that makes him loose power and float a few of his throws



 
middling accuracy-

he hits his receiver but he rarely leads his receiver tending to hit the guy in the chest or behind them on crossing routes rather than leading them into space where they could pick up extra numbers. Some short passes tend to float on him too and regularly receivershave to leap or skip for the ball rather than pulling it in cleanly even on short throws.



 
He also throws a fair bit worse if he is under pressure whilst being held inside the pocket if he can roll out and relocate great



 
offensive style-

relies on spread offenses, shotgun sets and doesn't make very many presnap reads, goes through his progressions quite nicely but takes too many risks and is easily bated into squeezing the ball into a tight spot that isn't always there, it's high risk high reward but those sort of throws will be punished far more often in the nfl than in college



 
not to mention the size and personality issues that everyone is talking about



 
beyond his athleticism i don't see anything that seperates him from the rest and he reminds me of an rg3 or a kapernick but without that fierce zip kaep puts on the ball



 
but with manziel i am genuinely open to being proven wrong

I come home to read this worthless crud. Why? I don't feel like writing this but here goes......


Relies Too Much On Read Option.............

What do you think? Does he have a choice in the matter. This is the system he came into. Why do they do it? Because it works. What's wrong with 2nd and 4? Why would you change a winning game.....in any sport? Will he use it in the pros. No.....his coach won't REQUIRE him too.


Set's His Mind Too Early.................

"if he decides to pass he passes". Whaaat? What does that mean? When Rodgers decides to pass.....by golly....he passes too. "Lob a massive jump ball into the middle of the field". Really....you're resorting to that card? Weak. After a miraculous escape he tossed it up to the tallest guy in the area. A calculated risk. It worked and I haven't it again since. I've watched all his games. When one's defense is so bad that they can never stop the opposing offenses, you are under a special kind of pressure. You must take some chances.....or lose. That's what many of you guys never consider.


Runs From Clean Pockets..............

Sometimes he does. Sometimes he doesn't. After going thru his reads and nobody is open, then he will leave the pocket (a la Wilson) and threaten to run......which often loosens up the coverage so the receiver gets free. He does it with success and regularity. He is always looking downfield but if no defender releases.....he runs. He will do this in the NFL.......but he will slide......or go out of bounds after the gain.


Great Receivers............Wow. Really? Evans. Where has he been the last 3 games? 51 yards. 8 yards. 72 yards respectively. His stock is dropping. Who else is great? Anyone in the top 75? No. Labhart a great receiver. Kennedy? Walker?Clear? Gonzalez? They're just guys. Decent. Far from great. That was a real reach.


Footwork..................

You act like he is hopping high and having to wait to hit the ground. They're very short, lightning quick steps and hops. His release is one of the fastest quick releases in college I heard the announcers say. My eyes tell me that I've never seen quicker feet. It a strength that allows him to avoid defenders and extend plays. It's one of the things that makes him great.


Accuracy..............

I don't know who you're watching.....but it can't be Manziel. He is dead accurate most of the time.....even on the roll.....left or right. Now if you watched him after the Mississippi State game, then you have a point. He couldn't throw. His thumb was all swollen from jamming it into a helmet at the end of the game. Before that, he averaged 49 points a game. Against LSU and Missouri, he was ineffective. After the regular season, I knew he would blow up and said it on the game thread early. I knew his thumb was healed. During the bowl game, his accuracy was spot on.....in and out of the pocket.


Offensive Style........

To me, this concerns me. It's not his style....it's A&M's style. His back up have to play the same way. Can he adapt to a pro style? That is the gamble. I would be he can.......but my job doesn't depend on his success. Time will tell. Someone will take him in the top ten if not top five.


Size And Personality..........

He's the same size as Brees. But he's only 20 and reportedly still growing. Personality? Overblown big time. He is devoted to team and team is devoted to him. Also Luke Joeckel.



Gee I can't believe that I took the time to refute this junk. No disrespect but this gets old fast. I can't prove anything and neither can you or I or Caldwell. The only one who can prove you wrong is Manziel himself. Whichever team he goes to.....it will be one wild ride. He may bust. He may be the next Joe Montana. Manziel has been under a very special kind of pressure this year. He is under pressure to score a touchdown on every single possession........because his defense will not be able to stop the other offense. Think about that kind of pressure for a minute. Heck, Duke never needed the punter the whole game. He could have stayed home. Ladies and Gents, it is my conclusion that this guy has "IT". Goodnight and Happy New Year.

Burt Jason

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