Offense Observations - Areas of improvement

[Saint3333]

I'd like to thank our moderators for building a culture on this site that we can have constructive discussion about our team and the players we support 100%.

This message board is a breath of fresh air compared to 90% of the boards I've seen not to mention twitter/facebook garbage we see out there. If players read this board I think they'll come away understanding how much our fans care about them and this program.

[boonetown1]

My biggest concern for the offense continues to be the passing game. We have too many dropped passes in every game. I may be old school but I subscribe to the theory that if it hits your hands, you should make the catch. There are obvious exceptions to this rule, like when the only reason it even hit the receiver's hands is because of extraordinary effort like a lay out or high jump or something like that, but most of our drops seem to be right in the hands. TL is an efficient quarterback. He has some arm strength issues with deep balls but when he puts the ball where it needs to be, our receivers need to do their job and catch it. Currently, Meadors is the only one that is doing this consistently. If we can start to catch the ball consistently, our offense should be unstoppable with or stable of running backs firing on all cylinders.

In my opinion, Taylor has pretty good arm strength. That said, after going on the field earlier this season and standing next to Taylor I think some of his issues could be just due to his size. He seems about average and I am sure he has an average hand size. Typically quarterbacks with bigger hands and spin the ball a little better And probably get a little more zip on it. Just for comparison, AE had super long arms and huge hands. Just an observation

[Rick83]

I think Lamb is getting WAY too much negativity this year. Perhaps because he had such stellar Freshman & Sophmore years...so by comparison to himself he isn't as good? I think he hasn't had the stable of receivers that he's had his first 2 years...except for Meadors (who's hit superstar status in my book) they're all still developing. Lamb isn't a flashy player (like AE was), he's a calm, level-headed guy who almost always gets done what needs to get done. He's made mistakes but watching those passes that he made while scrambling Thursday night were awesome. Our offensive strategy several times this year has been a slow tempo to keep control of the ball and keep it away from high-powered offenses, Tennessee, Ga State, Idaho for example. The slow tempo strategy isn't flashy...but it has been effective, and yes it's led to some delay of game penalties. Before he graduates next year, Taylor Lamb is going to leave his mark as one of the finest quarterbacks to ever wear the black and gold, and he did it while we were transitioning from FCS to FBS...a time when most programs suffer.

[ASU3432Mi]

My only wish....get the QB under center on 3rd or 4th and short.

[CornCobPipes]

Wish we could utilize Watkins more somehow.....man that guy can fly!

[CornCobPipes]

Not busting on Taylor but he needs to work on tighter spiraled throws.....not sure if he has a hand or finger injury but he has been making some wobbly throws.

I've said before some plays are designed for later release from QB due to route timing etc and makes it look like he is releasing late when he is not.

But there are some plays he needs to snap it out quicker so the receiver doesn't get stuck flat footed waiting or so he can get the ball in stride.
Easier said than done when getting pressure but I'm speaking of when he has ample time to throw.

Taylor usually pretty good on those back shoulder sideline throws

[wncapp78]

Clock management.
Capel can be a beast on returns, but he can scare me, and did scare me often against stink covering punts.
2 INTs in the first half, and another pass likely should have been an INT.
But.....
14 + 25 in the second half = big trouble if they stay healthy!

[MDaniels84]

Not busting on Taylor but he needs to work on tighter spiraled throws.....not sure if he has a hand or finger injury but he has been making some wobbly throws.

I've said before some plays are designed for later release from QB due to route timing etc and makes it look like he is releasing late when he is not.

But there are some plays he needs to snap it out quicker so the receiver doesn't get stuck flat footed waiting or so he can get the ball in stride.
Easier said than done when getting pressure but I'm speaking of when he has ample time to throw.

Taylor usually pretty good on those back shoulder sideline throws

Wow, all the hate for wobbly throws. Guess that I'm showing my age but used to love to see qb's like Joe Kapp, Roman Gabriel, or Sonny Jurgenson throw those wounded ducks . Wasn't pretty but was very efficient. Just like Taylor.

[WVAPPeer]

Not busting on Taylor but he needs to work on tighter spiraled throws.....not sure if he has a hand or finger injury but he has been making some wobbly throws.

I've said before some plays are designed for later release from QB due to route timing etc and makes it look like he is releasing late when he is not.

But there are some plays he needs to snap it out quicker so the receiver doesn't get stuck flat footed waiting or so he can get the ball in stride.
Easier said than done when getting pressure but I'm speaking of when he has ample time to throw.

Taylor usually pretty good on those back shoulder sideline throws

Wow, all the hate for wobbly throws. Guess that I'm showing my age but used to love to see qb's like Joe Kapp, Roman Gabriel, or Sonny Jurgenson throw those wounded ducks . Wasn't pretty but was very efficient. Just like Taylor.

Absolutely - and don't forget Jim Thorpe and Sammy Baugh !!!
Remember that QB who bounced around to several NFL teams a few years back - I believe he was out of Purdue - anyway, he was said to have the best passing arm anyone had seen - problem was, he was a lousy QB/leader

[bigdaddyg]

Not busting on Taylor but he needs to work on tighter spiraled throws.....not sure if he has a hand or finger injury but he has been making some wobbly throws.

I've said before some plays are designed for later release from QB due to route timing etc and makes it look like he is releasing late when he is not.

But there are some plays he needs to snap it out quicker so the receiver doesn't get stuck flat footed waiting or so he can get the ball in stride.
Easier said than done when getting pressure but I'm speaking of when he has ample time to throw.

Taylor usually pretty good on those back shoulder sideline throws

Wow, all the hate for wobbly throws. Guess that I'm showing my age but used to love to see qb's like Joe Kapp, Roman Gabriel, or Sonny Jurgenson throw those wounded ducks . Wasn't pretty but was very efficient. Just like Taylor.

Absolutely - and don't forget Jim Thorpe and Sammy Baugh !!!

Here are a few interesting stats-

Sacks allowed- we are tied for 103rd and that's a product of great line play and good QB decision making.

Completion %- 28th (not bad)

Passer rating- 67th (middle of the road) will only go up.

And we have 7 PIC's.

Throw out passing yardage due to being run oriented. I don't know but those are pretty decent rankings.

[WVAPPeer]

Not busting on Taylor but he needs to work on tighter spiraled throws.....not sure if he has a hand or finger injury but he has been making some wobbly throws.

I've said before some plays are designed for later release from QB due to route timing etc and makes it look like he is releasing late when he is not.

But there are some plays he needs to snap it out quicker so the receiver doesn't get stuck flat footed waiting or so he can get the ball in stride.
Easier said than done when getting pressure but I'm speaking of when he has ample time to throw.

Taylor usually pretty good on those back shoulder sideline throws

Wow, all the hate for wobbly throws. Guess that I'm showing my age but used to love to see qb's like Joe Kapp, Roman Gabriel, or Sonny Jurgenson throw those wounded ducks . Wasn't pretty but was very efficient. Just like Taylor.

Absolutely - and don't forget Jim Thorpe and Sammy Baugh !!!
Remember that QB who bounced around to several NFL teams a few years back - I believe he was out of Purdue - anyway, he was said to have the best passing arm anyone had seen - problem was, he was a lousy QB/leader

Looked it up - it was Jeff George out of Illinois (transferred from Purdue)

[SpeedkingATL]

Taylor Lamb is a winner. That is what I wish from all App QB's and players. He has proven he can throw or run when required.

[AtlAppMan]

I like Taylor Lamb a lot and think he is a very good QB. I feel very fortunate to have him leading our team. That being said, and I bet he will agree 150%, there are things he still needs to improve on. The good news is we know we are a good team but we all want us to be even better, that is mostly what our discussions are about. I personally do not want folks on board just blasting the team. Observe and provide your opinions and suggestions so we can all enjoy the moment as a fan.

Now for my thoughts, Lamb is deep into his third year as a starter so I factor that into my analysis AND expectations. It is actually a compliment to expect more from the guy because you know he is a leader and delivers when expectations are high. In every company, the best people always have the highest expectations because they get the reputation as delivering. I don't know why some folks on this board get all cranky when people provide critiques of player performance. Assuming it is delivered in a fair way, that is how they get better. Don't just dog a guy out and be mean.

I was listening to a sports analyst talking about Steve Young's book, "My life behind the Spiral", Young was told he would never make it as a QB and that just drove him to succeed. He went off and practiced and practiced throwing spirals to take him to the next level. The negative comments drove him to be a better player.