Good post.  I agree wholeheartedly.  There are certain throws Denard makes better than others, and I think it would behoove the coaches to call plays to fit those strengths (and hide those weaknesses).  In general, I think Denard throws more accurately to his left on all passes, whether it's bubble screens, hitches, slants, etc.  I think it was the Iowa game where I really started noticing him short-arming some balls to his right and not stepping into his throws. 

Anyway, like I said, good post.

I'm the last person to ask about throwing techniques and mechanics, so I will be watching out for this over the next 3 weeks.

Thanks for the "mechanics" lesson.

but he sure makes you think about the future.  The game will also continue to slow down for him.  

the shoulder injury/weakness in the joint by over-rotating his torso and there-by creating the inaccuracy.  Hence the injury has caused the poorer form of late?   If they all can be as healthy as possible going to Columbus and hopefully riding a three-game winning streak, I like our chances especially if we get a lead.  The vest doesn't play call as well from behind.

Optimistic?  Hell yeah!

I'm in agreement with his mechanics, but his statistics and leadership for this year have been nothing short of amazing. 

we definitely have not seen the full progression of what will be Denard. As of right now, he has only started 9 games in college. NO QB has ever been what he will be through just 9 games. Bowl practice and spring ball will make Denard even more dangerous than he currently is...can you imagine?

Now, if we can just get that defense fixed...

Go Blue! Kill Purdue!

I'd also point out that Denard has had knee, hip, and shoulder injuries this year. Minor though they may be, they could be affecting his throwing motion, either directly or because he's subconsciously compensating for them. He could be over- and under-rotating his chest to adjust the upper-body torque (and therefore power) on individual throws, etc.

Good analysis and post.  He should get better, and even now he probably has better mechanics than Pryor will ever have, at least in college.

And with Denard's work ethic and desire to win and be his best, this problem being rectified is pretty much a done deal.

+1 to you sir

I think it has more to do with playing through injuries and seeing better defenses than a mere breakdown in technique.  Denard seems to have lost a half-step since the MSU game.  He is still faster than almost any QB in the game, but there is just a little bit less explosion there.  Also, teams are daring him to beat them with his arm by clogging the box and "spying." 

He is seeing faster DB's, better coverage, and has smaller holes through which to throw the ball.  Also, he knows that he pretty much needs to score every drive to give his team a chance to win.  Despite all of this, he is still kicking royal ass.  And he is doing it at what I would guess is somewhere just over ninety percent. 

I agree that he will be better next year, but it is because the entire offense, including Denard, will have more experience.  And I think the picks are more a result of inexperience, faster defenses, and better-disguised coverages than any breakdown in mechanics.

I'm not sure if this is intentional to help him square up to the target, but Denard never steps into his throws.  His front (left foot) is generally stepping to his left side instead of forward towards his target (this becomes very apparent when he is stationary in the pocket).  Contrast that with Tate; Tate's left foot is generally pointed directly at the target of his throw. 

This makes a difference in accuracy.  Pitchers step directly towards home plate, not to the side; infielders will step towards 1st base when making a throw, not to the side.  There is a reason for this.  Stepping to the side also neutralizes some of the zip on the ball b/c you aren't using your legs and instead solely relying on upper body arm strength.

This is why I am surprised that Denard is as accurate as he is (obviously some room for improvement, but I'm not complaining with the present product).  Also, if there were any doubts to how strong his arm is, just look at the zip he puts on the ball without stepping into his passes; unfortunately this also leads to him throwing those one-hoppers to the receiver.

It's mind blowing that we can point out so many flaws in his delivery and mechanics less than a week after he averaged 30 yards per completion in a game.  This thread speaks to just how far Denard has come in 2 years

Hooray for good football discussion!

As a baseball coach/fan I'm quite familiar with breaking down the mechanics of pitchers and batters.  Seeing someone do this for Qb's has been enlightening...thanks.

... but wasn't the first interception against MSU to a receiver who was doing a crossing pattern moving from Denard's left to right in the endzone while the second was a receiver slanting from the slot right to the middle?  I assume you meant these two and not the third.

Edit:  I'm sorry.  I missed the comment where this was already pointed out.  I'll be more thorough before posting next time.

I know football =/= baseball, but I can't help but think of when I used to pitch.  In times when I was throwing a lot and my arm would hurt, my motion would change quite a bit without me knowing it until the coaches would point it out.  This is probably the case with Denard IMO.

... But don't expect an astronimical leap like we saw from '09 to '10.

I just want 2 things:

1) Get the reads done faster.  He's doing a decent job, but if Denard can read the defense even a bit faster Michigan will be better off for it.  The offense's hallmark is speed, and the speedier we can become, the better.

I felt like he made quite a few bad reads against Purdue, and while I haven't seen a replay of the game footage, Denard either didn't follow his blocks very well or his blocks weren't all that great when he was rushing.

2) A litle more "touch".  Denard's throwing is like night and day from last year, but it seems to be most of his passing yards are yards after the catch.  He's been very good with the high percentage passes (short/mid), but it seems to me he overthrows his receivers quite often on the long ball.  If his throwing can be tweaked and improve even just a bit more, that'd be great.

I'm confident he'll be considerably better (!!) next year.

The other thing Denard needs to fix is his tendency to put the ball in his left hand when he runs.  Not only does this expose the ball when he runs to the right (as we saw yesterday), it also is a tell-tale sign to the defense that it's a running play.