Devin Gardner talking about Cade/Rutgers
Just listened to "Monday Morning Quarterback" with Devin Gardner and Same Webb. Was extremely impressed with Devin's insights. He seems to have a greater depth of understanding, understandably so, than many others analyzing Michigan football.
One of the most interesting insights was his observation that Cade's mechanics have been deteriorating the last couple of weeks. Also, he discussed how being hit can affect a player mentally and emotionally (e.g. ND 2013). I also paid close attention to his comments about the second-half play calling. He walks through those drives in detail and has convinced me that this is not necessarily a coaching/playcalling issue. We had players out there who didn't make plays. Also, Rutgers might be a decent team.
Suggest you take a listen.
September 28th, 2021 at 1:21 PM ^
This means Wisconsin is in real trouble. They play Rutgers November 6.
September 28th, 2021 at 1:21 PM ^
I really enjoy listening to Gardner and clearly he is an expert and I am not.
Having said that we all agree that the second half of the Rutgers game was ugly. Why was it ugly? If it wasn't the play calling then it must be execution. And if the offense gets ultra conservative because they don't trust the QB then I am left to wonder when they will have a QB they can trust? Every QB under Gattis has ended up having the same problems Cade is having now. This is the third QB that can't seem to make reads or throw accurate passes consistently. When you go 0-3 on QBs it is time to start blaming something else. It also seems like they can make as endless mistakes in the running game without "hamstringing" the OC but one mistake in the passing game can get it shelved for the day. That is an absurdly conservative approach. Punt and play defense as a week to week strategy is totally out dated.
Harbaugh said they wanted to average around 25 passes a game and 40 runs. Through 4 games Michigan is averaging 16 passes a game. They can deny it all they want but even by their own estimation, they aren't even close to their own very conservative numbers.
Next Saturday, the rubber meets the road. Unless the coaches are fine with losing, it is likely not going to matter how much confidence they have in the QB. They are going to need to try to pass more than 16 times.
Clearly, Gardner can diagnose what is wrong and I cannot but something is wrong. When the same wrong thing keeps happening with multiple players that never seems to go right, the real problem is no longer execution.
Putting that aside, if Gattis loses all confidence in Cade as soon as he throws an incomplete pass then it is time for JJ. I'm not calling for that. I'm just saying you can't run offense when one mistake kills your confidence.
It feels to me like Cade has been put in an impossible situation and being left to just dangle there. And that is a serious coaching issue.
September 28th, 2021 at 1:55 PM ^
They tried to pass the ball 6 times in the second half. All were incomplete. They ran 16 non-victory-formation/non-kicking plays in the second half. Not sure how that constitutes shelving the passing game.
The only time they shelved the passing game was on the second to last drive - also the only drive that got a first down in the second half. That drive got them in a position to go up two scores and ice the game but Moody missed the FG.
The second half's struggles were about execution. Not sure whether it's the receivers, the quarterback, or the running game - but it wasn't about a bad blend of running/passing.
September 28th, 2021 at 2:03 PM ^
I always thought DG was one of the most intelligent players we've had in recent years. You can just tell from how he talks when he analyzes football or talks about X's and O's that he's one smart dude.
September 28th, 2021 at 2:14 PM ^
This isn't an either-or situation. DG is definitely right. But both things can be (and are) true. Of the plays called, certain players didn't execute to the best of their ability and cost the team yards and probable points. HOWEVER, there easily could've been a different set of play calls that we have seen run before that took better advantage our personnel and of what Rutgers was so clearly giving us.
September 28th, 2021 at 7:36 PM ^
Exactly! Independent of it being a play calling issue, too many or too little passes, it is the execution that concerns me and feels like an early indicator for the season, a la playing IU and getting torched with slants. Sure it was a win, but let’s be honest with ourselves, that win was in much greater jeopardy in the second half than any of us would have liked. Rutgers adjusted and we had no answer. We are supposed to be a good running team, yet we couldn’t convert much in the second half.
September 28th, 2021 at 3:10 PM ^
He did mention a couple of interesting things, like some of the stuff is fixable, but it is concerning that he is making mental mistakes and showing some fundamentals flaws.
I guess the kid lost some confidence so they really need to work the mental aspect of his game.
September 28th, 2021 at 4:19 PM ^
MMQB is the best Umich football coverage anywhere right now.
The disturbing thing isn't that Cade is affected by things. Everyone is. But how much he was affected both by the UTL crowd and by the hit, and how once affected, he never recovered in either game... those are sports psych problems that you just can't have in your field general. Hope he has this figured out, and we see better things in the future.
September 28th, 2021 at 6:15 PM ^
Yeah, that 2nd half of football vs. Rutgers was not encouraging for a team that wants to have a successful season.
Three-and-a-half games in, all was well, spirits were high, but then Regular Michigan showed up in the second half.
September 28th, 2021 at 6:48 PM ^
"also suggests Rutgers might be a decent team".
Not sure why, I think they might be as well, that just struck me funny.
September 28th, 2021 at 7:16 PM ^
Hoping Devin can get spot on the coaching staff in next year or two.
September 28th, 2021 at 9:09 PM ^
Or bring him onboard at MGoBlog. Lol. Good clear-eyed analysis. He'd fit in here.
September 28th, 2021 at 9:00 PM ^
I'm probably going to get some hate for this, but I actually don't really care for DG's analysis. I mean, it's more in-depth than a lot of what we get, but he messes up A LOT. He calls Cade "Shea" over and over again, he explains blocking schemes incorrectly, and he gets so amped up at times that he gets distracted from what he's saying.
People can like what they like - and I'll still listen - but I would rather listen to Al Borges's segments than DG's. Borges has a lot more even-keeled take and doesn't make as many mistakes.
September 29th, 2021 at 7:17 AM ^
I actually think this is fair but I listen to him for less of the absolute technical analysis and more for some insight into the sausage making; how coaches are thinking, the dynamics when he was QB and a deeper look at the psyche of it all.
Obviously Devin had a different coach but it seems meaningful when he goes into how decisions are made, plays are called, etc.
September 29th, 2021 at 9:19 PM ^
I like DG, but I think Borges had a deeper understanding of some of the stuff. I also think people have massively revised their memories of Gardeners career as a QB/WR.
September 28th, 2021 at 9:40 PM ^
If Cade is gonna get in his own head and deteriorate his mechanics and make the wrong reads, then might as well put JJ in.
If he’s even worst this week, I think the Cade era should be over.
September 28th, 2021 at 10:58 PM ^
Cade's mechanics looked pretty good in the 1st half last Saturday - love Devin for his class as QB under Hoke who tried to make him a dropback QB when he was a better fit for Richrods O.
If he's jabbing at the coaching staff and it's inability to develop a good QB - well, OK. But Cade hasn't cost us a game like Devin almost did vs. Akron, etc.
September 29th, 2021 at 2:31 PM ^
Devin repeatedly references his own bad games as examples and while he has been critical of cade's mistakes he has not denigrated cade himself.
September 29th, 2021 at 12:35 AM ^
I love the Webb and Gardner episodes. Very entertaining and (for me) educational.
One thing I consider in all of this is that Cade has thrown over 4000 yards of football. I don't think that 5 pass attempts should determine everything.
September 29th, 2021 at 2:01 AM ^
Michigan didn't score 0 pts and get 1 first down in the second half because of Cade's 4 incompletions on 5 attempts. No QB is going to be perfect. It might just have a little more to do with 16 rushing attempts for a putrid 35 yards. I would have liked to see his analysis of why that was such a failure instead of heaping all the blame on Cade's 4 incompletions for the half. Same with he and Harbaugh defending the "not conservative" play calling because they had one drive where they threw 3 times in a row. Meaning there were 2 passes the rest of the drives combined with a total run pass ratio of 76%. And a game total YPP of 10.2 and YPC of 2.9. Wonder where the problem was....
The main problem with this thinking is that the running game is the "default" and safe option. Passing game isn't perfect then just go back to the run even if the defense is selling out to stop it and you're getting 2 ypc, because 2nd and 8 isn't as scary as 2nd and 10 or your QB missing throws around DBs. Sometimes you have to be able to work through some issues instead of ignoring them if you're going to improve and actually have the passing game to exploit that defense. It's what people call playing not to lose, and it's why you'll win 8 or 9 games instead of 11 or 12. With Michigan's talent they shouldn't lose more than 4 games with this either though. But with Harbaugh going back to this offense maybe that's his goal, just to save his job this year and win enough games to get off the hot seat with this extremely safe and risk averse style of play.
Plenty of QBs have games where they have completion rates in the 50s with some bad or totally missed passes and somehow their coaches still manage to allow them to throw 20-something times a game. It's pretty normal. And Cade is more talented than most of them. He might just show you something and come back after 4 incompletions to raise that efficiency rate.
September 29th, 2021 at 5:38 AM ^
Sorry - DG’s argument was: if your QB can’t complete wide open throws then why give him more chances - likely just end up in a take away or pick six. On the run play calling - sweeps with your fast guys might work in high school and against Mac, but b10 have quality players. Need your front men to move people and create lanes.
Cade couldn’t hit a barn door in 2nd half (and wr drops didn’t help). Rutgers adjusted and stuffed the run. Our penalties killed momentum. Watching the every snap review with no noise…I didn’t hate the play calling (though they missed first offensive series in2nd half). Can understand the angst…but. I’m not ready to kill myself yet.
However Lucy is still holding the ball for us Charlie Browns.
September 29th, 2021 at 3:34 PM ^
i wonder if everyone (including me) would feel differently about the game if 2 plays were slightly changed...
1. The open TD at the end of the 1st half. Complete that and its 24-3.
2. The Corum run in the 2nd half where he burst through the line and got ankle tackled with daylight in front. What if he takes that to th ehouse.
I mean, personally, I would still have major doubts about cade, but i think i'd feel better that we didnt have our best game and it wasnt close... but just curious what folks think. How much can perception change based on just a couple plays?