QB1 Battle between Milton and Cade
Harbaugh on QBs: “we’re going to open it up. Both will see action with the 1s throughout the week”
You will never convince me that Dylan wasn't the best qb on this roster.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:23 PM ^
His opting out was all the convincing I needed that he wasn't the best QB for the team.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:24 PM ^
Man can u blame him for not wanting to play for this sieve of a defense
November 16th, 2020 at 12:33 PM ^
....... and crap on an offense? I get tired of hearing this. So it's always the defenses fault? How about the need for consistently good play from the offense every game? If you have the defense out there all game long because the offense can't sustain drives etc etc any defense will suffer. I just feel it's a "team" failure.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:06 PM ^
The offense has been terrible now for about as long as I can remember. The last time I remember the offense putting the team on its shoulders and winning a game was against Illinois in 2010.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:53 PM ^
I've never once seen the Michigan offense bail out the defense. Two interceptions to start the game giving them short field. 10 First downs all game? The offense has been worse than the defense this year in my opinion and it's not even close.
November 16th, 2020 at 4:08 PM ^
The offense bailed out the defense in the Rudock ot game in Bloomington in 2015.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:01 PM ^
It's all about the lines. Our D-line didn't have a chance with all the injuries and Wisconsin is the worst team to face with a weak Dline.
I don't care who the QB is. If you can't get a running game, you're asking a lot out of your QB. We're asking too much out of our QBs without a solid OL and running game.
November 17th, 2020 at 8:48 AM ^
I'm a little late to responding. We are running into stacked boxes because nobody respects our downfield passing. Until we can prove to other teams that we are capable of throwing they will continue to suffocate our running game.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:09 PM ^
Yeah because QBs who transfer to other schools are clearly a bunch of losers and malcontents who are of no value. Just look at guys like Joe Burrow and Justin Fields.
November 16th, 2020 at 2:48 PM ^
Justin Fields is still a loser though (despite how good of a football player he is).
November 16th, 2020 at 2:01 PM ^
I had to log in just to down vote this ridiculous take.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:23 PM ^
They are probably both very good quarterbacks and in many college programs would be a starter. But Michigan doesn't seem to know how to develop quarterbacks and irrespective of who the starter is they would have problems. We either don't teach fundamentals or the staff has an over the top focus on not making game mistakes that causes our QBs to play with fear.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:24 PM ^
After watching Milton the past four weeks, I still really enjoy his physical gifts.
I think there is still upside for him... under a different coaching staff and at another school. Let's face it, Harbaugh has failed with QB development aside from getting the most out of Rudock and Speight in '15 and '16.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:59 PM ^
You can't teach touch. A few years of watching Denard made me realize that. With QBs, throwing a ball at the right speed is something you may be able to get incrementally better at, but I think it's one of those things that you can't drastically change because it's all about natural feel.
Milton, like Denard, has almost no touch.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:02 PM ^
They said the same thing about Matthew Stafford. OK, maybe that was a bad example.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:37 PM ^
Except Milton has thrown multiple passes this season that had great touch. The one to Jackson on Saturday was a pure touch pass. But, overall he hasn't showcased the ability to consistently identify the right type of pass to throw. I recall the pass to CJ against Indiana that was picked off, he threw it late and on a line, when he should have thrown a touch ball up early so the receiver could run under it.
November 16th, 2020 at 3:19 PM ^
The one to Jackson on Saturday was thrown by McNamara, not Milton.
November 16th, 2020 at 3:34 PM ^
Feels like Milton is able to use touch when he has time and sees the play. But when he's rushed or rattled, he reverts to the cannon.
November 16th, 2020 at 6:07 PM ^
He threw a nice touch pass to Jackson going down the side line before they got stuffed going for it on 4th down.
November 16th, 2020 at 7:37 PM ^
I think we are talking about two different throws. Milton threw a slot-fade to Jackson on our last drive of the first half. He threw that ball with a long arc and allowed Jackson to get a little separation and run under the ball to make the catch.
You're referring to the 2-pt conversion in which McNamara placed one over the head of the defender and Jackson caught it in the corner of the endzone.
November 16th, 2020 at 3:11 PM ^
Touch and accuracy, that's what NFL scouts say you don't see improve. It was the knock on Stafford, and frankly he's never been that accurate of a QB.
Milton completed 47% of his passes in high school. If he had been accurate at all he'd have been a 5 star.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:26 PM ^
Yup there’s some bizarre coaching decisions going on but eventually the players have to be held accountable too. I doubt Harbaugh is telling Milton to throw the ball right to the defenders. Milton could easily have another four or five interceptions. There’s a reason Milton was third-string last season.
November 16th, 2020 at 3:59 PM ^
Has anyone else noticed he has yet to throw the ball away once? Not one time have I seen him throw the ball away to preserve time, or field position. He just aimlessly runs into, or takes unnecessary sacks.
November 16th, 2020 at 7:40 PM ^
That is certainly an issue I have noticed. It was evident in our first drive against Minny. They rush three, he escapes the pocket (a little too early) and then tries to outrun the defensive end instead of just throwing the ball out of bounds. He definitely needs to work on that.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:28 PM ^
I don't think it would have mattered who QB 1 was this year. We've technically seen more from Milton than we've ever seen from McCaffrey.
Either way, with our playcalling, disorganization and just all encompassing incompetence across the board - Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Bobby Layne or whoever could walk through that door tomorrow and I don't think it makes a significant difference.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:30 PM ^
It would be quite a sight if Bobby Layne walked through that door.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:18 PM ^
At least we still have Keith Jackson.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:34 PM ^
If Bobby Layne was still around, he'd more likely stumble through that door.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:16 PM ^
How do you feel about norm cash?
November 16th, 2020 at 2:10 PM ^
I'd like to party with him and Bobby Layne.
Oh...wait
November 16th, 2020 at 2:36 PM ^
Bobby Layne, Norm Cash, and Ted Lindsay walk into a bar...
November 16th, 2020 at 12:35 PM ^
Well its sorta a catch 22. When you have a quarterback that cant read a zone and throws the ball directly at a LB for a pick 6. It tends to demoralize a team. It doesn't inspire wide receivers to bust their ass and get open. Of for the line to hold protection
When there's no threat passing. The other team can load the box and crowd the LOS. Which Wisconsin did
Now we have no idea whether ot not our plays work because we dont have a balanced offense
Also, milton looked slow and tentative running the ball. Nothing about him says athletic
November 16th, 2020 at 1:43 PM ^
Shea struggles to read defenses. Peters and JOK too. Maybe it’s the coaching, not the QBs. Seems very unlikely that Michigan would recruit and get transfers from multiple talented QBs and we just got unlucky with all of them.
November 16th, 2020 at 2:07 PM ^
It's part coaching and part players. You can be very athletically talented but it comes down to making the right read and knowing where to throw the ball and how to throw it.
You look at the best qb's over the past 2 decades. Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Do they scream athletically talented or smart as hell?
Or do you want cam Newton, Carson wentz, or JaMarcus russell?
November 16th, 2020 at 2:59 PM ^
Very good point. Joe Montana, who IMO is 1a/1b with Brady all-time, wasn't big, didn't have a huge arm, wasn't a sprinter. By 2020 standards he might never get a real shot at D1. But he was smart and knew how to shape his throws. Granted, he and Brady played their best years under two of the best head coaches ever, but neither will ever be confused athletically with Steve Young or Michael Vick.
November 16th, 2020 at 2:40 PM ^
Oh yeah 100%
It's always on the coaches.
Milton did not look good. Not saying it's his fault. The coaches clearly have not prepared him properly. Just saying it hard to judge the plays themselves when you are inept at running them
November 20th, 2020 at 7:05 PM ^
It's funny now when you look back and how I personally would love to have another Jake Rudock right now. He wasn't flashy but he also didn't make a lot of mistakes.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:41 PM ^
As much as this would piss off JH if I was the QB and I felt the play call coming in was a super bad decision I would change the play in the huddle. I'm sure it would get me benched but if it worked 75% of the time I would just do it. Coach: "Ok .. got a good play here ... even though it has not worked all game lets run up the middle" .... QB (WTF) ... "ahhh yeah .. no ....kill ... kill .... kill .... sweep right .... RB pass .... on 2". break .....
November 16th, 2020 at 12:49 PM ^
Lol, I like your spirit but your sample size before you got benched would be 1-2 plays.
November 16th, 2020 at 10:12 PM ^
No doubt about it. I think a QB could get away with it a couple times and play dumb? =) haha
November 16th, 2020 at 12:46 PM ^
Bobby Layne reference. Nice! I’m betting you and I (maybe MGrowOld) on this board even heard of Bobby Layne . I was at Yankee Stadium with my Dad in the late 50’s and watched Layne hit Tom “the bomb” Tracy in the last two minutes to upset the Sam Huff Giants 10-7. Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane. No pun intended.
November 16th, 2020 at 12:53 PM ^
I knew of him because when my dad was yelling at the TV due to inept Lions QB play (Milton Plumb) he would reference him.
My memory goes back to the 68 Lions & Tigers but no further. I was 9.
November 16th, 2020 at 1:14 PM ^
Same here.My dad used to talk about Bobby Layne all the time
November 16th, 2020 at 2:13 PM ^
Plum right!
I started following the Lions in the mid 60s too, during the days of Plum and Karl Sweetan. The QB situation was so bad that Lions Hall of Famer Alex Karras publicly criticized his head coach (Harry Gilmer, if my memory serves me correctly) and ownership for not finding solutions.
I think it was after Gilmer was fired that Joe Schmidt took over (correct me if I'm wrong), around that time the Lions made a multiplayer trade, giving up on Plum and including one of my favorite Lions back then, Pat Studstill, in a deal for QB Bill Munson from the LA Rams.
The Lions finally had a decent passer, and although Munson was an immobile statue, the offense started to click.
A season or two later, though, they drafted QB Greg Landry (UMass?); Landry was a Bobby Douglas with a somewhat better arm, which is a low bar to begin with.
It seems that the next 5+ years was again a musical quarterback situation, just like it was with Plum and Sweetan a decade earlier, and would continue to be for the next few decades, really until Matthew Stafford's arrival.
The Lions. DOH!!!
November 16th, 2020 at 3:04 PM ^
The first QBs I remember were Jeff Komlo, Eric Hipple, and Gary Danielson. Heady stuff.
November 16th, 2020 at 3:36 PM ^
I was old enough to start following the Lions and Michigan football in 1970. So Greg Landry was the first Lion's QB that I can remember. But I can remember Steve Owens RB, Charlie Sanders TE, Lem Barney, DB and we even had a WR named Charlie Brown, something as a kid I thought was neat.
November 16th, 2020 at 2:24 PM ^
Ah. Milt Plum. Another name from the past. I think Plum started with the Browns. My memory goes back to ‘56. Sadly, I was 9 then.
November 16th, 2020 at 10:11 PM ^
My most vivid sports-related memory from age 9 is Disco Demolition Night. I was watching on a little black and white TV at my Grandma’s house. Mom and Grandma were sitting in the kitchen drinking Vernor’s while I was sitting on the floor in the living room watching TV. Even at age 9 I realized having a bonfire in centerfield was not normal. However, I do recall being disappointed that the 2nd game of the planned doubleheader was canceled. 9 year old me couldn’t figure out why they couldn’t just put the fire out and start the next game.