Joe has ability to change plays at the line

[Igotstoknow]

I guess we don't know what Joe's options were, but all my instincts tell me he could have gotten out of that play. I don't know what other plays he had in his pocket, but that was the worst choice for sure. I don't profess to be a football genius, but pre-snap I was saying out loud, don't run there. The overload was so obvious. Hell, he could have run the play and not handed off on his own, kept it on a bootleg and probably walked in, with the way Bears D sold out. Has Joe ever run a naked boot on the goal line? If so, I don't remember it. He was certainly more willing to use his legs on Sunday, which was good.

Look, the game at the NFL level is played at such a high rate of speed, and with such defensive complexity, that we can't imagine what a pro QB has to process just to run a successful play, as we sit in the stands or on our couches. But I do think that the ability to see, think, react and improvise before the ball is snapped is a huge factor in separating the great QB's from the merely, very good ones. I think Joe has been largely competent in this area in his career, but not exceptional. Physically, he has every tool in the box, but has always been more of a gunslinger than surgeon.

Famously, he got huge props for checking out of the short 3rd down play in the SB and throwing to Q. Changing the play was absolutely the right thing to do, but the pattern itself was very risky. Going that far downfield to a tightly covered Boldin was far from the safest choice. Joe just made a great throw and Q wouldn't be denied coming down with it. However, there had to be higher percentage options available. The pass could just as easily have been broken up. That play was more about trust than anything else. I'm a big Flacco supporter and happy we have him, but there are things he does better in my opinion.

[The Excellector]

That is the question for almost every QB.

While there are variations in arm strength and accuracy, every single starting QB in the league is sufficient in those areas to be very good.....assuming they have what it takes between the ears.

By far the biggest factor separating the great QBs with the average is their mental ability. Knowing offenses and defenses. Being able to recognize what they are seeing pre-snap. Being able to very quickly process changing information, etc.

Did you seriously entertain that comment?

[The Excellector]

We've been through this a zillion times. Cameron started off making Joe run the play that was called. Then, about three or so years later, Cameron and Harbaugh (?) started giving him two plays to choose from, on occasion. Then, it became more consistent and Caldwell eventually upped it to three plays.

But if the three plays are all crap plays to choose from, it doesn't matter if he audibles or not. It doesn't even matter if it was a pass play to audible to. If it's crap, it's crap, and, chances are, with the way we complain about this archaic offensive scheme, it was crap.