Great cosell column on qb's

**Paintballguy** · 03-05-2013, 09:59 PM

http://yhoo.it/XMQ7Em

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**Ravenswintitle** · 03-06-2013, 10:33 AM

as usual I think Cosell is full of it. The reason Cam struggled last year is because they went away from the zone/read. Once Carolina went back to it, he became good again. And QBs like the one in Pitt improvise all the time and it works more times than not.

Improvisation and sandlot play may occasionally look spectacular, but always remember they are random and arbitrary.

**Brien Jackson** · 03-06-2013, 11:55 AM

I always laugh at the way these silly "there is only one way to run a pro style offense and that will never change" arguments inevitably come back to "defenses will figure out how to scheme all of this new nonsense." Because, really? Stopping an offense is really just as simple as drawing X's on a chalkboard? if that's true, why doesn't it apply to defending, say, a traditional pro style running attack? After all; all you have to do is be sure you have your X's properly positioned in all of the running lanes, right?

**Brien Jackson** · 03-06-2013, 11:57 AM

Also too, I'm fairly certain that Cam Newton is not the first NFL quarterback who didn't improve to the extent media analysts assumed he would going into his second pro season.

**leachisabeast** · 03-06-2013, 12:15 PM

Before I bring up several arguments against all you read option apologists, when was the last time a team won the SB without running a normal NFL pro style offense? Aaron Rogers can get out of the pocket, extend plays, and run for firsts downs, so can Roethlisberger, hell even Flacco is an underrated athlete and can escape pressure (as seen in the SB). But they are all QBs who stand in the pocket and win games off their arm, not their legs.

I think the option can work to some extent, but I'm not sure if you can win a SB running that offense, and without a QB who can throw the ball at an elite level. A team is never going to win anything with a QB who wants to run before throwing. Then there is the injury factor that plays into it. Once NFL defenses start getting more experience playing against these offenses, and spending the time in the film room, the speed and physicality will soon catch up with it,

**pslholder96** · 03-06-2013, 12:18 PM

I'm in agreement with most of what Greg says in the article, the read option offense will only go so far

**Paintballguy** · 03-06-2013, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

Before I bring up several arguments against all you read option apologists, when was the last time a team won the SB without running a normal NFL pro style offense? Aaron Rogers can get out of the pocket, extend plays, and run for firsts downs, so can Roethlisberger, hell even Flacco is an underrated athlete and can escape pressure (as seen in the SB). But they are all QBs who stand in the pocket and win games off their arm, not their legs.

I think the option can work to some extent, but I'm not sure if you can win a SB running that offense, and without a QB who can throw the ball at an elite level. A team is never going to win anything with a QB who wants to run before throwing. Then there is the injury factor that plays into it. Once NFL defenses start getting more experience playing against these offenses, and spending the time in the film room, the speed and physicality will soon catch up with it,

+1 I think Cosell's main point when it comes to QB's is that they need to be able to make the throws to be successful. The read option running stuff is great, but if a QB can't make the big time throws then he's not going to be able to consistently win in the NFL.

**HKusp** · 03-06-2013, 01:49 PM

I agree with Cosell. This is a continuation of an article he wrote a few weeks ago. His main point, and I agree with him, is that you need to be able to be an effective passer in the pocket in order to be a consistent success in the NFL. That is why Russell Wilson and CK will probably be able to be successful in the NFL and Mike Vick will not.

**Brien Jackson** · 03-06-2013, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Paintballguy

I think Cosell's main point when it comes to QB's is that they need to be able to make the throws to be successful.

But who other than the staunchest Tebow fanboys says that they don't? Saying that a QB has to be able to make throws in the NFL is the sort of banal point that really doesn't bolster any argument against the viability of the read option system, and would apply to a grand total of zero starting quarterbacks running the read option right now.

**Terpsfan82** · 03-06-2013, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

Before I bring up several arguments against all you read option apologists, when was the last time a team won the SB without running a normal NFL pro style offense? Aaron Rogers can get out of the pocket, extend plays, and run for firsts downs, so can Roethlisberger, hell even Flacco is an underrated athlete and can escape pressure (as seen in the SB). But they are all QBs who stand in the pocket and win games off their arm, not their legs.

I think the option can work to some extent, but I'm not sure if you can win a SB running that offense, and without a QB who can throw the ball at an elite level. A team is never going to win anything with a QB who wants to run before throwing. Then there is the injury factor that plays into it. Once NFL defenses start getting more experience playing against these offenses, and spending the time in the film room, the speed and physicality will soon catch up with it,

Well the 49ers were one defensed pass away from a Superbowl title.

**bacchys** · 03-06-2013, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by Terpsfan82

Well the 49ers were one defensed pass away from a Superbowl title.

Yes.

I don't see any merit in the notion that there's only one way to win in the NFL.

**Brien Jackson** · 03-06-2013, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

Before I bring up several arguments against all you read option apologists, when was the last time a team won the SB without running a normal NFL pro style offense? Aaron Rogers can get out of the pocket, extend plays, and run for firsts downs, so can Roethlisberger, hell even Flacco is an underrated athlete and can escape pressure (as seen in the SB). But they are all QBs who stand in the pocket and win games off their arm, not their legs.

I think the option can work to some extent, but I'm not sure if you can win a SB running that offense, and without a QB who can throw the ball at an elite level. A team is never going to win anything with a QB who wants to run before throwing. Then there is the injury factor that plays into it. Once NFL defenses start getting more experience playing against these offenses, and spending the time in the film room, the speed and physicality will soon catch up with it,

What, exactly, is a "normal pro style" offense? I mean, it wasn't all that long ago that Green Bay's variation on the fun and gun was considered a gimmicky college offense that couldn't work in the NFL, but now we've apparently re-branded it as tradiitional professional offense?