This'll Get You in the McMood for Sunday

[shepwrite]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WSJ2xmYoMw

[rocknrollbrowns]

Thanks, That was awesome! I was at the game and forgot to record it so that is the first time I have seen the highlights.

[slowburn]

Especially loved the roll out pass to Cribbs, and the sideline pass to Moore was a thing of beauty. Colt shows amazing composure when forced out of the pocket. He only going get better as his confidence increases. Gonna be a helluva ride.

[Earl34]

Especially loved the roll out pass to Cribbs, and the sideline pass to Moore was a thing of beauty. He shows amazing composure when he is forced out of the pocket. He only going get better as his confidence increases. Gonna be a helluva ride.

 

I loved the Robiskie throw. Busted play. Doesn't panic and throws an absolute strike with a defender bearing down.

[Bodogjoe]

The one at around 3:30 I believe is really impressive. To be able to squeak out like that and throw a strike. Being mobile and able to throw like that is amazing.

[cribbs is the man]

Yea really impressive. This video makes me crave a real #1 receiver tho. Some of those deep corner passes to stuckey or cribbs, although they werent perfect passes, some great WRs could make plays on those. You saw no real playmaking ability from the receivers. Little yards after the catch or great catches. I cant wait to see the added benefit of a great WR in our offense, itll open up the field sooo much more...

[Thaak]

For as much dislike you dispensed on McCoy during training camp Shep, what do you think now?

[shepwrite]

I'm EXTREMELY impressed with McCoy since the moment he stepped on the field against Pittsburgh.

 

Anybody who says naysayers didn't have tons of ammunition to be concerned with McCoy throughout the summer are simply wrong. He looked bad. The game looked too big for him. He struggled mentally and physically. He gave very, very little to be excited about. The team was rightfully concerned.

 

There were reasons to keep being hopeful and I (among many others) kept listing them: McCoy is an extremely hard working and competitive kid, so you expected him to burn the candle at both ends figuring things out. Also, he'd been on a pretty impressive physical arc for a year or so, getting bigger and stronger, and I think he hit a plateau where it started showing up in his throws. We were hearing that he was practicing really well.

 

Finally, McCoy was coming from a funky offense at Texas that does nothing to prepare a kid for the NFL. He didn't feel comfortable in the pro style for quite some time... and then it clicked.

 

If you watch any Texas film on McCoy and then watch that Patriots game? It's kind of mind blowing. He doesn't look like the same guy physically at all. His release is quicker and he doesn't have to wind up to make a fairly zippy throw to the sideline. He's taken one of his best qualities -- being able to make accurate throws on the run and without being optimally set -- and taken it to another level. Steve Young talks a lot about this and how Quinn's stiffness really bothered him.

 

That's why even when I'm concerned about a kid, I always leave open the window to be pleasantly surprised, because I'm never one to cling to an old opinion. When the evidence changes, I say you revise. And I feel WAY better about McCoy today than two months ago. In fact, I felt better about five minutes into the Pittsburgh game. You could just see it. He was loose and confident. My son and I got all of 10 minutes in before we started saying how good he looked.

 

Watching those highlights I posted, it's tough to not just shake your head. It's like everything he does got way better. Everything. He's bigger, stronger, and faster, makes really quick decisions, gets the ball out VERY fast, and has more arm.

[shepwrite]

BTW, McCoy's situation reminds me of Kolb last year. Before his first start, the talk was all about how bad he'd looked leading up to it and how concerned the Eagles (secretly) were. He, too, was a mobile kid with a marginal arm from a quirky college offense.

 

The lights went on and he played great... record-settingly great. He looks like a legit starting NFL quarterback now, although it's likely to be somewhere else next year (Seattle?).

[tshirtfan]

I'm EXTREMELY impressed with McCoy since the moment he stepped on the field against Pittsburgh.

 

Anybody who says naysayers didn't have tons of ammunition to be concerned with McCoy throughout the summer are simply wrong. He looked bad. The game looked too big for him. He struggled mentally and physically. He gave very, very little to be excited about. The team was rightfully concerned.

 

There were reasons to keep being hopeful and I (among many others) kept listing them: McCoy is an extremely hard working and competitive kid, so you expected him to burn the candle at both ends figuring things out. Also, he'd been on a pretty impressive physical arc for a year or so, getting bigger and stronger, and I think he hit a plateau where it started showing up in his throws. We were hearing that he was practicing really well.

 

Finally, McCoy was coming from a funky offense at Texas that does nothing to prepare a kid for the NFL. He didn't feel comfortable in the pro style for quite some time... and then it clicked.

 

If you watch any Texas film on McCoy and then watch that Patriots game? It's kind of mind blowing. He doesn't look like the same guy physically at all. His release is quicker and he doesn't have to wind up to make a fairly zippy throw to the sideline. He's taken one of his best qualities -- being able to make accurate throws on the run and without being optimally set -- and taken it to another level. Steve Young talks a lot about this and how Quinn's stiffness really bothered him.

 

That's why even when I'm concerned about a kid, I always leave open the window to be pleasantly surprised, because I'm never one to cling to an old opinion. When the evidence changes, I say you revise. And I feel WAY better about McCoy today than two months ago. In fact, I felt better about five minutes into the Pittsburgh game. You could just see it. He was loose and confident. My son and I got all of 10 minutes in before we started saying how good he looked.

 

Watching those highlights I posted, it's tough to not just shake your head. It's like everything he does got way better. Everything. He's bigger, stronger, and faster, makes really quick decisions, gets the ball out VERY fast, and has more arm.

 

This is a common misconception about spread offenses in general. Not all of them are gimmicky. There are varying degrees of how much they prepare the QB for the NFL. Texas and OU have run spreads that are a lot more "NFL" like than, say, Texas Tech or Oregon.

 

[TheClevelandSound]

Love this. I love seeing stuff like this. When u watch the game whether at home or on tv u dont get a good glimpse of how amazing his throws actually are.

[shepwrite]

This is a common misconception about spread offenses in general. Not all of them are gimmicky. There are varying degrees of how much they prepare the QB for the NFL. Texas and OU have run spreads that are a lot more "NFL" like than, say, Texas Tech or Oregon.

 

Bill Walsh said nothing they do at Texas prepares a player for the NFL... because it's first option, checkdown (Dave Thomas), and run (which is why they like athletic QBs). It asks almost nothing of the quarterback intellectually.

 

Also, as Mayock said, the Texas QBs aren't asked to throw into tight windows. They create more wide open receivers than I've ever seen anywhere... to their credit. You don't see a Colt McCoy asked to make throws like you see on this highlight reel. Turns out he can (REALLY can on a couple gorgeous tosses), but there just wasn't evidence of that.

 

I personally think that's why McCoy looked like one guy all summer... then showed some hope in the last very safe preseason outing... then looked like an entirely different QB when he played the Steelers, Saints, and Patriots. He "got it."

 

 

[Grippe]

Bill Walsh said nothing they do at Texas prepares a player for the NFL... because it's first option, checkdown (Dave Thomas), and run (which is why they like athletic QBs). It asks almost nothing of the quarterback intellectually.

 

Also, as Mayock said, the Texas QBs aren't asked to throw into tight windows. They create more wide open receivers than I've ever seen anywhere... to their credit. You don't see a Colt McCoy asked to make throws like you see on this highlight reel. Turns out he can (REALLY can on a couple gorgeous tosses), but there just wasn't evidence of that.

 

I personally think that's why McCoy looked like one guy all summer... then showed some hope in the last very safe preseason outing... then looked like an entirely different QB when he played the Steelers, Saints, and Patriots. He "got it."

 

I'm sorry but I must, politely, disagree with your observations of Colt's ability. As a (yet another) Texas homer visiting your boards I have had been watching this kid for the past four years. While he has his hot and cold days (just like everyone else) Colt's ability to put the ball in the narrowest of windows and where only the receiver can catch it is unmatched. But, please, look back at his highlights from the '08 seaons, the year he light up the accuracy rankings, and see for yourself:

 

Texas highlights from 2008

[shepwrite]

Whoa! That took me to something that looked like the history of Earth in spread sheet form. I'm gonna take your word for it.

 

But I will say this: McCoy didn't want for exposure, either in volume of viewers or duration of starts. He played for one of the highest profile programs in America. Yet the Browns saved him from a round four draft slot.

 

There are reasons for stuff like that... and I for one don't think "Everyone's an idiot" is valid. The question marks on McCoy were seen by all 32 teams... and expressed about three times each on draft day.

 

His arm and his offense were the biggest two. I think size was next... but 6'1.5" ain't that short.

[Grippe]

Whoa! That took me to something that looked like the history of Earth in spread sheet form. I'm gonna take your word for it.

 

lol, look on the right hand side of the screen, you will see the highlight reels for all of the Texas football games (minus Rice, where Blaine Irby had one of the worst knee injuries I've ever seen) from '08. You can see Colt consistently puts the ball in the narrowest of lanes and only where the receiver can snatch it.

[sisky fringo]

i've seen enough. it's finally time to retire my brown K2 and Edwards jerseys and orange Frye.

 

late last night around 3 am i pulled the trigger on a white Cribbs and a brown McCoy, Cribbs for home games and McCoy for away. can't WAIT til they get here...

[sisky fringo]

The one at around 3:30 I believe is really impressive. To be able to squeak out like that and throw a strike. Being mobile and able to throw like that is amazing.

he throws as well on the run as anyone i've ever seen. and not just on the run, nearly at full sprint. it's awesome to watch.

 

that will come in handy playing in CLE, and is a busted play attribute that rivals Big Gay's toughness to bring down. this kid has it.

[Riffer X]

The "evidence" that Colt was soooo bad early on was simply what the naysayers chose to believe. Colt McCoy did not all of a sudden become a good player the last three weeks. We were constantly being told how bad Colt was from the people who didn't want to draft him even to the point of condescension for those that did and saw what kind of player he could be.

 

We were told how "unanimous" media and draftnik experts said he was a midget with no arm, never played in a pro set (which is bullshit BTW), maybe wasn't all that bright and too into Jesus. Many quotes were attributed to real NFL types who said he had a better arm than people thought, but those were poo pooed for internet propaganda types who ran with the myths they wanted to perpetuate.

 

Some of us saw a winner, a guy with intangibles, savvy, athleticism, pocket presence, accuracy, leadership and more than enough arm to be successful. We understood that he was a rookie coming in and not even getting first team reps. Then we were told after he completed 13 straight passes in his only start of preseason with no names that he was a dinker and dunker, that's all he could do.

 

Where were the Browns ever "internally concerned"? What, cuz they saw a rookie they fully expected would take awhile to get up to speed? They planned for that with Wallace and Jake, which is why Colt didn't even get reps with the first team. They knew Jake was not only a fill in starter, but could be a great mentor and locker room guy. We were told what a horrendous signing it was and he was nothing more than an older and smaller DA with less arm.

 

Colt McCoy is exactly what he was at Texas as a four year stud. He has progressed and matured nicely since starting as a freshman (and forcing Snead to transfer), but he didn't just figure out how to throw and play football the last month. If not for Wallace and Jake getting hurt, Colt would still be tearing up the scout team every week and those same fans would have assumed he still "sucked" and was a bad pick.

 

He is going to be a good one, and many of us thought he would be, including the Browns staff and especially Walrus (who no doubt followed the advice of a lot of real experts that he talked to, not internet babble).

[sisky fringo]

I think size was next... but 6'1.5" ain't that short.

 

i thought it was/is 6' 0.75". just under 6' 1".

 

if it were 6 1/2, they woulda said he's 6'2".

[Grippe]

i thought it was/is 6' 0.75". just under 6' 1".

 

if it were 6 1/2, they woulda said he's 6'2".

 

Official combine measurements: 6' 1-1/8".

[tshirtfan]

1. The spread option run by Vince Young is pretty different than the spread attack under Colt. Before VY, Texas ran a pro style offense. Texas is running a different (and awful) offense now with Garrett Gilbert. I believe Walsh was criticizing Texas' offense during the VY years.

 

2. The fact that Colt did not have to hit a tight window on every throw did not imply he couldn't. Just watching his games in college, some of the throws were unbelievable, others were easy "dink and dunk" types. I remember some throws to Shipley in double coverage that just left your jaw hanging.

 

3. Texas relied on Colt for the ground game; hence, tons of screens that inflated his completion percentage and reduced his YPA. This made his statistics look questionable. When you see 5 YPA and 75% completion rating, you think system QB.

 

A lot of people don't realize this, but Colt took 35% of his snaps from under center in '06 and '07. He's throwing downfield way more, and you can definitely see that he's not nearly as accurate with the 35-45 yard throws as he is with the 10-25 yard throws. I'd say he's improving, though.

[sisky fringo]

in the NFL, i like a QB who excels at the short and intermediate throws anyway. a big arm is nice, but accuracy in the intermediate range is what picks D's apart...as long as it's paired with quick and correct decision-making. on the long bomb either your WR is wide open by a couple yards or you don't throw it, so you really just need to be able get it there in the vicinity for him and not underthrow.

 

Colt may not have the arm to go deep every time his best receiver is 1-on-1 and allow him to make a play on the ball but he'll make it up where it counts: sustaining drives by moving the chains and keeping his defense fresh.

[shepwrite]

Agreed, Sisk... it's the league we live in. The bomb is sort of a myth on the vast majority of Sundays. Teams fully expect to complete 65% of their passes, which seemed as likely as flying cars just 10-15 years ago... which tells you what kind of passes they're throwing.

 

Smart, accurate, and quick getting the ball from glimmer in the eye to completion, that's what it's all about now.

 

Which is why when people attach "upside" to freaky athletic quarterbacks, I get crazy. The zenith of pro quarterbacking is Manning, Brady, Rodgers, and Brees... not Vince Young.

[Earl34]

Agreed, Sisk... it's the league we live in. The bomb is sort of a myth on the vast majority of Sundays. Teams fully expect to complete 65% of their passes, which seemed as likely as flying cars just 10-15 years ago... which tells you what kind of passes they're throwing.

 

Smart, accurate, and quick getting the ball from glimmer in the eye to completion, that's what it's all about now.

 

Which is why when people attach "upside" to freaky athletic quarterbacks, I get crazy. The zenith of pro quarterbacking is Manning, Brady, Rodgers, and Brees... not Vince Young.

 

agreed. At the end of the day the NFL comes down to being able to read the defense, step up and deliver the ball accurately. The measuring sticks you use above are not going to be beating Mike Vick in a footrace and this year, he is the highest rated passer in the league because his game is more like theirs than different.

[shepwrite]

Yeah, Vick is totally a 2.0 right now. Not at all the numbnuts he was before.

[Riffer X]

Earl, chinks for the thanks, you are by far my poster on this board. I also must say, I am very proud of Shepwrite finally handing out someone thanks or mana, I did not know he had it in him.

 

Probably a wise thing, cuz somebody that could be as colossally wrong as he has been about QB's and Colt gots to need some brownie pointage.

 

I'm getting a copy and pasting thing going, but it's prolly the wrong thing to do.

 

Colt McCoy is a winner folks, but just remember, we have supposed Browns fans who lobbied against him like crazy and treated a lot of people like shit who didn't agree.

[Riffer X]

Colt is 6'1" and a quarter.

[calfoxwc]

Shep has posted about a lot of qbs over the years, about which one has "it" and which ones don't.

 

Colt McCoy HAS "IT". To be a rookie, and not look like one, when he was 3rd string, and had to start...

 

that's priceless !

 

He really seems to be the smartest Browns qb since Bernie Kosar, and I am hardly the first person to say that.

[massbrownsfan]

awsome thanx

[shepwrite]

Shep has posted about a lot of qbs over the years, about which one has "it" and which ones don't.

 

Colt McCoy HAS "IT". To be a rookie, and not look like one, when he was 3rd string, and had to start...

 

that's priceless !

 

He really seems to be the smartest Browns qb since Bernie Kosar, and I am hardly the first person to say that.

 

He really does, and not in a magical way, either... watching the cut-ups of his starts, the pace of his decision making is pretty awesome. I said a million times... when Colt gives me something to cheer, I'll cheer my ass off. I do NOT marry my opinions... just deal with the evidence at hand.

 

Thanks, Riff. Much love backatcha.