Andrew Luck and Harbaugh

Ok follks, I wanted to ask a very important question to those who have seen Luck play

It is now clear that Harbaugh is a QB guru, and has had a great reputation with QBs and evaluating them. I have no doubt Luck is a special talent even from the few games I have seen him play (such as V-tech bowl game). My question is if he did not have Harbaugh as a coach, would he be as good and as hyped as he is? Coach Shaw s clearly following script Harbaugh left so I doubt I would have expected him to regress especially with most of the team still intact and the system not changed!

In NCAA 2009 Andrew Luck was only a 76. In NCAA 2010 he was a 94. Nuff said.

Originally posted by Ether:
In NCAA 2009 Andrew Luck was only a 76. In NCAA 2010 he was a 94. Nuff said.

Wow...you're basing your assessment off NCAA 2009?

Originally posted by Sjceruti:

Originally posted by Ether:
In NCAA 2009 Andrew Luck was only a 76. In NCAA 2010 he was a 94. Nuff said.

Wow...you're basing your assessment off NCAA 2009?

Didn't you know that video games are reality? That's why we can make trades like Anthony Dixon for [enter biggest name in NFL currently] straight up. If Madden allows it then it must be true.

I actually came in here to ask a similar question.

I have a slightly different take tho. Does having Harbaugh as his coach actually detract a bit from Luck? If Harbaugh has done this with EVERY QB he's ever coached (Mortenson, Josh Johnson, Andrew Luck....and now even Alex Smith) do teams begin to shy away fearing it was more the Harbaugh influence than anything else?

Peeps could say that Luck continued to play well this year under Shaw, but Johnson had his best season the year after Harbaugh left. The systems were still in place. While not a bad QB, Johnson has yet to distinguish himself in Tampa (although I still like the guy).

I like Luck, don't get me wrong, but a part of me thinks if he is forced into a different type of O in the NFL that he won't have nearly the same success.

Valid question.

From what I have seen of Luck, he seems like the real deal, even without Harbaugh. Not to say Harbaugh didn't have a lot to do with his success, but I think Luck is a once in a decade type of QB. Even without Harbaugh, he's having a great season. I know the system is the same but it's a new coach (even though he was promoted) and new players.

I hear ya, but I can't help but wonder whats gonna happen if Luck gets taken by a team that runs a completely different offense. What if he ends up in a Coryell-style numbers system and he's asked to do something completely different. The guy is gifted, no doubt, but he's also spoiled rotten by the coaching he's had so far. Its very possible he'll move into the NFL and get inferior coaching by comparison.

chicken or the egg question

Originally posted by schmons:
chicken or the egg question

Exactly. I just dunno. It almost seems like the better Alex plays, the more it hurts Luck.

Don't get me wrong, he's still gonna go #1 and I think he'll be good...I'm just wondering if NFL teams will look at that and pause.

This is just my opinion from watching him for the last three years, but I feel you just can't stick Luck into any system for the same results. He is extremely efficient in a ball control and balanced WCO, so forcing him to put the whole team on his back like Marino or Manning won't be utilizing his skill set in the best manner.

Originally posted by Marvin49:
I actually came in here to ask a similar question.

I have a slightly different take tho. Does having Harbaugh as his coach actually detract a bit from Luck? If Harbaugh has done this with EVERY QB he's ever coached (Mortenson, Josh Johnson, Andrew Luck....and now even Alex Smith) do teams begin to shy away fearing it was more the Harbaugh influence than anything else?

Peeps could say that Luck continued to play well this year under Shaw, but Johnson had his best season the year after Harbaugh left. The systems were still in place. While not a bad QB, Johnson has yet to distinguish himself in Tampa (although I still like the guy).

I like Luck, don't get me wrong, but a part of me thinks if he is forced into a different type of O in the NFL that he won't have nearly the same success.

I don't see your point. The guy made significant strides under Harbaugh and he is not losing any momentum this year under Shaw. There are a couple of examples of guys that lost their #1 status by staying an extra year (Leinart and Locker), but Luck is just getting better. If Luck was coming out of a gimmicky spread offense (........sound familiar), I would be worried as an NFL exec that he may not be able to adapt quickly to a Pro Style offense. Luck was in pro style offense all the way back to his high school days and Harbaugh built on that foundation to create a monster talent. Luck is as bullet proof as it gets for an NFL prospect.

I agree w/the Chicken & Egg thing.

The guy can flat out play and will be a star. Doesn't mean he'll win SBowls or anything else. I remember our Super Bowls against The Dolphins and Broncos.
Marino got almost all the great press, Elway same thing and look who is rated as the #1 QB of all time. They both could throw grat and had great stats but in the end it's the winners that count.

I see Luck going to the Colts.

Originally posted by m_brockalexander:

Originally posted by Marvin49:
I actually came in here to ask a similar question.

I have a slightly different take tho. Does having Harbaugh as his coach actually detract a bit from Luck? If Harbaugh has done this with EVERY QB he's ever coached (Mortenson, Josh Johnson, Andrew Luck....and now even Alex Smith) do teams begin to shy away fearing it was more the Harbaugh influence than anything else?

Peeps could say that Luck continued to play well this year under Shaw, but Johnson had his best season the year after Harbaugh left. The systems were still in place. While not a bad QB, Johnson has yet to distinguish himself in Tampa (although I still like the guy).

I like Luck, don't get me wrong, but a part of me thinks if he is forced into a different type of O in the NFL that he won't have nearly the same success.

I don't see your point. The guy made significant strides under Harbaugh and he is not losing any momentum this year under Shaw. There are a couple of examples of guys that lost their #1 status by staying an extra year (Leinart and Locker), but Luck is just getting better. If Luck was coming out of a gimmicky spread offense (........sound familiar), I would be worried as an NFL exec that he may not be able to adapt quickly to a Pro Style offense. Luck was in pro style offense all the way back to his high school days and Harbaugh built on that foundation to create a monster talent. Luck is as bullet proof as it gets for an NFL prospect.

My point is that Josh Johnson had the best QB rating a college QB has EVER had as a senior (the year AFTER Harbaugh left). They were running the same system. He had 43 TDs and ONE INT. WOW.

He goes into the pros and so far hasn't lit up the league. Thats not to say he won't at some point, but so far it hasn't happened.

Can a QB carry over the great coaching he's had in the past? Of course, but if he doesn't get into a system that is similar to the one he ran at Stanford, he could struggle. How much of his success is that scheme and GREAT coaching and how much of it is him simply being great?

The case of Josh Johnson and Andrew Luck are pretty similar. Harbaugh turns the organization around, gets young QB to mold and that guy put up unheard of stats. Then Harbaugh leaves and that guy is EVEN BETTER the year after Harbaugh as those teams run the same offense. You can obviously make a case for the level of competition Luck sees compared to Johnson, but my point is still valid.

QB's are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get until you draft one-hehe. With that said, Harbaugh coached him up to fulfill his potential on the college level. I have seen him play this year and he is still good. I like the way he moves in the pocket, I like that he is strong like Ben of the Steelers and hard to bring down, his ball has good touch when he needs and comes out tight and in a beeline when needed for the other times. The one thing I watch is whether a QB's ball floats no matter what the situation, it doesn't. Although he is in the same system, it is not a situation like Hawaii or Florida and other programs where it is the system. He is like Manning in that he is polished coming out and maybe viewed as no upside, but he will won't need any, as he only needs to get used to the schemes played at the pro level and the speed of the game. At worst he will be like Big Ben at best he will be like Manning.

Originally posted by WildBill:
QB's are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get until you draft one-hehe. With that said, Harbaugh coached him up to fulfill his potential on the college level. I have seen him play this year and he is still good. I like the way he moves in the pocket, I like that he is strong like Ben of the Steelers and hard to bring down, his ball has good touch when he needs and comes out tight and in a beeline when needed for the other times. The one thing I watch is whether a QB's ball floats no matter what the situation, it doesn't. Although he is in the same system, it is not a situation like Hawaii or Florida and other programs where it is the system. He is like Manning in that he is polished coming out and maybe viewed as no upside, but he will won't need any, as he only needs to get used to the schemes played at the pro level and the speed of the game. At worst he will be like Big Ben at best he will be like Manning.