The O-line & Alex Smith

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:
I really believe there are 2 main approaches to playing QB, instinctive and cerebral, and all NFL QBs fall somewhere in that spectrum. The instinctive QB thrives on a true "feel" for the game and can read and react as if it's second nature. The cerebral QB is a student of the game and dissects their own playbook and the oppositions defense to understand how to succeed.

On the cerebral end is Peyton Manning and on the instinctive end sits Brett Favre. I believe every other QB is somewhere in between. Thus, I would say Manning and Favre take completely opposite approaches to playing QB.

I think the QBs who are able to make their o-line look better than they are tend to be the more instinctive QBs: Favre, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, etc. Also, QBs that can scramble too, obviously.

I would argue that Alex Smith is on the extreme end of the cerebral QB, maybe even on par with Peyton Manning. Does anyone remember how much Manning struggled in the first half of last year? He later admitted to taking almost no reps in training camp and preseason (because of knee surgery) along with major injuries to his o-line and receivers that he had built timing with over multiple seasons. I would argue that his 6 interception game vs. SD was worse than any game Smith has ever played.

Another case in point is when we played them this year. We got more pressure on him than any other team and he really struggled. Sure he threw for lots of yards, but couldn't put it in the endzone. They needed a trick play just to score a TD against us!

My point is, a cerebral QB needs a good o-line and lots of continuity and familiarity to thrive. I can't prove it, but I think if Manning had new coordinators and receivers every year with a poor o-line he wouldn't be nearly the player he is. That's not a knock against him, it's just the way he approaches the game. He's not a QB that can continually make something from nothing and neither is Alex Smith.

Of course, I might just be completely full of crap, but that's just my 2 cents. Sorry for the long winded-ness.

You make some great points, however, I think Manning is that rare combination of instinctive and cerebral. Case in point, the Colts o-line doesn't have many big names or high picks as starters, and you can plug in just about anyone and they'll be able to get by. Same with their offensive weapons...you can be missing Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez, and just throw in Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie and really not miss a beat. Of course, it helps to still have Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but missing Harrison and Gonzalez were huge losses and definitely messed with the continuity.

But even with the lack of true blue-chip talent on the o-line and missing key pieces at WR this year, Manning had another great season. His knack for seeing what defenses are trying to do, then being able to exploit it regardless of the talent around him, is a rare gift, and it sets him apart from any other QB in the league today.

But your overall point is well-made.

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by djutberg:
For evidence of this assertion, compare the '08 vs. '09 seasons of Kyle Orton and Jay Cutler.

Both of their teams underperformed.

We do not have the worst OL in the league. We are actually ranked 19 in QB being pressured.

I think it's safe to admit that it's a combination of both, QB and OL.

I think you can add a third factor. The OC.

Hopefully, if all three improves just a smidgeon, we will make the playoffs. Seattle and Minnesota were winable games that escaped us in the wanning moments

However, don't expect VD to have the same numbers, teams will smother him next year, even with crabtree. So the third WR will have to take advantage. Also, Smith needs to play better from a base offense and not rely on a form of the spread or teams will smother that also. Now that the opposition knows us better and have more video, they will game plan better for us.

Originally posted by GoFD74:

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:
I really believe there are 2 main approaches to playing QB, instinctive and cerebral, and all NFL QBs fall somewhere in that spectrum. The instinctive QB thrives on a true "feel" for the game and can read and react as if it's second nature. The cerebral QB is a student of the game and dissects their own playbook and the oppositions defense to understand how to succeed.

On the cerebral end is Peyton Manning and on the instinctive end sits Brett Favre. I believe every other QB is somewhere in between. Thus, I would say Manning and Favre take completely opposite approaches to playing QB.

I think the QBs who are able to make their o-line look better than they are tend to be the more instinctive QBs: Favre, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, etc. Also, QBs that can scramble too, obviously.

I would argue that Alex Smith is on the extreme end of the cerebral QB, maybe even on par with Peyton Manning. Does anyone remember how much Manning struggled in the first half of last year? He later admitted to taking almost no reps in training camp and preseason (because of knee surgery) along with major injuries to his o-line and receivers that he had built timing with over multiple seasons. I would argue that his 6 interception game vs. SD was worse than any game Smith has ever played.

Another case in point is when we played them this year. We got more pressure on him than any other team and he really struggled. Sure he threw for lots of yards, but couldn't put it in the endzone. They needed a trick play just to score a TD against us!

My point is, a cerebral QB needs a good o-line and lots of continuity and familiarity to thrive. I can't prove it, but I think if Manning had new coordinators and receivers every year with a poor o-line he wouldn't be nearly the player he is. That's not a knock against him, it's just the way he approaches the game. He's not a QB that can continually make something from nothing and neither is Alex Smith.

Of course, I might just be completely full of crap, but that's just my 2 cents. Sorry for the long winded-ness.

You make some great points, however, I think Manning is that rare combination of instinctive and cerebral. Case in point, the Colts o-line doesn't have many big names or high picks as starters, and you can plug in just about anyone and they'll be able to get by. Same with their offensive weapons...you can be missing Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez, and just throw in Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie and really not miss a beat. Of course, it helps to still have Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but missing Harrison and Gonzalez were huge losses and definitely messed with the continuity.

But even with the lack of true blue-chip talent on the o-line and missing key pieces at WR this year, Manning had another great season. His knack for seeing what defenses are trying to do, then being able to exploit it regardless of the talent around him, is a rare gift, and it sets him apart from any other QB in the league today.

But your overall point is well-made.

You bring up a good example with how well Manning played this year with Garcon and Collie in for Gonzalez and Harrison. I think a possible explanation to that is that Manning has just progressed so much in his understanding of the game at this point in his career that it overcomes fluctuations in continuity.

I'm not so sure he plays this well with that kind of lineup change in his late 20s or even just a couple of years ago. In '07, they played a brief stretch of games with Harrison and Dallas Clark out with injures - Tony Ugoh was out too I believe (he was playing very well during that season at left tackle). That whole offense just looked off when you watched it. That was the period where he threw 6 interceptions vs. the Chargers and mustered only 13 points against the Chiefs with only 163 yards passing (on 32 attempts!).

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:

Originally posted by GoFD74:

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:
I really believe there are 2 main approaches to playing QB, instinctive and cerebral, and all NFL QBs fall somewhere in that spectrum. The instinctive QB thrives on a true "feel" for the game and can read and react as if it's second nature. The cerebral QB is a student of the game and dissects their own playbook and the oppositions defense to understand how to succeed.

On the cerebral end is Peyton Manning and on the instinctive end sits Brett Favre. I believe every other QB is somewhere in between. Thus, I would say Manning and Favre take completely opposite approaches to playing QB.

I think the QBs who are able to make their o-line look better than they are tend to be the more instinctive QBs: Favre, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, etc. Also, QBs that can scramble too, obviously.

I would argue that Alex Smith is on the extreme end of the cerebral QB, maybe even on par with Peyton Manning. Does anyone remember how much Manning struggled in the first half of last year? He later admitted to taking almost no reps in training camp and preseason (because of knee surgery) along with major injuries to his o-line and receivers that he had built timing with over multiple seasons. I would argue that his 6 interception game vs. SD was worse than any game Smith has ever played.

Another case in point is when we played them this year. We got more pressure on him than any other team and he really struggled. Sure he threw for lots of yards, but couldn't put it in the endzone. They needed a trick play just to score a TD against us!

My point is, a cerebral QB needs a good o-line and lots of continuity and familiarity to thrive. I can't prove it, but I think if Manning had new coordinators and receivers every year with a poor o-line he wouldn't be nearly the player he is. That's not a knock against him, it's just the way he approaches the game. He's not a QB that can continually make something from nothing and neither is Alex Smith.

Of course, I might just be completely full of crap, but that's just my 2 cents. Sorry for the long winded-ness.

You make some great points, however, I think Manning is that rare combination of instinctive and cerebral. Case in point, the Colts o-line doesn't have many big names or high picks as starters, and you can plug in just about anyone and they'll be able to get by. Same with their offensive weapons...you can be missing Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez, and just throw in Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie and really not miss a beat. Of course, it helps to still have Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but missing Harrison and Gonzalez were huge losses and definitely messed with the continuity.

But even with the lack of true blue-chip talent on the o-line and missing key pieces at WR this year, Manning had another great season. His knack for seeing what defenses are trying to do, then being able to exploit it regardless of the talent around him, is a rare gift, and it sets him apart from any other QB in the league today.

But your overall point is well-made.

You bring up a good example with how well Manning played this year with Garcon and Collie in for Gonzalez and Harrison. I think a possible explanation to that is that Manning has just progressed so much in his understanding of the game at this point in his career that it overcomes fluctuations in continuity.

I'm not so sure he plays this well with that kind of lineup change in his late 20s or even just a couple of years ago. In '07, they played a brief stretch of games with Harrison and Dallas Clark out with injures - Tony Ugoh was out too I believe (he was playing very well during that season at left tackle). That whole offense just looked off when you watched it. That was the period where he threw 6 interceptions vs. the Chargers and mustered only 13 points against the Chiefs with only 163 yards passing (on 32 attempts!).

Very true...over time, he has become more instinctive, especially when it comes to the offense that he's been running for years. He knows it so well (all the reads, the line calls, routes, etc.) that it's all second nature to him.

One thing I'd be curious to know about that 6 int game against SD...how many of those throws were Manning's fault, and how many were miscommunications between QB and WR (Manning knowing there the ball should be, but the new WRs not being there)? I ask because even though I watched that game, I don't remember that level of specificity.

Originally posted by GoFD74:

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:

Originally posted by GoFD74:

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:
I really believe there are 2 main approaches to playing QB, instinctive and cerebral, and all NFL QBs fall somewhere in that spectrum. The instinctive QB thrives on a true "feel" for the game and can read and react as if it's second nature. The cerebral QB is a student of the game and dissects their own playbook and the oppositions defense to understand how to succeed.

On the cerebral end is Peyton Manning and on the instinctive end sits Brett Favre. I believe every other QB is somewhere in between. Thus, I would say Manning and Favre take completely opposite approaches to playing QB.

I think the QBs who are able to make their o-line look better than they are tend to be the more instinctive QBs: Favre, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, etc. Also, QBs that can scramble too, obviously.

I would argue that Alex Smith is on the extreme end of the cerebral QB, maybe even on par with Peyton Manning. Does anyone remember how much Manning struggled in the first half of last year? He later admitted to taking almost no reps in training camp and preseason (because of knee surgery) along with major injuries to his o-line and receivers that he had built timing with over multiple seasons. I would argue that his 6 interception game vs. SD was worse than any game Smith has ever played.

Another case in point is when we played them this year. We got more pressure on him than any other team and he really struggled. Sure he threw for lots of yards, but couldn't put it in the endzone. They needed a trick play just to score a TD against us!

My point is, a cerebral QB needs a good o-line and lots of continuity and familiarity to thrive. I can't prove it, but I think if Manning had new coordinators and receivers every year with a poor o-line he wouldn't be nearly the player he is. That's not a knock against him, it's just the way he approaches the game. He's not a QB that can continually make something from nothing and neither is Alex Smith.

Of course, I might just be completely full of crap, but that's just my 2 cents. Sorry for the long winded-ness.

You make some great points, however, I think Manning is that rare combination of instinctive and cerebral. Case in point, the Colts o-line doesn't have many big names or high picks as starters, and you can plug in just about anyone and they'll be able to get by. Same with their offensive weapons...you can be missing Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez, and just throw in Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie and really not miss a beat. Of course, it helps to still have Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but missing Harrison and Gonzalez were huge losses and definitely messed with the continuity.

But even with the lack of true blue-chip talent on the o-line and missing key pieces at WR this year, Manning had another great season. His knack for seeing what defenses are trying to do, then being able to exploit it regardless of the talent around him, is a rare gift, and it sets him apart from any other QB in the league today.

But your overall point is well-made.

You bring up a good example with how well Manning played this year with Garcon and Collie in for Gonzalez and Harrison. I think a possible explanation to that is that Manning has just progressed so much in his understanding of the game at this point in his career that it overcomes fluctuations in continuity.

I'm not so sure he plays this well with that kind of lineup change in his late 20s or even just a couple of years ago. In '07, they played a brief stretch of games with Harrison and Dallas Clark out with injures - Tony Ugoh was out too I believe (he was playing very well during that season at left tackle). That whole offense just looked off when you watched it. That was the period where he threw 6 interceptions vs. the Chargers and mustered only 13 points against the Chiefs with only 163 yards passing (on 32 attempts!).

Very true...over time, he has become more instinctive, especially when it comes to the offense that he's been running for years. He knows it so well (all the reads, the line calls, routes, etc.) that it's all second nature to him.

One thing I'd be curious to know about that 6 int game against SD...how many of those throws were Manning's fault, and how many were miscommunications between QB and WR (Manning knowing there the ball should be, but the new WRs not being there)? I ask because even though I watched that game, I don't remember that level of specificity.

This is excellent stuff. Good posts guys. I wish Niner talk was like THIS.

Originally posted by LambdaChi49:

Originally posted by GoFD74:

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:

Originally posted by GoFD74:

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:
I really believe there are 2 main approaches to playing QB, instinctive and cerebral, and all NFL QBs fall somewhere in that spectrum. The instinctive QB thrives on a true "feel" for the game and can read and react as if it's second nature. The cerebral QB is a student of the game and dissects their own playbook and the oppositions defense to understand how to succeed.

On the cerebral end is Peyton Manning and on the instinctive end sits Brett Favre. I believe every other QB is somewhere in between. Thus, I would say Manning and Favre take completely opposite approaches to playing QB.

I think the QBs who are able to make their o-line look better than they are tend to be the more instinctive QBs: Favre, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, etc. Also, QBs that can scramble too, obviously.

I would argue that Alex Smith is on the extreme end of the cerebral QB, maybe even on par with Peyton Manning. Does anyone remember how much Manning struggled in the first half of last year? He later admitted to taking almost no reps in training camp and preseason (because of knee surgery) along with major injuries to his o-line and receivers that he had built timing with over multiple seasons. I would argue that his 6 interception game vs. SD was worse than any game Smith has ever played.

Another case in point is when we played them this year. We got more pressure on him than any other team and he really struggled. Sure he threw for lots of yards, but couldn't put it in the endzone. They needed a trick play just to score a TD against us!

My point is, a cerebral QB needs a good o-line and lots of continuity and familiarity to thrive. I can't prove it, but I think if Manning had new coordinators and receivers every year with a poor o-line he wouldn't be nearly the player he is. That's not a knock against him, it's just the way he approaches the game. He's not a QB that can continually make something from nothing and neither is Alex Smith.

Of course, I might just be completely full of crap, but that's just my 2 cents. Sorry for the long winded-ness.

You make some great points, however, I think Manning is that rare combination of instinctive and cerebral. Case in point, the Colts o-line doesn't have many big names or high picks as starters, and you can plug in just about anyone and they'll be able to get by. Same with their offensive weapons...you can be missing Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez, and just throw in Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie and really not miss a beat. Of course, it helps to still have Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but missing Harrison and Gonzalez were huge losses and definitely messed with the continuity.

But even with the lack of true blue-chip talent on the o-line and missing key pieces at WR this year, Manning had another great season. His knack for seeing what defenses are trying to do, then being able to exploit it regardless of the talent around him, is a rare gift, and it sets him apart from any other QB in the league today.

But your overall point is well-made.

You bring up a good example with how well Manning played this year with Garcon and Collie in for Gonzalez and Harrison. I think a possible explanation to that is that Manning has just progressed so much in his understanding of the game at this point in his career that it overcomes fluctuations in continuity.

I'm not so sure he plays this well with that kind of lineup change in his late 20s or even just a couple of years ago. In '07, they played a brief stretch of games with Harrison and Dallas Clark out with injures - Tony Ugoh was out too I believe (he was playing very well during that season at left tackle). That whole offense just looked off when you watched it. That was the period where he threw 6 interceptions vs. the Chargers and mustered only 13 points against the Chiefs with only 163 yards passing (on 32 attempts!).

Very true...over time, he has become more instinctive, especially when it comes to the offense that he's been running for years. He knows it so well (all the reads, the line calls, routes, etc.) that it's all second nature to him.

One thing I'd be curious to know about that 6 int game against SD...how many of those throws were Manning's fault, and how many were miscommunications between QB and WR (Manning knowing there the ball should be, but the new WRs not being there)? I ask because even though I watched that game, I don't remember that level of specificity.

This is excellent stuff. Good posts guys. I wish Niner talk was like THIS.

Thanks! It's fun to talk ACTUAL football from time to time, isn't it?

Originally posted by GoFD74:

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:

Originally posted by GoFD74:

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:
I really believe there are 2 main approaches to playing QB, instinctive and cerebral, and all NFL QBs fall somewhere in that spectrum. The instinctive QB thrives on a true "feel" for the game and can read and react as if it's second nature. The cerebral QB is a student of the game and dissects their own playbook and the oppositions defense to understand how to succeed.

On the cerebral end is Peyton Manning and on the instinctive end sits Brett Favre. I believe every other QB is somewhere in between. Thus, I would say Manning and Favre take completely opposite approaches to playing QB.

I think the QBs who are able to make their o-line look better than they are tend to be the more instinctive QBs: Favre, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, etc. Also, QBs that can scramble too, obviously.

I would argue that Alex Smith is on the extreme end of the cerebral QB, maybe even on par with Peyton Manning. Does anyone remember how much Manning struggled in the first half of last year? He later admitted to taking almost no reps in training camp and preseason (because of knee surgery) along with major injuries to his o-line and receivers that he had built timing with over multiple seasons. I would argue that his 6 interception game vs. SD was worse than any game Smith has ever played.

Another case in point is when we played them this year. We got more pressure on him than any other team and he really struggled. Sure he threw for lots of yards, but couldn't put it in the endzone. They needed a trick play just to score a TD against us!

My point is, a cerebral QB needs a good o-line and lots of continuity and familiarity to thrive. I can't prove it, but I think if Manning had new coordinators and receivers every year with a poor o-line he wouldn't be nearly the player he is. That's not a knock against him, it's just the way he approaches the game. He's not a QB that can continually make something from nothing and neither is Alex Smith.

Of course, I might just be completely full of crap, but that's just my 2 cents. Sorry for the long winded-ness.

You make some great points, however, I think Manning is that rare combination of instinctive and cerebral. Case in point, the Colts o-line doesn't have many big names or high picks as starters, and you can plug in just about anyone and they'll be able to get by. Same with their offensive weapons...you can be missing Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez, and just throw in Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie and really not miss a beat. Of course, it helps to still have Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but missing Harrison and Gonzalez were huge losses and definitely messed with the continuity.

But even with the lack of true blue-chip talent on the o-line and missing key pieces at WR this year, Manning had another great season. His knack for seeing what defenses are trying to do, then being able to exploit it regardless of the talent around him, is a rare gift, and it sets him apart from any other QB in the league today.

But your overall point is well-made.

You bring up a good example with how well Manning played this year with Garcon and Collie in for Gonzalez and Harrison. I think a possible explanation to that is that Manning has just progressed so much in his understanding of the game at this point in his career that it overcomes fluctuations in continuity.

I'm not so sure he plays this well with that kind of lineup change in his late 20s or even just a couple of years ago. In '07, they played a brief stretch of games with Harrison and Dallas Clark out with injures - Tony Ugoh was out too I believe (he was playing very well during that season at left tackle). That whole offense just looked off when you watched it. That was the period where he threw 6 interceptions vs. the Chargers and mustered only 13 points against the Chiefs with only 163 yards passing (on 32 attempts!).

Very true...over time, he has become more instinctive, especially when it comes to the offense that he's been running for years. He knows it so well (all the reads, the line calls, routes, etc.) that it's all second nature to him.

One thing I'd be curious to know about that 6 int game against SD...how many of those throws were Manning's fault, and how many were miscommunications between QB and WR (Manning knowing there the ball should be, but the new WRs not being there)? I ask because even though I watched that game, I don't remember that level of specificity.

I don't remember the details either but I'd be willing to wager that most, if not all, were probably the WR's fault - if only in respect to Manning's ability. That's part of my point, however. A cerebral QB is so methodical in his play, that he'll throw the ball to exactly where it needs to be and it's up to the WR to be there. Without continuity, it's really hard to thrive with this level of precision.

There was an SI article earlier this year about Austin Collie. Collie mentioned how crucial it was that he be in the exact right spot at the exact right time. It was mentioned that a lot of receivers wouldn't cut it playing for the Colts because of the level of precision expected by Manning. They deliberately draft only the most meticulous of route runners - or those that have the mindset and drive to learn.

Originally posted by LambdaChi49:

Originally posted by GoFD74:

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:

Originally posted by GoFD74:

Originally posted by CalgaryNiner:
I really believe there are 2 main approaches to playing QB, instinctive and cerebral, and all NFL QBs fall somewhere in that spectrum. The instinctive QB thrives on a true "feel" for the game and can read and react as if it's second nature. The cerebral QB is a student of the game and dissects their own playbook and the oppositions defense to understand how to succeed.

On the cerebral end is Peyton Manning and on the instinctive end sits Brett Favre. I believe every other QB is somewhere in between. Thus, I would say Manning and Favre take completely opposite approaches to playing QB.

I think the QBs who are able to make their o-line look better than they are tend to be the more instinctive QBs: Favre, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, etc. Also, QBs that can scramble too, obviously.

I would argue that Alex Smith is on the extreme end of the cerebral QB, maybe even on par with Peyton Manning. Does anyone remember how much Manning struggled in the first half of last year? He later admitted to taking almost no reps in training camp and preseason (because of knee surgery) along with major injuries to his o-line and receivers that he had built timing with over multiple seasons. I would argue that his 6 interception game vs. SD was worse than any game Smith has ever played.

Another case in point is when we played them this year. We got more pressure on him than any other team and he really struggled. Sure he threw for lots of yards, but couldn't put it in the endzone. They needed a trick play just to score a TD against us!

My point is, a cerebral QB needs a good o-line and lots of continuity and familiarity to thrive. I can't prove it, but I think if Manning had new coordinators and receivers every year with a poor o-line he wouldn't be nearly the player he is. That's not a knock against him, it's just the way he approaches the game. He's not a QB that can continually make something from nothing and neither is Alex Smith.

Of course, I might just be completely full of crap, but that's just my 2 cents. Sorry for the long winded-ness.

You make some great points, however, I think Manning is that rare combination of instinctive and cerebral. Case in point, the Colts o-line doesn't have many big names or high picks as starters, and you can plug in just about anyone and they'll be able to get by. Same with their offensive weapons...you can be missing Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez, and just throw in Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie and really not miss a beat. Of course, it helps to still have Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but missing Harrison and Gonzalez were huge losses and definitely messed with the continuity.

But even with the lack of true blue-chip talent on the o-line and missing key pieces at WR this year, Manning had another great season. His knack for seeing what defenses are trying to do, then being able to exploit it regardless of the talent around him, is a rare gift, and it sets him apart from any other QB in the league today.

But your overall point is well-made.

You bring up a good example with how well Manning played this year with Garcon and Collie in for Gonzalez and Harrison. I think a possible explanation to that is that Manning has just progressed so much in his understanding of the game at this point in his career that it overcomes fluctuations in continuity.

I'm not so sure he plays this well with that kind of lineup change in his late 20s or even just a couple of years ago. In '07, they played a brief stretch of games with Harrison and Dallas Clark out with injures - Tony Ugoh was out too I believe (he was playing very well during that season at left tackle). That whole offense just looked off when you watched it. That was the period where he threw 6 interceptions vs. the Chargers and mustered only 13 points against the Chiefs with only 163 yards passing (on 32 attempts!).

Very true...over time, he has become more instinctive, especially when it comes to the offense that he's been running for years. He knows it so well (all the reads, the line calls, routes, etc.) that it's all second nature to him.

One thing I'd be curious to know about that 6 int game against SD...how many of those throws were Manning's fault, and how many were miscommunications between QB and WR (Manning knowing there the ball should be, but the new WRs not being there)? I ask because even though I watched that game, I don't remember that level of specificity.

This is excellent stuff. Good posts guys. I wish Niner talk was like THIS.

Oops, I'm kind of new around here. Am I straying from the norm?

YOU ALEX HATER!!!!! I mean, you ALEXCUSER!!!! ...or whatever you are.

That better?

Originally posted by Shorteous:

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by djutberg:
For evidence of this assertion, compare the '08 vs. '09 seasons of Kyle Orton and Jay Cutler.

Both of their teams underperformed.

We do not have the worst OL in the league. We are actually ranked 19 in QB being pressured.

I think it's safe to admit that it's a combination of both, QB and OL.

ya but what were we ranked before we started going to the gun alot... I know once we moved to the gun it allowed Alex to get the ball out faster and gave the line more cushion. I know our sacks numbers diminished greatly from that point.

I say your blanket stat is misleading.. what say you?

TRUE, alex bailed out the OL with his shorter passes quicker reads and quick release.