Sam Bradford - Coach's Film - Jaguars

[moklerman]

1) Agree that the drops are a problem now. They will get better with time so I don't see this as a long term issue.

I hope you're right, but I don't think one can assume such a thing. It's been 4 years now and they haven't gotten any better.

2) I'm not looking for reckless. Troy Aikman wasn't reckless. He he had great anticipation and accuracy and he made stick throws on plays that were there for the taking. When he put the ball up to Irvin he knew that Irvin would come up with it, Troy had no doubt. Sam doesn't have that confidence with anyone except maybe Pettis now. So I'm just looking for Sam to make stick throws on plays that are there for the taking, and there are enough of them, and Sam is leaving them on the field.

This might be a good example of selective memory. What you say about Aikman is true...but only after he had been in the league for 3+ years. Wanna see how Aikman and Bradford compare after 47 games? Each were #1 overall, each played at Oklahoma and each started their first season, Bradford took over a 1-15 team, Aikman a 3-13 team:

800/1,352(59.2%) 9,354 yards(6.9 ypa) 46 TD(3.4%)/57 INT(4.2%) 74.0 rating

999/1,714(58.3%) 10,693 yards(6.2 ypa) 55 TD(3.2%)37 INT(2.2%) 78.3 rating

Guess which one is which.

So, do we judge Bradford against the Troy Aikman that we remember winning Super Bowls or against the Troy Aikman that had to endure his team going through ownership changes, coaching changes and a complete rebuild through the draft, jump-started by a blockbuster trade that netted the Cowboys many picks? I'm pretty skeptical about the Rams having their own version of Emmitt, Irvin, Allen and Novacek on the roster at this point but I think it's only fair to put into perspective just how long it takes even a HOF'er to get comfortable when so much is in turmoil around him.

 

[jrry32]

That was a good one. It was the 2nd game of the season last year and gave everyone renewed hope that Sam was gonna be ok after the disaster of 2011. But what happened after that? Sam was erratic all season long. And left us all expecting the big step up this year. It's been 19 games since that Skins game. And I'm still waiting. Aren't you?

Still waiting for what? Sam to become great? Yes. But the guy has been extremely good when it comes to making plays late in the games. The other 3 quarters have been the issue.

 

[max]

That was a good one. It was the 2nd game of the season last year and gave everyone renewed hope that Sam was gonna be ok after the disaster of 2011. But what happened after that? Sam was erratic all season long. And left us all expecting the big step up this year. It's been 19 games since that Skins game. And I'm still waiting. Aren't you?

Still waiting for what? Sam to become great? Yes. But the guy has been extremely good when it comes to making plays late in the games. The other 3 quarters have been the issue.

We are both waiting for the same thing. It's called being aggressive. Sam just has not been aggressive enough regardless of what quarter it is.

He has made some plays against weaker teams in the 4th quarter like in Buffalo last year. You wonder why Sam will only show it when his back is against the wall. Why won't he come out and jump on a defense from the get go? Maybe he is overthinking stuff until his back is against the wall, but by then it's usually too late, especially against good teams.

 

[nighttrain]

1) Agree that the drops are a problem now. They will get better with time so I don't see this as a long term issue.

I hope you're right, but I don't think one can assume such a thing. It's been 4 years now and they haven't gotten any better.

2) I'm not looking for reckless. Troy Aikman wasn't reckless. He he had great anticipation and accuracy and he made stick throws on plays that were there for the taking. When he put the ball up to Irvin he knew that Irvin would come up with it, Troy had no doubt. Sam doesn't have that confidence with anyone except maybe Pettis now. So I'm just looking for Sam to make stick throws on plays that are there for the taking, and there are enough of them, and Sam is leaving them on the field.

This might be a good example of selective memory. What you say about Aikman is true...but only after he had been in the league for 3+ years. Wanna see how Aikman and Bradford compare after 47 games? Each were #1 overall, each played at Oklahoma and each started their first season, Bradford took over a 1-15 team, Aikman a 3-13 team:

800/1,352(59.2%) 9,354 yards(6.9 ypa) 46 TD(3.4%)/57 INT(4.2%) 74.0 rating

999/1,714(58.3%) 10,693 yards(6.2 ypa) 55 TD(3.2%)37 INT(2.2%) 78.3 rating

Guess which one is which.

So, do we judge Bradford against the Troy Aikman that we remember winning Super Bowls or against the Troy Aikman that had to endure his team going through ownership changes, coaching changes and a complete rebuild through the draft, jump-started by a blockbuster trade that netted the Cowboys many picks? I'm pretty skeptical about the Rams having their own version of Emmitt, Irvin, Allen and Novacek on the roster at this point but I think it's only fair to put into perspective just how long it takes even a HOF'er to get comfortable when so much is in turmoil around him.

I was hoping someone would do this, thanks. And i had to look it up, but it is SB with better #'s in year 4 at this poiint. Comparing SB to Troy in his salad says is ridiculous. Might as well compare him in SB's 4th year to John Unitas in his prime, cant do it
train

 

[kurtfaulk]

2) I'm not looking for reckless. Troy Aikman wasn't reckless. He he had great anticipation and accuracy and he made stick throws on plays that were there for the taking. When he put the ball up to Irvin he knew that Irvin would come up with it, Troy had no doubt. Sam doesn't have that confidence with anyone except maybe Pettis now. So I'm just looking for Sam to make stick throws on plays that are there for the taking, and there are enough of them, and Sam is leaving them on the field.

you do know that Irvin was one of the best of all time don't you? I said after the whiners game that if Irvin was at the end of that Bradford underthrown pass it would have been a td instead of an int.

we should all dream that Bradford will one day have a wr like Irvin to throw to. quick is the most likely and hopefully he takes off next season.

so in summary I agree 100% with you. all rams fans want to see sam trust himself and his wrs to make plays.

.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Consistency!

That is what we need fromSam. He needs to play like every game is urgent from the first snap. He is too laid back for a guy leading the youth brigade.

Give me more consistency, like the kind from the hula hoopgirl in Moklermans posts! Every time she does her thing she does it the same way, no matter how many times Moke posts and makes her repeat it! And it consistently makes me pause to admire the beauty of her motions.

That is what we need from Samand the whole team for that matter.

 

[-X-]

That was a good one. It was the 2nd game of the season last year and gave everyone renewed hope that Sam was gonna be ok after the disaster of 2011. But what happened after that? Sam was erratic all season long. And left us all expecting the big step up this year. It's been 19 games since that Skins game. And I'm still waiting. Aren't you?

Still waiting for what? Sam to become great? Yes. But the guy has been extremely good when it comes to making plays late in the games. The other 3 quarters have been the issue.

We are both waiting for the same thing. It's called being aggressive. Sam just has not been aggressive enough regardless of what quarter it is.

He has made some plays against weaker teams in the 4th quarter like in Buffalo last year. You wonder why Sam will only show it when his back is against the wall. Why won't he come out and jump on a defense from the get go? Maybe he is overthinking stuff until his back is against the wall, but by then it's usually too late, especially against good teams.

I guess my question would be, how does he (Sam) 'jump on a defense from the get go'? Those kinds of 'score whenever I feel like it' teams are few and far between. Nobody on offense has more than a year of experience in this system, they added a rookie wr, a FA tight-end, and the longest tenured receiver on the team is Pettis. Someone who has never been quoted by anyone as a "legit #1".

This doesn't strike me as a team that can just 'get aggressive' whenever they feel like it and it would have positive results. Which is why we're seeing the game plan everyone hates so much. Short passes, run the ball, ESTABLISH the run, and THEN get more creative with the plays. The alternative is so count on 1, 2 and 3 year wide receivers to run beautifully executed routes and create all kinds of separation so that Bradford *can* be more aggressive. Since that's not going to happen this week, it's back to the grind.

 

[F. Mulder]

That was a good one. It was the 2nd game of the season last year and gave everyone renewed hope that Sam was gonna be ok after the disaster of 2011. But what happened after that? Sam was erratic all season long. And left us all expecting the big step up this year. It's been 19 games since that Skins game. And I'm still waiting. Aren't you?

Still waiting for what? Sam to become great? Yes. But the guy has been extremely good when it comes to making plays late in the games. The other 3 quarters have been the issue.

We are both waiting for the same thing. It's called being aggressive. Sam just has not been aggressive enough regardless of what quarter it is.

He has made some plays against weaker teams in the 4th quarter like in Buffalo last year. You wonder why Sam will only show it when his back is against the wall. Why won't he come out and jump on a defense from the get go? Maybe he is overthinking stuff until his back is against the wall, but by then it's usually too late, especially against good teams.

I guess my question would be, how does he (Sam) 'jump on a defense from the get go'? Those kinds of 'score whenever I feel like it' teams are few and far between. Nobody on offense has more than a year of experience in this system, they added a rookie wr, a FA tight-end, and the longest tenured receiver on the team is Pettis. Someone who has never been quoted by anyone as a "legit #1".

This doesn't strike me as a team that can just 'get aggressive' whenever they feel like it and it would have positive results. Which is why we're seeing the game plan everyone hates so much. Short passes, run the ball, ESTABLISH the run, and THEN get more creative with the plays. The alternative is so count on 1, 2 and 3 year wide receivers to run beautifully executed routes and create all kinds of separation so that Bradford *can* be more aggressive. Since that's not going to happen this week, it's back to the grind.

Understand X, but let me ask you this, as these "younger" WRs become more seasoned, and Fisher continues on as the Rams HC for year 3 and beyond, and Bradford is brought back, and there is some sort of offensive philosophical consistency even if Shotty is gone, do you believe SB can be aggressive or is he, by his nature/and or coaching, somewhat ultra safe? Sorry about the million comma, run on sentence. My question is, do you think Bradford can become more of a risk taker and push the ball down field (in the FUTURE) or is he what a lot of NFL QBs are, good on the short/medium-short stuff but not so willing on deeper stuff?

On a side note, I think some of the posters are taking some of these posts and comments as somehow an indictment of Bradford. I have been a supporter of him and want him to step up this year. I recognize and acknowledge some of the obstacles he faces. I also believe some of the criticisms and questions are warranted. I certainly don't want him to fail as I believe the majority of the board (and Ram fans) don't. I don't see anybody getting personal. I just see a good back and forth discussion. I sense a few people getting a bit more emotional than what was intended by some of these posts and posters. JMO. :shifty: And maybe that is NOT happening and I'm the one off base.

 

[-X-]

That was a good one. It was the 2nd game of the season last year and gave everyone renewed hope that Sam was gonna be ok after the disaster of 2011. But what happened after that? Sam was erratic all season long. And left us all expecting the big step up this year. It's been 19 games since that Skins game. And I'm still waiting. Aren't you?

Still waiting for what? Sam to become great? Yes. But the guy has been extremely good when it comes to making plays late in the games. The other 3 quarters have been the issue.

We are both waiting for the same thing. It's called being aggressive. Sam just has not been aggressive enough regardless of what quarter it is.

He has made some plays against weaker teams in the 4th quarter like in Buffalo last year. You wonder why Sam will only show it when his back is against the wall. Why won't he come out and jump on a defense from the get go? Maybe he is overthinking stuff until his back is against the wall, but by then it's usually too late, especially against good teams.

I guess my question would be, how does he (Sam) 'jump on a defense from the get go'? Those kinds of 'score whenever I feel like it' teams are few and far between. Nobody on offense has more than a year of experience in this system, they added a rookie wr, a FA tight-end, and the longest tenured receiver on the team is Pettis. Someone who has never been quoted by anyone as a "legit #1".

This doesn't strike me as a team that can just 'get aggressive' whenever they feel like it and it would have positive results. Which is why we're seeing the game plan everyone hates so much. Short passes, run the ball, ESTABLISH the run, and THEN get more creative with the plays. The alternative is so count on 1, 2 and 3 year wide receivers to run beautifully executed routes and create all kinds of separation so that Bradford *can* be more aggressive. Since that's not going to happen this week, it's back to the grind.

Understand X, but let me ask you this, as these "younger" WRs become more seasoned, and Fisher continues on as the Rams HC for year 3 and beyond, and Bradford is brought back, and there is some sort of offensive philosophical consistency even if Shotty is gone, [hilite]do you believe SB can be aggressive or is he, by his nature/and or coaching, somewhat ultra safe?[/hilite] Sorry about the million comma, run on sentence. My question is, do you think Bradford can become more of a risk taker and push the ball down field (in the FUTURE) or is he what a lot of NFL QBs are, good on the short/medium-short stuff but not so willing on deeper stuff?

On a side note, I think some of the posters are taking some of these posts and comments as somehow an indictment of Bradford. I have been a supporter of him and want him to step up this year. I recognize and acknowledge some of the obstacles he faces. I also believe some of the criticisms and questions are warranted. I certainly don't want him to fail as I believe the majority of the board (and Ram fans) don't. I don't see anybody getting personal. I just see a good back and forth discussion. I sense a few people getting a bit more emotional than what was intended by some of these posts and posters. JMO. :shifty: And maybe that is NOT happening and I'm the one off base.

That's the million dollar question, brudda.

Yes. He can absolutely be aggressive. He's aggressive (starting to hate that word) when the situation dictates that he can be. He was 'aggressive' when Clayton was on the field. Then again when Alexander was on the field. Then again when Lloyd was on the field. Then again when Amendola was on the field. Then again when Givens set a rookie record for most consecutive games with a 50-plus yard reception. Givens is the only guy left, and defenses know what he can do now.

The situation, in that 2 or 3 game span, didn't dictate that he could have been aggressive even if he wanted to, IMO. Teams are finding it disturbingly easy to take away the deep ball due to an ability to successfully rush four against our O-line. And which one of our receivers is even remotely *polished* at this point? Givens will still get over the top on occasion, and Bradford will throw it to him when it happens.

I don't think it's a real contentious discussion either.
As long as nobody assumes that their opinion is the final word on the matter, it's all good.

 

[max]

We've been all over this subject every which way because Sam is not playing well enough. This supporting cast is good enough for Sam to be playing better that he has. He just is not a good QB at this point.

So what do the Rams do about it? Well, clearly they will help Sam as much as they can for the next 11 games and hope he steps up.

But if he stays right where he is now, then what?

If Sam continues to play average to below average QB through the remainder of the year, it will be a tough decision for Fisher/Snead whether to draft a QB next year.

They may do something similar to what the Niners did. With Alex Smith on board, they drafted Kaepernick in the 2nd round.

I know this is almost Bayesian. But the odds are not looking good for Sam at this point to step it up the rest of the year. So if the disappointing expected result occurs, how dramatic do they go in addressing the QB position? Anywhere from going all in on Sam to drafting a QB high in the 1st round. The debate will rage on and it's not a trivial answer.

 

[BigRamFan]

We've been all over this subject every which way because Sam is not playing well enough. This supporting cast is good enough for Sam to be playing better that he has. He just is not a good QB at this point.

So what do the Rams do about it? Well, clearly they will help Sam as much as they can for the next 11 games and hope he steps up.

But if he stays right where he is now, then what?

If Sam continues to play average to below average QB through the remainder of the year, it will be a tough decision for Fisher/Snead whether to draft a QB next year.

They may do something similar to what the Niners did. With Alex Smith on board, they drafted Kaepernick in the 2nd round.

I know this is almost Bayesian. But the odds are not looking good for Sam at this point to step it up the rest of the year. So if the disappointing expected result occurs, how dramatic do they go in addressing the QB position? Anywhere from going all in on Sam to drafting a QB high in the 1st round. The debate will rage on and it's not a trivial answer.

I just do not understand how you reach this conclusion with all of the evidence presented in this thread alone, much less if you actually watch the games and see how the TEAM is failing now, not just the QB.

 

[jap]

It always amazes me the way that posters actually EXPECTED young receivers to be really effective, even dominant!, this early. I expected the offense at best to struggle through the 1st half of the season and only begin to get comfortable with each other by the 2nd half.

It was why I stated early on in a thread where many were predicting the team's 2013 results that I simply didn't have a feel for this team yet. Young players throw things off. Their progress is seldom steady & consistent. In fact, all too often, it tends to be more of 'everything coming together' thingy, a 'game slowing down' thang.

I have been disappointed with the running game, particularly with Isaiah, and I would really like to know what the hell is going on between him, Fish, and Schotty. He was drafted to be a lead RB, not a change of pace, and he has not even been doing the change of pace role very much. The ground game is retarding the growth of this offense more than anything else. I hope Zac truly becomes the Man, with judicious insertions of Tavon, DRich, and Benny for versatility. If Isaiah wants to play, he will show up.

On the receiving end, I was hoping Brian Quick would be ramping up his game by mid-season, and Sted would become grafted into the rotation. The Cookie Monster simply has to become more of a blocking monster: you can't have that kind of size & strength and be too selfish to help your teammates out.

I have actually been more disappointed with the D, although the DL's effectiveness seems to have been compromised by Chris' early nagging injury(ies). If Brockers steps things up and becomes the ultimate man child, the super stud DT I expect him to become, then Chris, The Mighty Quinn, and Langford (who needs an appropriate nickname!) will rock the backfield.

With Jo-Lonn back in tow, the LB crew is only limited by 'Tree's youthful errors. If Tru can continue to take positive steps, and Jenks can curb his gambling ways with judicious decisions, we can have a sweet young starting CB duo. Finnegan's decline is still somewhat of a mystery that none of the coaching brass seems to want to discuss openly. With MacDonald on the mend, the Horns have to continue to be creative with mixing in their safeties.

 

[max]

We've been all over this subject every which way because Sam is not playing well enough. This supporting cast is good enough for Sam to be playing better that he has. He just is not a good QB at this point.

So what do the Rams do about it? Well, clearly they will help Sam as much as they can for the next 11 games and hope he steps up.

But if he stays right where he is now, then what?

If Sam continues to play average to below average QB through the remainder of the year, it will be a tough decision for Fisher/Snead whether to draft a QB next year.

They may do something similar to what the Niners did. With Alex Smith on board, they drafted Kaepernick in the 2nd round.

I know this is almost Bayesian. But the odds are not looking good for Sam at this point to step it up the rest of the year. So if the disappointing expected result occurs, how dramatic do they go in addressing the QB position? Anywhere from going all in on Sam to drafting a QB high in the 1st round. The debate will rage on and it's not a trivial answer.

I just do not understand how you reach this conclusion with all of the evidence presented in this thread alone, much less if you actually watch the games and see how the TEAM is failing now, not just the QB.

I watch the games. And I don't see what I consider a good QB when I watch Sam play. Really, outside of some very biased Rams fans who does?

There are plenty of analysts who watch a lot of tape who don't think Sam is a good QB right now. Cosell, Jaworski, Mayock, the list goes on.

Honestly, Bradford is one of the difficult QBs I've ever watched. He'll make a great throw and follow it up with a bad one. And it happens time and again. It's infuriating and depressing.

 

[jrry32]

We've been all over this subject every which way because Sam is not playing well enough. This supporting cast is good enough for Sam to be playing better that he has. He just is not a good QB at this point.

So what do the Rams do about it? Well, clearly they will help Sam as much as they can for the next 11 games and hope he steps up.

But if he stays right where he is now, then what?

If Sam continues to play average to below average QB through the remainder of the year, it will be a tough decision for Fisher/Snead whether to draft a QB next year.

They may do something similar to what the Niners did. With Alex Smith on board, they drafted Kaepernick in the 2nd round.

I know this is almost Bayesian. But the odds are not looking good for Sam at this point to step it up the rest of the year. So if the disappointing expected result occurs, how dramatic do they go in addressing the QB position? Anywhere from going all in on Sam to drafting a QB high in the 1st round. The debate will rage on and it's not a trivial answer.

You're selling him a little short. I'd say average to above average thus far.

 

[moklerman]

You're selling him a little short. I'd say average to above average thus far.

Well, #14 in passer rating is literally above average. I wonder if the Patriots will have to make a decision if Brady stays where he's at right now?

 

[jrry32]

The situation, in that 2 or 3 game span, didn't dictate that he could have been aggressive even if he wanted to, IMO. Teams are finding it disturbingly easy to take away the deep ball due to an ability to successfully rush four against our O-line. And which one of our receivers is even remotely *polished* at this point? Givens will still get over the top on occasion, and Bradford will throw it to him when it happens.

Personally, my issue is that it shouldn't be all or nothing. When they take away the deep ball, they make themselves vulnerable somewhere. Thus far, it's been the intermediate passing game. We need to start capitalizing on that.

As far as polished, I think Pettis has looked very polished thus far. His route running has really taken off this year and as I said before, he's winning at the LOS. Austin looks polished for his age too...just needs to deal with the drops.(LOOK THE BALL IN, YOUNG BUCK!) :lol:

 

[BigRamFan]

We've been all over this subject every which way because Sam is not playing well enough. This supporting cast is good enough for Sam to be playing better that he has. He just is not a good QB at this point.

So what do the Rams do about it? Well, clearly they will help Sam as much as they can for the next 11 games and hope he steps up.

But if he stays right where he is now, then what?

If Sam continues to play average to below average QB through the remainder of the year, it will be a tough decision for Fisher/Snead whether to draft a QB next year.

They may do something similar to what the Niners did. With Alex Smith on board, they drafted Kaepernick in the 2nd round.

I know this is almost Bayesian. But the odds are not looking good for Sam at this point to step it up the rest of the year. So if the disappointing expected result occurs, how dramatic do they go in addressing the QB position? Anywhere from going all in on Sam to drafting a QB high in the 1st round. The debate will rage on and it's not a trivial answer.

I just do not understand how you reach this conclusion with all of the evidence presented in this thread alone, much less if you actually watch the games and see how the TEAM is failing now, not just the QB.

I watch the games. And I don't see what I consider a good QB when I watch Sam play. Really, outside of some very biased Rams fans who does?

There are plenty of analysts who watch a lot of tape who don't think Sam is a good QB right now. Cosell, Jaworski, Mayock, the list goes on.

Honestly, Bradford is one of the difficult QBs I've ever watched. He'll make a great throw and follow it up with a bad one. And it happens time and again. It's infuriating and depressing.

You're obviously entitled to your opinion I just disagree. I am not saying Sam has been great, yet, but I don't know how he can even begin to be evaluated given the circumstances.

 

[LesBaker]

It always amazes me the way that posters actually EXPECTED young receivers to be really effective, even dominate!, this early. I expected the offense at best to struggle through the 1st half of the season and only begin to get comfortable with each other by the 2nd half.

I was right there with ya.....some of the predictions were crazy. And when the O is clicking a little better it'll help the D a lot, they have been thrown back on the field in a hurry WAY to many times.

 

[Thordaddy]

It always amazes me the way that posters actually EXPECTED young receivers to be really effective, even dominate!, this early. I expected the offense at best to struggle through the 1st half of the season and only begin to get comfortable with each other by the 2nd half.

I was right there with ya.....some of the predictions were crazy. And when the O is clicking a little better it'll help the D a lot, they have been thrown back on the field in a hurry WAY to many times.

Well yes ,yes I am, but that doesn't attend to whether I was right or not.
If we can steal a game or two on the road we still could end up north of 8-8 ,I believe the talent is there and Dunbar being back a week in practice could bode well for the run -d.

I'm thinkin JJ Watt is our biggest problem , then Foster but I think we could keep Shaub spiraling and maybe eek this'n out.