Mezzavo, You make another good point about finding out what the Jets have in Simms compared to Smith. Waiting another week to see what Simms can do as the starter is problematic. If there was reason to believe Smith will rebound this week, that the Bills game was some outlier, I would be on board to leaving him in there. But he has been crap since the Atlanta game, and is on pace to have one of the worst rookie Qb years ever. Clearly this is an unacceptable level of performance. Even most who want to leave him in do so mostly hoping for gradual, long run improvement. So far his has not been a quality NFL Qb performance. Meanwhile each game they put off starting Simms, they put off finding out what he can do with the first team practicing all week. It seems that Smith has set a very low bar for Simms to exceed, so why not find out sooner than later if Simms can? Ftr I am not for cutting Smith now or anything like that. If Simms can play competent football, he can stay in there, and Smith can come back to camp next year and show if he's improved or not. But it looks more and more like leaving him in is not going to pay dividends in improved performance, and instead looks more likely to damage his confidence. He quite simply is not benefitting from playing right now, and there's an unknown quantity on the bench who has shown flashes of promise. I know it's no guarantee to play Simms, but the decision itself seems straightforward.
Ironically enough...even in the Shotgun, with a full view of the defense, he still can't handle the pressure and has terrible pocket awareness and/or "feel". And he STILL tosses the "easy" pick and coughs up fumbles!
And there you have it all summed up...wrapped up in a neat statement. Absolutely agree BB! There is NO downside to starting Simms this week other than the possibility that Smith's play we saw in Buffalo was an aberration...or wait...maybe it was Pittsburg...hold on...Cincinnati, yesss Cincinnati!! We can lose the Baltimore game with either one behind center. Myself, I'd like to know what we do or do not have in Simms at this juncture.
Personally I think the shotgun is tougher for a young player. There is a natural rhythm to dropping back setting your feet and stepping up into the throw that's lost when you're in the shotgun. The first natural step for any QB is backwards. When you're already back in the pocket out of the shotgun it's not as natural a throwing position as going back setting and rocking forward.
I can see where you are coming from here, Biggs. My only problem in this case is Geno's problem "looks" like it's less about rhythm and more about reading/recognition. He needs more time reading so he can react. Consider, as well, from what I have read he spent a great deal of time in the Shotgun in college...and since everyone (not necessarily you) places so much on the college experience...hence everyone's big knock on Simms...you would think Geno would be MORE comfortable in the Shotgun. I don't know...hard to say...
The benefit of starting Simms is if he plays decent - and Smith has set a very low bar for decent - he gets a game under his belt before monster game against Miami. Maybe a decent game from the QB position means a passing TD and no turnovers or just 1. Maybe Hill catches a ball.
Comfortable and good mechanics don't always mesh. I see Geno taking the ball in the shotgun and moving backwards. The more he moves backwards the less likely he is to read and react. It's like a plane in stall. Sometimes when you drop back set and step up pulling the trigger on the throw from a strong base is the natural end result. It doesn't mean you have a good read but at least the balls coming out in rhythm from a good mechanical base. Geno looks like he's not in position to pull the trigger on a good throw since he seems to be moving back away from the moment he gets the ball. He's drifting with his feet in a poor throwing position. He almost throws better when he moves out of the pocket and forces himself to set up. I watch some of these veteran QB's from the shotgun like Brady they literally step forward and throw almost when the ball hits their hands. They know where they are going with the ball and have their feet ready to throw immediately. Geno isn't close to being able to do that. College football is way more forgiving then pro-football. Making someone comfortable because that's what they did in College is almost irrelevant to the pro game. If your not mechanically right you can't fit a ball into the pro window.
So, this is really a thing, hunh? Start Matt Simms. Christ, the guy almost threw an end zone pick against that prevent defense the Bills were playing in garbage time. No thanks.
And the solution to the pick six problem is to insert a guy who almost threw a pick with no pass rush coming at him? Please. Simms has been something of a pleasant surprise, but we can't bench the higher ceiling guy, who's shown flashes of being a dynamic playmaker, to get him in. I can't believe Jet fans are beating the drum for yet another Hall of Fame, back-up QB. How many times we gonna do that dance? Stick with Geno. That gives us the thing we really need...a clearer idea of where our franchise quarterback situation stands going into next off-season.
i have gien up on the jets and finding a franchise qb at this point, but this is a good point, he looked good at times on the drive. The almost pick into 2 defenders was awful. lol no defense for that
It's not tougher when your footwork is an abomination. Geno taking 5 to 7 step drops would be much worse. Taking snaps from predominantly shotgun is the lesser of 2 evils.
1. College offenses are dumb as doorknob then. 2. Playing at shotgun gives you a LOT of distinct advantage to playing under the C. At a traditional shotgun [7 yard behind] the QB gets better view of the defense(1), and is farther away from the LoS (2) The only disadvantage you get out of shotgun formation is that it cannot accommodate power run between tackles. 3. As for Geno, his backpedaling mechanic is seriously god-awful. Air Raid QBs. Just stay away from them like a plague. It was one hard lesson for Jets.
Case Keenum and Nick Foles were in this same offense and have been doing some very good, if not great things this year. Just because you come from a certain offense does not mean you are doomed. If you have the proper tools, you can succeed.
I don't see how the shotgun gives you a better look at the D then standing up at the LOS. It's a slightly different view but not better. Manning and Brady both have no difficulty from either position. losing the power running between the tackles is a very big thing. More short yardage situations are becoming exclusively passing situations because of it and we are seeing more short yardage runs stuffed for losses because they can't run well inside the tackle box. It's not easy to throw the ball when your squared up to the LOS. All the power in the throw comes from the body turning and uncoiling. That starts in the legs and when you drop back turned away from the LOS you naturally uncoil your body into the throw. I realize that's the way many of these guys are going. I agree with you Geno can't get his legs set on many of his throws. He's going to have to adjust one way or another. This isn't working. If you watched the Carolina game on Monday Brady put on a clinic on how to set and throw out of the gun. Not many guys can or need to do that at the College level. I hate Marino but he has great throwing mechanics. Regardless of the shotgun or behind center he is usually turned 90 degrees from where he is throwing the ball so he can uncoil into the throw. Geno looks squared to his throws more and more. I would take him out of the shotgun just to force him to get his feet moving and force him to set up properly. [YOUTUBE]pTPFdn9uzj8[/YOUTUBE]
Smith was playing against the same D and had just thrown a pick six. Buffalo was playing their starters and blitzed Simms as much as they had Smith. Simms threw a TD in his first series. Smith threw one TD all game. To a Buffalo player. NEXT!
Simms was not getting blitzed. He had way more time to throw the ball than Geno did. Buffalo had called off the dogs, at that point. Simms has "career back-up" written all over him. It'd be a Cinderella story of epic proportions if he ever became a legit, NFL quarterback. Stick with the higher ceiling guy. Better to stay with him and gain insight into whether he can compete for the starting job next year than it is to, maybe, get a short term boost from Simms.
I just love the chrisma and intensity of Simms. He is Brady-esque the way he rips off the chinstrap and is pissed anytime the possession does not result in a scoring drive. With a little experience under him I can see him getting on his receivers when they don't get it right. For me that kind of intensity and accountability is a good thing.
