This is quite possible, just from what I saw yesterday and some other reports I read several days ago. The kid has a GREAT arm... laser-like and pretty good accuracy to go with it. That is not to say that Ratliff couldn't stink up the field from here on out. Wasn't it Cimini who reported that Ratliff threw a 2nd INT this morning? Not sure, but I thought that's what I read. It'll boil down to more than just velocity and accuracy though... it has to do with how well each of them can run the complete offense... clock management, smart decisions, leadership skills, timing, chemistry, etc., etc.
Excellent stuff....honestly, I'm more anxious to use keller in Madden than to see him in real life. He's gonna give so much mismatch problems, this is GREAT!!
Excellent, Excellent report. Ummm, I like Clemens but I am with letting Penny have one more shot with a MUCH IMPROVED OL and not being as banged up. I'm sorry, noodle arm be damned, the man can flat out run an offense, period. I just think he's been in a lot of BAD situations, between poor coaching, poor lines, not the right players around him and injuries. Again, excellent report.:up:
Thanks, everyone, for all the kind words. I really don't think I write a quality report at all.. it's not very specific and not very technical... just my observations and a synopsis of what I saw. I don't take a laptop but I do take a notepad and jot down stuff, for example, 11>18 inc, batted 25 = Clemens to Ball incomplete, batted down by Rhodes. Then later, I can remember it and recall more detail if need be. Really, there's so much going on all at once, I don't know how beat writers can relate a myriad of happenings and do the job well. There has to be so much they're missing too. So, I try to concentrate on one thing, which this year was a no-brainer since the QB competition is probably the one, single-most important thing on our plate right now. I'm glad to hear Clemens had a better day today and broke the 6-0 INT streak he had going. Maybe he's settling down and can show more steadiness and confidence moving forward. There's no question the talent we brought to BOTH lines will help the QB this year. The O-line has to improve our running game and the D-line will help keep the opposition's offense off the field (pass-rush, etc.) and from scoring too much, so that takes the pressure off the QB in many ways. Maybe, if I go back to TC again, I'll concentrate on the running/blocking. This is the one area that will help the most, IMO. Either QB will be okay if he's got good protection and is able to run the ball. Everything else will fall into place then, including the passing game. Keller is going to drive Belichick nuts, mark my words. He's a huge distraction, and then he has to account for Cotchery and Stuckey and Leon, etc., etc., all the while manning and controlling Keller. Can't wait for the season to start. Either QB will be fine as long as the lines can gell and we get a running attack going.
It's cool man, if I had been there I would probably have been right there with you wearing my Chad Goggles. Like I've said, I'll root for him if he wins the job, but my expectations aren't going to be any higher than they were at the end of 2006.
All we can do is root for the guys we have, whichever ones they put out there. Either that or switch teams, which no real fan would do.
Thanks for the report, 227. i know it takes a lot of effort to write it up, and to remember all the details from the practice. Great job.
I know what you mean. I guess part of it is I'm so pumped over the possibility of actually having an O-line that not only works, but one that is dominant. Watching both Clemens and Pennington yesterday, I was trying to imagine which one I'd want to see under center if I could somehow be given a perfect Offensive world surrounding that QB... one that has one of the best O-lines (and therefore running games) in the NFL. An entire offense around the QB that has it all together... great protection... loads of time to pick apart the opposition... a running attack bar none with a line that actually makes holes and pushes people around so that an efficient Jones and then maybe a little Leon squirting here and there to break it up and then occasionally the 254-lb. Caulcrick going in there and just punishing the hell out of defenses with his Brandon Jacobs-like pounding... Just trying to imagine which QB would best be able to score the most amount of points and therefore put us in the best postition for winning and getting to the SB. It's a trade off... selecting Clemens at that point for the stronger, occasionally deeper arm, or do you go with the guy who has the weaker arm but who is most experienced, a little wiser, has been there more and controls the clock with the precision of a Swiss watch? If you could magically surround both QBs with this kind of total offense, I keep coming up with Pennington as the answer. But hey, this TC isn't over and we don't know who will emerge yet. And we don't know (and won't know) until about Week 4, if our O-line is capable of bringing about all those wonderful things. And maybe Clemens has a lot of gas in his tank and starts running the 1st team with a lot more confidence and zero evidence of the kind of mistakes he's been making so far. But for my money, as of July 31st, (and especially if I have an inkling as to how good our O-line will be), I'm probably going with Chad. Pennington doesn't have the arm Clemens has, but he has everything else down pat, and if given all the other good things a good O-line can do, Penny will still pick apart a defense like chicken off the bone, noodle arm be damned.
Thx for the great report bud. If Penny does win I hope we have that great running game some foresee because he is sick with the play action. I'm still pulling for Kellen, but will cheer for whom ever is in there.
Caulcrick, Musa Smith, Chatman, we have some intimidating runners in camp this season. I don't think Jones is going to be getting too many goal line reps this year. I know what you mean, I'm just pretty worried that we're going to be back to the same song and dance under center. It's hard not to be excited and I hate getting amped up for the defense and each unit on O doing well and then I look at the QB report and FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK what is wrong with you CLEMENS?? That's why I fell into the Favre trap, basically. Don't get me wrong, I know what kind of an egocentric guy he is, but when the pieces start to come together and you still lack a final answer at QB, it seems like a lot of work for nothing.
WOW, now THAT'S a TC Report! You make Cimini and others look like uninformed lazy asses. Thanks so much for the detailed analysis. I am definitely one of those who is already sick of the never ending QB threads, but enjoyed the hell out of reading yours. YOU ROCK 227!!! Thanks Again
If Chad is the starter on Opening Day, we must draft a QB in the first round next year. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
The thing is, we all want the same thing. I know it's a cliche by now, but we all want the QB who gives us the best chance of winning a SB, period. If.... IF.... this O-line can get it all together and give us everything we've ever wanted, I really believe both QBs are capable of giving us a fairly good chance. Given that perfect world, do you go with the inexperienced and somewhat clumsy Clemens with the rocket arm or do you settle for the weaker arm but a pretty sure guarantee that the Offense in general is going to move the chains with consistency and mistake-proof predictability? In other words, to decide the trade off, to make that decision, you have to rate how important the occasional deep rocket threat compares to the relatively mistake-free, accurate-passing, consistent moving of the chains and 3rd down conversions by the guy who doesn't possess the rocket but who does exhibit an ability to bring this all together offensively... all aspects of it, and not make too many terrible mistakes. Yeah, every red-blooded football guy loves to see the John Elway 65-yard completion bomb. But in the back of my mind, I'm thinking the thing that really wins football games week in and week out is the efficient, clock-controlling, smart decision-making QB who knows when to check down and reads DEFs and blitzes and burns them at it, all while managing this offensive monster with the total precision and detail of a well-oiled, clock-killing, 3rd-down-converting offense. I don't know, I really don't. I guess we have to see more of the Clemens-Pennington Show and that includes going into preseason games, for all that will tell us. One thing is for sure, I think Mangini will be putting HUGE emphasis on not turning the ball over... he as much as said that the other day... that it just won't be tolerated. So far, Clemens isn't looking too good in that area. And if we go into some of these preseason games and he continues throwing INTs, he's going to find himself riding the pine a lot quicker than he ever thought possible.
