Column: Offense Remains Work in Progress

Good article. Like every year, I will not believe that Iowa"s offense has actually improved until I actually see it improve.

One always wonders how much having Iowa's offense practice against its top defense helps. Does the offense develop learned helplessness from failing again and again against a tough defense? Or does Iowa's offense just suck regardless?
 
guffus said:
Good article. Like every year, I will not believe that Iowa"s offense has actually improved until I actually see it improve.

One always wonders how much having Iowa's offense practice against its top defense helps. Does the offense develop learned helplessness from failing again and again against a tough defense? Or does Iowa's offense just suck regardless?
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Steel sharpens steel!

Or in this case, steel might get duller slicing through a pile of shit. :)
 
Thanks for reading

It's going to be a tight-wire act with this offense early in the season. Fortunately for this team, It's used to winning with little to no offense.
 
Crazy prediction: Cade starts vs Illinois State. Regardless of his effectiveness, the second half belongs to Sullivan.
 
Cade would have to go 0-4 with 4 pick sixes for this to happen, and even then, there would be a lively debate at halftime by the coaches......
 
After watching raw footage of all 3 QBs on Saturday, on that day I would rank them:
1) Sullivan
2) Lainez
3) McNamara
Coaches keep saying McNamara hasn't seen much live action, and hasn't played in X number of years -- which just isn't true -- especially when compared to Lainez. Cade started 4 games last year, and describing his play as 'subpar' in those games would be generous. On Saturday, he locked onto receivers -- Sullivan moved much more quickly through his progressions. McNamara couldn't throw simple 'out' routes -- both Sullivan and Lainez completed at least one. A majority of Mc's throws were nowhere near catchable -- both Sullivan's and Lainez' misses were at least in the vicinity of the receivers. Mc's arm strength has never been elite, but now the technique on his throws is terrible -- everything off his back foot. Sullivan and Lainez both looked sharper, no doubt.
I'm very concerned that KF is going to choose this season's QB based on distant history rather than current reality.
 
HuckFinn said:
Crazy prediction: Cade starts vs Illinois State. Regardless of his effectiveness, the second half belongs to Sullivan.
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That'd be crazy I agree... Just un KF like. Depending on how that first half goes I wouldn't be against it. That'd be the exact time to do something like that. Part of it just depends how Cade looks I suppose. I really would prefer to not play musical QBs all yr but the likely hood of Cade going wire to wire seems less and less likely the more I read
 
Grady said:
After watching raw footage of all 3 QBs on Saturday, on that day I would rank them:
1) Sullivan
2) Lainez
3) McNamara
Coaches keep saying McNamara hasn't seen much live action, and hasn't played in X number of years -- which just isn't true -- especially when compared to Lainez. Cade started 4 games last year, and describing his play as 'subpar' in those games would be generous. On Saturday, he locked onto receivers -- Sullivan moved much more quickly through his progressions. McNamara couldn't throw simple 'out' routes -- both Sullivan and Lainez completed at least one. A majority of Mc's throws were nowhere near catchable -- both Sullivan's and Lainez' misses were at least in the vicinity of the receivers. Mc's arm strength has never been elite, but now the technique on his throws is terrible -- everything off his back foot. Sullivan and Lainez both looked sharper, no doubt.
I'm very concerned that KF is going to choose this season's QB based on distant history rather than current reality.
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Coming back from major injury has both mental and physical components to it, layered on top of a brand new offense. They are a week into camp. He needs reps to build his confidence AND rebuild his muscle memory. Missing easy out patterns is the perfect example of something that goes away and requires repetition to get back.

That said, I too hope that the QB starting position is not a coronation. You have one very experienced back-up and another guy who has played some as well.

Unlike Brian, Lester played and coached the QB position. He will either get Cade back into playing form or he will convince KF he does not have it. I believe KF will defer much more to Lester's judgment in this regard, and Lester has no loyalty to Cade as he did not bring him on campus. Lester will advocate for the best QB to start.

Time will tell.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
Coming back from major injury has both mental and physical components to it, layered on top of a brand new offense. They are a week into camp. He needs reps to build his confidence AND rebuild his muscle memory. Missing easy out patterns is the perfect example of something that goes away and requires repetition to get back.

That said, I too hope that the QB starting position is not a coronation. You have one very experienced back-up and another guy who has played some as well.

Unlike Brian, Lester played and coached the QB position. He will either get Cade back into playing form or he will convince KF he does not have it. I believe KF will defer much more to Lester's judgment in this regard, and Lester has no loyalty to Cade as he did not bring him on campus. Lester will advocate for the best QB to start.

Time will tell.
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Good thoughts.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
Coming back from major injury has both mental and physical components to it, layered on top of a brand new offense. They are a week into camp. He needs reps to build his confidence AND rebuild his muscle memory. Missing easy out patterns is the perfect example of something that goes away and requires repetition to get back.

That said, I too hope that the QB starting position is not a coronation. You have one very experienced back-up and another guy who has played some as well.

Unlike Brian, Lester played and coached the QB position. He will either get Cade back into playing form or he will convince KF he does not have it. I believe KF will defer much more to Lester's judgment in this regard, and Lester has no loyalty to Cade as he did not bring him on campus. Lester will advocate for the best QB to start.

Time will tell.
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I hear what you're saying, but it's not like McNamara has been sitting eating bon bons all spring and summer. He's been throwing in 7-on-7 drills for awhile now. Simple out patterns require no mental sharpness and should be the FIRST thing to return as far as muscle memory. I'm guessing he's thrown literally hundreds of those passes over the past 2 months...yet on Saturday he looked absolutely incapable of throwing the ball. No QB, whether in h.s., Div.III, or at Iowa, should need "a lot of reps" to throw a simple out route. I will give him this: he throws a nice, catchable ball to RBs out of the backfield...but that also explains why 7 of his completed passes on Saturday went for a total of 10 yds, according to those keeping stats. On his other passes he was 1 of 17, for 10 total yds.
 
Grady said:
I hear what you're saying, but it's not like McNamara has been sitting eating bon bons all spring and summer. He's been throwing in 7-on-7 drills for awhile now. Simple out patterns require no mental sharpness and should be the FIRST thing to return as far as muscle memory. I'm guessing he's thrown literally hundreds of those passes over the past 2 months...yet on Saturday he looked absolutely incapable of throwing the ball. No QB, whether in h.s., Div.III, or at Iowa, should need "a lot of reps" to throw a simple out route. I will give him this: he throws a nice, catchable ball to RBs out of the backfield...but that also explains why 7 of his completed passes on Saturday went for a total of 10 yds, according to those keeping stats. On his other passes he was 1 of 17, for 10 total yds.
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What's the old saying about when the bullets start to fly. Look, I am not defending him other than to say let's give this some more time. I am confident KF is not hitting the panic button after one open scrimmage. He will either round back into shape or he won't. What gives me comfort is that Hill is not backing him up.
 
In August it’s guarded optimism

game week great excitement

Following week 1 feels let down but remember that week one is filled with learning

We’re reminded that the greatest leap is between week1 and week 2

ISU game.. a close win (remember when Iowa used to blow them out)

Hope to see the O click week 3

It looks better

By Mid October ya realize it is what it is
 
MelroseHawkins said:
I actually thinks Cades leash might actually be a little smaller than many believe.
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I mean, there is a veteran back-up that has started a number of games in this league. I cannot imagine why KF would give Cade a long leash. Typically, in the past when KF has kept in a struggling starter it is under the notion that the back-up was just not ready to play and would not be an improvement. That is basically why he kept sending Hill out there last year. Whether accurate or not, KF is slow to make a QB change for that reason. That reason does not exist this year. Sullivan is learning the offense at the same rate as Cade and will likely be viewed as a ready back-up. If Cade struggles early and often, I tend to agree that the leash will be shorter than most seasons.

Lester would do himself a favor by having Sullivan come in the first few games with some running packages to see how he looks under live fire. Sometimes seeing the contrast helps make the decision.

That said, I am not giving up on Cade having a good season this early.
 
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