Is there another Weisman sitting down right now?

[hawkfarmer]

Yet it's not like that. If someone is starring in practice with #2 reps, that's different. However, that's not happening in Iowa City right now.

This is the concerning thing to me as I have stated before. If the #2 guys aren't even close to JVB this year, what are the odds that they will be equal to his level next year when they are required to start? I know they can improve, but does anyone really thinkthey'll improve that much?

 

[SpiderRico]

way to sidestep that one rico. someone points out the fail in your logic and you claim to not care. face it, you're upset and looking for ANYTHING to complain about

I didnt' side step anything. I honestly don't care what the backups are on other teams. I only care about our team. Jon said that the distance between JVB and the #2 is huge. I'm concerned that, given JVBs performance this year in addition to the fact the QB is such an injury prone position that we haven't done a good enough job preparing not only the #2, but the heir apparent to the position for next year given that JVB is a 5th year.

 

[NickM]

I didnt' side step anything. I honestly don't care what the backups are on other teams. I only care about our team. Jon said that the distance between JVB and the #2 is huge. I'm concerned that, given JVBs performance this year in addition to the fact the QB is such an injury prone position that we haven't done a good enough job preparing not only the #2, but the heir apparent to the position for next year given that JVB is a 5th year.

Jon also said in no uncertain terms during camp of JC's junior year that the only QB competition at Iowa was for the #2 spot - look how that turned out. No offense to anyone on these boards, but we are all equally fully of speculation and conjecture. In my opinion, and I think the stats and results easily back it up, twice in Ferentz's tenure the back up QB was leaps and bounds better than the starter that KF reluctantly stuck with as long as he could (Banks and Stanzi), which is why this discussion is both relevant and appropriate. KF is stubborn, which is a strength and a weakness of a lot of very successful people - when they make a decision they stick with the decision b/c going away from it would be a sign of weakness, being wrong, or a person is just paralyzed by the "better to be with the the devil you know and the devil you don't" philosophy.

His comment that JVB is the QB for the next 8 games is ridiculous in my opinion. Whatever confidence/performance issues our #2 and #3 guys are dealing with right now, KF just increased them exponentially. Imagine being the #2 and your having people joking with you that you are so bad that the starter can't screw up bad enough for you to get in. I hope I'm dead wrong, but this is shaping to be the third time in KF's tenure that a QB with multiple years of starting experience will have won less games and played worse his senior year than junior/soph years - measured by wins.

 

[BSpringsteen]

Jon also said in no uncertain terms during camp of JC's junior year that the only QB competition at Iowa was for the #2 spot - look how that turned out. No offense to anyone on these boards, but we are all equally fully of speculation and conjecture. In my opinion, and I think the stats and results easily back it up, twice in Ferentz's tenure the back up QB was leaps and bounds better than the starter that KF reluctantly stuck with as long as he could (Banks and Stanzi), which is why this discussion is both relevant and appropriate. KF is stubborn, which is a strength and a weakness of a lot of very successful people - when they make a decision they stick with the decision b/c going away from it would be a sign of weakness, being wrong, or a person is just paralyzed by the "better to be with the the devil you know and the devil you don't" philosophy.

His comment that JVB is the QB for the next 8 games is ridiculous in my opinion. Whatever confidence/performance issues our #2 and #3 guys are dealing with right now, KF just increased them exponentially. Imagine being the #2 and your having people joking with you that you are so bad that the starter can't screw up bad enough for you to get in. I hope I'm dead wrong, but this is shaping to be the third time in KF's tenure that a QB with multiple years of starting experience will have won less games and played worse his senior year than junior/soph years - measured by wins.

I don't think it's fair to KF to assume that the message he puts out in public is the same that he is putting out in private to the team.

And by not thinking it's fair, I also mean, is probably pretty inaccurate.

 

[DBAHawkFan]

What is really sad is that these first four games we couldn't blow any of these teams out to even give some of our backups some game reps. This isn't something new to just this year, it's nearly every year we let lesser ranked teams hang around so that the starters play the entire game, only to be sub out due to injury.

Remember how poorly JVB was prepared when he came in to relieve Stanzi. I'm going off memory, but wasn't it revealed that JVB barely had any snaps with the #1 team that week in practice? Meaning we don't even give our #2 guy time with the first team to try and build some chemistry.

I think after this week's game if the offense doesn't show improvement, the team should have open comptetition at all positions. Or at the very least after the PSU night game as we'll have two weeks to prepare and if there's still no improvement, (and we lose) time to start mixing in Rudock like we did Banks and Stanzi.

 

[NickM]

I don't think it's fair to KF to assume that the message he puts out in public is the same that he is putting out in private to the team.

And by not thinking it's fair, I also mean, is probably pretty inaccurate.

I disagree. Any statement KF makes to the public he makes to the team b/c surely the players read this stuff. Surely the players' family and friends read this stuff. I'd be embarrassed if I was the #2 and my coach said this. It's a backhanded insult at the other guys trying to get playing time whether KF intends it to be or not, and regardless of what he tells them in private. I realize KF is probably just trying to build JVB's confidence with this statement, but it would certainly faze me if I was not only the backup QB, but any backup player battling for time.

 

[RocknRollface]

Not a new guard, but I watched Wienke from a distance in high school. I really don't understand why he isn't given a real shot. His punting is a sign that he's a gamer. Guarantee he'll look off receivers and understand defensive adjustments. Michigan had better success with qb's over the years and he was good enough for them.

Im sure we won't see any QB change.

I think Wienkes time is well past at QB. I mean hes was passed by both Derby and then Rudock and thats not like KF. If it was close the elder usually stays ahead.

That being said, I can't imagine that Wienke could not be better than Vandenburg. Im sure James throws a much better ball in practice but his brain melts down and his eyes stop working every time he takes a snap.

Anyone who could go throw progressions would be an improvement at this point.

 

[whammer33024]

maybe you have too thin of skin, nick. you want KF to come out and say JVB sucked and is done as starting qb. #2, you suck and you're done too. so pretty soon every player is walking on pins and needles hoping they don't mess up and lose their job.

yeah, really good coaching strategy

 

[NickM]

maybe you have too thin of skin, nick. you want KF to come out and say JVB sucked and is done as starting qb. #2, you suck and you're done too. so pretty soon every player is walking on pins and needles hoping they don't mess up and lose their job.

yeah, really good coaching strategy

How on earth did you conclude that from my statement that I think it's ridiculous for a coach to announce that one certain player's starting role is locked in for the rest of the season? Seriously, you read and hear what you want to hear I guess, because no rational review of what I wrote suggests I'm calling for what you just wrote.

KF could easily say JVB has had some great moments and made some great plays, but like everyone on the team he needs to keep getting better. It's pretty obvious he has all the tools to be a great QB in this league and we fully expect him to be. My point is that I think it's not a good idea for a coach to announce after 4 lackluster performances that any one player on the team's starting role is set in stone for the rest of the season no matter what. All KF has done is back himself into a corner and make it harder for him (given his own Belichek like stubbornness) to pull the trigger if/when it gets to that point.

 

[SpiderRico]

maybe you have too thin of skin, nick. you want KF to come out and say JVB sucked and is done as starting qb. #2, you suck and you're done too. so pretty soon every player is walking on pins and needles hoping they don't mess up and lose their job.

yeah, really good coaching strategy

Are those the only two options? Either say "he sucks" or "he's my quarterback for the next 8 games"?

I'd like to think there's a middle ground somewhere where KF has his guys' backs, but still lets it be known that the results suck and no one's job is safe given what's transpired over the previous 4 weeks.

 

[CAARHawk]

This is the concerning thing to me as I have stated before. If the #2 guys aren't even close to JVB this year, what are the odds that they will be equal to his level next year when they are required to start? I know they can improve, but does anyone really thinkthey'll improve that much?

Beathard.

 

[Sums]

I don't know why everyone thinks JVB is doing so bad. He had one bad game in the ISU loss but we also couldn't run the ball in that game or catch the ball. His comp% are 63, 47, 64, 64 with one touchdown and two interceptions. If you give me a QB that has over 60 percent completion rate I will take that especially with a dominant ground game. If we do put in another QB do the recievers get more seperation, do they hang on to the ball more, does the defense not allow 9 points in 2 minutes do we recover onside kicks better?

 

[NickM]

I don't know why everyone thinks JVB is doing so bad. He had one bad game in the ISU loss but we also couldn't run the ball in that game or catch the ball. His comp% are 63, 47, 64, 64 with one touchdown and two interceptions. If you give me a QB that has over 60 percent completion rate I will take that especially with a dominant ground game. If we do put in another QB do the recievers get more seperation, do they hang on to the ball more, does the defense not allow 9 points in 2 minutes do we recover onside kicks better?

I don't think he should benched - with conference play starting it hopefully gives the team the opportunity to start fresh - new season, hopefully learned from mistakes of the non-con. The League is so bad there is no one on the schedule that is unbeatable. My concern is whether KF will make the tough PT decisions if things don't go well these first 2 games of the league schedule. Hopefully we never have to find out b/c things start to click on offense, but if they don't will KF make any adjustments? First adjustment I make right now when Bullock is healthy is get him in the slot as our #3 receiver - get him 6-8 catches and 10-12 carries each game. But I highly, highly doubt the staff is willing to think even that far out of the box. Bullock at receiver - where he started last year (and playing some RB) with Weisman in the backfield upgrades the totality of our offense immediately. We could go two back with Weisman lead blocking to 3 receivers without changing personnel and create some great matchup problems. Okay now I'm way off subject.

 

[PCHawk]

I don't think he should benched - with conference play starting it hopefully gives the team the opportunity to start fresh - new season, hopefully learned from mistakes of the non-con. The League is so bad there is no one on the schedule that is unbeatable. My concern is whether KF will make the tough PT decisions if things don't go well these first 2 games of the league schedule. Hopefully we never have to find out b/c things start to click on offense, but if they don't will KF make any adjustments? First adjustment I make right now when Bullock is healthy is get him in the slot as our #3 receiver - get him 6-8 catches and 10-12 carries each game. But I highly, highly doubt the staff is willing to think even that far out of the box. Bullock at receiver - where he started last year (and playing some RB) with Weisman in the backfield upgrades the totality of our offense immediately. We could go two back with Weisman lead blocking to 3 receivers without changing personnel and create some great matchup problems. Okay now I'm way off subject.

Dude you're killin this thread

 

[Stanzi]

maybe you have too thin of skin, nick. you want KF to come out and say JVB sucked and is done as starting qb. #2, you suck and you're done too. so pretty soon every player is walking on pins and needles hoping they don't mess up and lose their job.

yeah, really good coaching strategy

LOL hyperbole much? If the starter isn't performing anywhere near what you want/need the next man needs to get a look. We did this (eventually) with Banks and Stanzi and it paid huge dividends. At no point is he saying "JVB, you suck", but he would be saying "JVB you need to elevate your game because right now the results are unacceptable". Starters who don't perform well probably feel like they're walking on pins and needles on their own. They don't need the coaches help with that. I'm sure JVB isn't sitting at home right now thinking "man, I'm tearing it up this season".

 

[Stanzi]

I don't know why everyone thinks JVB is doing so bad. He had one bad game in the ISU loss but we also couldn't run the ball in that game or catch the ball. His comp% are 63, 47, 64, 64 with one touchdown and two interceptions. If you give me a QB that has over 60 percent completion rate I will take that especially with a dominant ground game. If we do put in another QB do the recievers get more seperation, do they hang on to the ball more, does the defense not allow 9 points in 2 minutes do we recover onside kicks better?

Have you watched him play this season? I'm being completely serious. Have you watched him? I may not be a starting D1 quarterback, but I can tell when the QB play is bad...and it's BAD.

 

[chuff26]

Management 101... praise in public, deal with issues in private.

It's pretty simple assuming KF is talking to these kids and dealing with whatever issues need to be.

 

[LGEND24]

Didn't Weisman drop the go ahead td pass against Iowa State? Isn't that sucking when it matters? But instead of benching him he took a look at him at RB. I mean Weisman was a walk on sophomore that nobody else wanted. He started him at FB the first game in a hawkeye uniform and then switched to RB where he's excelling. Your response is what other Weisman are there sitting on the bench. Giving KF no credit what so ever and he never even sat him on the bench.

Do you seriously want to flush the season before the big ten even starts? Vandy best QB on the team, and benching him in game 3 of the season is the wrong move period. As far as some of the other young guys, how do you know Nico or Spears or whoever you think is so good isn't going to play more Saturday. This play young guys argument is for week 9 when we are 3-6 or whatever. KF and everyone on this team don't believe the season is over like most of the fans do. They still believe they can compete in the big ten. And I fully expect KF to play the best players(as he sees it) till at least a bowl game is out of the question as he should.

He didn't drop it, the ISU defender got his hand in to deflect it.

 

[LGEND24]

Jon's come back will be Brad didn't know the entire playbook yet.

Even though Brad's 10% was better than McCann's because Brad could actually make plays.

 

[LGEND24]

I got one on this, Davis should not be on Kick Return.

This is a great example of poor decision making. He's not a slasher/burner and is a starting WR. This risk has minimal reward.