Spencer Petras - Is he going to make it?

bphawkeye

bphawkeye

Well-Known Member
I'd like him to be the game manager type. But he will most likely have at least 4 throws that should be picked EVERY GAME. He ALWAYS STARES DOWN the primary receiver = 5 defenders and the 1 receiver. I hope I am wrong - but the UN coach picked up on it too and he watched his guys look for several high hard tipped balls. Against MSU - he had 5 such throws. 2 Could have been tipped pick 6. Maybe I'm wrong? Best to him and the QB Coach?
 
It depends when and who you ask. According you the experts (here) Ask after a loss then he should be thrown out with the garbage. After a win, this guy has huge upside and moxie.
 
If he learns to stop throwing at his receivers like they're a carnival game where you have to knock the head off of a target...he could be pretty good. That and the jumpy, happy feet...he still looks nervous in the pocket.

QB coaching... is the missing ingredient
 
Cyhawk said:
It depends when and who you ask. According you the experts (here) Ask after a loss then he should be thrown out with the garbage. After a win, this guy has huge upside and moxie.
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Actually my opinion is the same after each of the 3 games this season. He really needed the spring practice and the couple games against non-B1G. He really does not ever look off the primary receiver - does he watch videos of Drew Brees - that would be good.
 
A poor man's version of Nate Stanley. But, the coaches put him in a much better position with the playcalling vs MSU (as I called for the week before, roll outs, tunnel screens, more running game, etc).
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
A poor man's version of Nate Stanley. But, the coaches put him in a much better position with the playcalling vs MSU (as I called for the week before, roll outs, tunnel screens, more running game, etc).
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Yep - and you can only scream at the TV so much. Stanley was not the high hard fast ball way behind the receiver type. Pete is - 5 potential picks and 2 likely pick 6s won't win many games.
 
I look at it as a 8 game audition. For the first time in Kirk's 22 years at Iowa there is a sense of urgency. He can't wait a season and a half for Petras to figure this out. I am not sure what direction KF goes at game 8 and Petras continues to struggle to throw a screen pass, he is breaking off the fingers of receivers running 7 yard dig routes.
 
Difference between last week and this week is that because of our punt and punt return game and the defense we were able to dominate field position all game, which meant for the most part unlike last week MSU never was in a position to make Petras beat them. Last week that's what NU did. NU took away the running game, sold out on the run with their studd linebackers blitzing from the stack almost every 1st and 2nd down. They went into that game saying Petras is gonna have to beat us and he couldn't. And they figured that out in the 2nd quarter and we didn't. This week MSU wasn't able to do that and it hid how poorly he played this week. Petras played the same game this week he played last week he was just in better position and had less throws. The kid has the talent to be great, and very well may end up that way. I know the coaches have him slotted as number one which tells me he's our best option. In game however, when its obvious he doesn't have it, they need to take him out for a series to calm him down. I think the hawks also need to do everything possible to take as much pressure off him as possible but were going to see a lot of 7-8 man boxes going forward, and he has to prove he can beat them. Brandon Smith is the one guy on this team that if you throw it up to him on a 50-50 ball he will go get the ball. We need a lot more balls thrown smiths way. Everytime he has single man, that should be where the ball is thrown. The more plays he hits, the more they'll start to back off and loosen the pressure on Spencer cause it will make our run game that much more effective. MSU didn't have a chance this week because of our kicking and return game, field position literally won that game hands down. That won't happen every game, and teams are going to go with the NU formula moving forward. Most likely starting this week.
 
bphawkeye said:
Yep - and you can only scream at the TV so much. Stanley was not the high hard fast ball way behind the receiver type. Pete is - 5 potential picks and 2 likely pick 6s won't win many games.
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What, Stanley certainly was accused of throwing the ball too hard early in his career and he threw the ball off target low and behind his receivers quite often. But Nate kept improving and he had a knack for making big throws and TD throws without many picks.

I agree with you that Petras looked very juiced up against PU and jNW but a little more relaxed against MSU. I am glad he doesnt play with 80000 in the stands right now.

Petras does lock on a receiver and he doesnt scan the field very well. The last INT that sealed the jNW loss he through into that crowd while just 15 yards toward the sideline he had a running back wide open for the first down.

It was just like the miss to Laporta in the MSU game in the endzone where the FBack was wide open at the pylon. I think that is nerves and the clock just running too fast in his head. Boy he could have used spring and August practice and 3 non-conf games.
 
bphawkeye said:
I'd like him to be the game manager type. But he will most likely have at least 4 throws that should be picked EVERY GAME. He ALWAYS STARES DOWN the primary receiver = 5 defenders and the 1 receiver. I hope I am wrong - but the UN coach picked up on it too and he watched his guys look for several high hard tipped balls. Against MSU - he had 5 such throws. 2 Could have been tipped pick 6. Maybe I'm wrong? Best to him and the QB Coach?
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He does get locked on. He has the arm, needs to work on some touch, I saw good improvement with squaring his hips and shoulders on this rollout throws. If he cant throw the screen pass very well then they do need to look at Padilla or someone else.

I thought the offensive coaches did not help him against jNW because teams that pummel Fitzy go over the top and make them pay for playing 8 in the box on Dee and even creeping a 9th player close to the LOS.

With Brandon Smith I would throw him some 30-40 yard jump balls down the sideline at least several times a game. Have some fun this season and try some big plays.
 
uihawk82 said:
He does get locked on. He has the arm, needs to work on some touch, I saw good improvement with squaring his hips and shoulders on this rollout throws. If he cant throw the screen pass very well then they do need to look at Padilla or someone else.

I thought the offensive coaches did not help him against jNW because teams that pummel Fitzy go over the top and make them pay for playing 8 in the box on Dee and even creeping a 9th player close to the LOS.

With Brandon Smith I would throw him some 30-40 yard jump balls down the sideline at least several times a game. Have some fun this season and try some big plays.
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They should certainly be trying that inside the 20 every dang time. I mean at least once a possession. If he's one on one he will either catch it or be interfered with. Plus it seems to be the best ball Petras throws so far. Those two TDs to him were by far the best balls Petras has thrown accuracy wise. I'm frustrated he only throws one a game. Why not 5 of em? I mean make em start doubling and stop it geesh
 
Ya' all need to be a bit more patient. The guy is only in his 3rd game as a starter and this year thrown to the wolves right away with BIG 10 games. He had no Ball State's or Miami of OH to get his fee wet.

Mark my words, he will end up being one of KF's top 3 QB's when all said and done, and a chance at #1. When done, he may be the best NFL QB prospect from Iowa with his skill set. He also may be the last starting QB for KF we watch.
 
It's obvious to me, the game hasn't slowed down for him yet. He's determining what is going to happen based on practice reps and locking into the receiver that is the #1 choice based on the defensive set up on the snap. That's bad against a good defense...as they will change it up from what they are showing...ala NW.

I think alot of us who played remember the first time you entered a game as an underclassman, your first start, whatever. I remember runs where I never saw who tackled me, don't remember any moves or cuts, it was all instinct. A blur basically. As you gain experience, however, your vision and awareness starts to widen, and your brain starts processing information and you start doing things purposefully. Petras is all instinct at this point...I think the presnap decision-making is working...but when the ball is snapped, he's not going through much of a progression yet. The other area that will show if he's settling down is when things get off schedule...can he make a play when the play has broken down...he's not showing much of that yet either. Let's see if he shows improvement this week. He's certainly got all the tools...he needs to relax and just play the game...and it's a game...nothing more.

Man, you watch a QB like Book at Notre Dame. That dude the other night was phenomenal. Everything he did was off schedule...due to the pressure, and all he did was make play after play. He's playing a video game at this point and is aware of everything around him.
 
Assuming we can maintain the talent level around him and don't suffer a ton of attrition, I still feel Petras will be an outstanding QB when it's all said and done.

He's a work in progress that had next to no game experience coming into this season. The game will slow down for him, but, until that happens, his play will be uneven and frustrating at times. Skills such as reading defenses, going through progressions, etc., come with experience. I suspect that he'll get there. Regardless, he has the kind of arm talent that NFL scouts drool over. The throw to Ragaini that resulted in the interference call in the end zone is a throw I haven't seen at Iowa in quite a while.

Also, to be fair, he hasn't had a very consistent pocket and has been under quick pressure way too frequently. The offensive line play was improved Saturday, but hasn't found it's footing yet. Cronk and Kallenberger particularly were looking like turnstiles there for awhile. People keep wanting to compare his play to Mertz's debut, but it's not really a fair comparison. Not to take anything away from him, but Mertz had the luxury of a very comfortable pocket for almost the entire game. Also, that kind of debut by a QB is very much the exception and not the norm.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
Ya' all need to be a bit more patient. The guy is only in his 3rd game as a starter and this year thrown to the wolves right away with BIG 10 games. He had no Ball State's or Miami of OH to get his fee wet.

Mark my words, he will end up being one of KF's top 3 QB's when all said and done, and a chance at #1. When done, he may be the best NFL QB prospect from Iowa with his skill set. He also may be the last starting QB for KF we watch.
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Generally I agree with this from an outlook perspective. He needs some touch. He does have happy feet, but at least in some HS programs that chop chop chop is trained, or at least it was for my son when he was playing. He runs out of the pocket instead of stepping up. He overthrows the deep ball (which to me is the biggest thing to help out our run game). Lot of things to improve.

But he’s only had 3 games. Give him a chance to grow. If he’s still at this place by the end of the year, then open the competition up.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
Ya' all need to be a bit more patient. The guy is only in his 3rd game as a starter and this year thrown to the wolves right away with BIG 10 games. He had no Ball State's or Miami of OH to get his fee wet.

Mark my words, he will end up being one of KF's top 3 QB's when all said and done, and a chance at #1. When done, he may be the best NFL QB prospect from Iowa with his skill set. He also may be the last starting QB for KF we watch.
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I hope you're right, but I'm not gonna hold my breath. Granted, it's his first 3 games as a starter, but it's not like he's a true Fr. or new to the system. What I hope he learns most quickly is to come off his #1 target sooner and just dump the ball off to his RBs rather than thinking he can always use his rocket arm to get the ball into tight spaces over the middle -- he's already proven he can't. My biggest concern is his overall accuracy, and it's not just with screen passes. He's badly missed open short & medium passes & the one long bomb I can remember. QB gurus agree there are 2 things you can't coach/teach a QB: arm strength and accuracy. So I remain concerned going forward, even after the MSU game. Fortunately, after their first 2 games this year vs Michigan (not very good) and Maryland (which was held to 3 pts by NW), Minnesota's defense was ranked as the 3rd worst defense in the nation, giving up 10+ yds/play. If MN plays a normal defense, Iowa should be able to run at will; likely tho that Fleck will watch the NW game tape, load the box, and force Petras to beat them through the air. Petras will probably need to have a good game for the Hawks to win.
 
Grady said:
I hope you're right, but I'm not gonna hold my breath. Granted, it's his first 3 games as a starter, but it's not like he's a true Fr. or new to the system. What I hope he learns most quickly is to come off his #1 target sooner and just dump the ball off to his RBs rather than thinking he can always use his rocket arm to get the ball into tight spaces over the middle -- he's already proven he can't. My biggest concern is his overall accuracy, and it's not just with screen passes. He's badly missed open short & medium passes & the one long bomb I can remember. QB gurus agree there are 2 things you can't coach/teach a QB: arm strength and accuracy. So I remain concerned going forward, even after the MSU game. Fortunately, after their first 2 games this year vs Michigan (not very good) and Maryland (which was held to 3 pts by NW), Minnesota's defense was ranked as the 3rd worst defense in the nation, giving up 10+ yds/play. If MN plays a normal defense, Iowa should be able to run at will; likely tho that Fleck will watch the NW game tape, load the box, and force Petras to beat them through the air. Petras will probably need to have a good game for the Hawks to win.
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This is not true. Both can be improved to a point. Who are these "QB gurus"?

The fact that he throws hard now is better than not, IMO. I think it's easier to pull one back a bit than try to teach them to throw harder. If a QB wants to succeed in the NFL they will want to make sure they can zip the ball. The d-backs in the NFL are too quick and talented to loft balls on. Better to have a cannon now that try to improve the other way. I think that would be a learning curve but could be improved upon to an extent.
 
Bill Walsh, former 49rs coach who is considered one of the best QB coaches of modern times, was who I was referring to. He actually identified 'accuracy' as the most important trait of a QB and one that can't be taught. I know the NFL values arm strength, for good reason,, but when you think about the best QBs in NFL history -- Montana, Brady, Brees -- none of them will ever go down as having even above-average arm strength. Accurate as hell, tho. Manning may be the exception. I trust Walsh on this, because I see it playing out at all levels in college ball. It's the difference between solid QBs and great QBs.
I would also add that in modern college football, if you are a QB and present no running threat, the offense REALLY needs an accurate QB to be a truly great team, and again, this is my concern with both Stanley, who was good, and Petras, who also looks like he will be good, but probably not great. I hope Petras ups his completion % consistently to 65-70% and I'm proven wrong. But like I said in my previous post, I'm not gonna hold my breath.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
Ya' all need to be a bit more patient. The guy is only in his 3rd game as a starter and this year thrown to the wolves right away with BIG 10 games. He had no Ball State's or Miami of OH to get his fee wet.

Mark my words, he will end up being one of KF's top 3 QB's when all said and done, and a chance at #1. When done, he may be the best NFL QB prospect from Iowa with his skill set. He also may be the last starting QB for KF we watch.
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We should be more patient It's just tough. The similarities to how JC started out are legit. Those of us that saw that still have a bitter taste in our mouths with how KF handled it. This kid has such an amazing resume that if times were normal and he had 2 or 3 cupcakes (and spring practice) to tune up with I'd have to think it'd have made a significant difference. So that alone is why I'm not throwing in the towel on him. I've seen where Stanley has vouched for the kid saying he was great in practice the last 2 yrs. So this yr is just a developmental let's see how much we can get better season. Look forward to hitting the ground running next yr
 
With all due respect to Bill Walsh (assuming he actually said that), you absolutely can teach accuracy. QB coaches almost universally point to footwork as the key. That said, like with any skill, everyone has a glass ceiling. Arm strength definitely is a little harder.

What's really difficult to teach is the mental processing that's required to excel. All of the great QBs have that innate ability to process information pre and post-snap incredibly rapidly, and calmly. You also can't really teach some of the intangible qualities that we see in the great ones, such as moxie, mental toughness and leadership.
 
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