Pat Fitzgerald - "I don't think [McNamara] gets enough credit"
I don’t think their quarterback [McNamara] gets enough credit. I think he’s poised; I think he does a really good job taking what the defense gives him.
I agree with Coach Fitzgerald. Definitely, Cade's deep ball accuracy needs to improve. However, he rarely makes a misread. He doesn't force the ball, or take unnecessary risks. His pocket awareness, and pocket mobility are exceptional. We've seen him stand tall in the pocket and deliver strikes when he has had pressure. And, I firmly believe that if we need him to sling the ball around in order to win a game, he'll rise to the challenge. I agree with Coach Fitzgerald, Cade doesn't get enough credit.
October 25th, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
Cool. Thanks Pat. We're aware that Cade is a great game manager - and game manager is by no means a slight.
The question is and remains to be, will it be enough to beat OSU or other teams that stack the box to stop the run. He was good against Wisconsin, but to beat OSU we need to reach a higher ceiling.
October 25th, 2021 at 8:49 PM ^
Let's ask the last two five-star Michigan QBs whether or not their high ceiling was enough to beat Ohio State.
- Shea Patterson: nope
- Chad Henne: nope
Unless JJ McCarthy becomes three five-star defensive backs overnight, it doesn't matter how well Michigan's QB plays in The Game. Gotta stop their offense to win this one.
October 25th, 2021 at 9:04 PM ^
From 007's red, itchy lips to God's ears.. this pretty much sums it up in a couple of sentences. JJ as a true freshman can get every snap of the game against OSU. I don't think Michigan's chances of winning that game move up or down independent of the defense, no matter who starts at quarterback. The defense is going to have to figure out a way to make them punt a couple times and turn them over a time or 2 as well, if Michigan has a shot in this game. Very difficult thing to do for any program in America.
October 26th, 2021 at 4:08 AM ^
Yes. Somehow the defense has to keep OSU in the 20s or low 30s for UM to have a chance of not having another unhappy ending.
October 26th, 2021 at 8:50 AM ^
Honestly, and I know that it's heresy to say this, I'm hoping for two things:
A) That our run game is good enough to eat clock and keep OSU's offense off the field and
B) the Defense, now without Don Brown's calls downloaded, doesn't get utterly pantsed; maybe have the waste band catch around mid thigh.
There is no version of this offense or offensive personnel which has us winning a shootout against OSU very often. Their Crazy Scoring guys are better than our Crazy Scoring Guys. So having us go full spread with JJ at the helm won't help. In fact, it's playing to their strengths and away from ours. I really like this defense and am impressed with Mcdonald. But man, I just don't see our corners being able to stop OSU.
But keeping their offense off the field and just being enough of a speed bump defensively might give us a chance; at least to not get embarrassed.
October 26th, 2021 at 9:24 AM ^
We need Macdonald to have these best game plan possible, and we need the front 6 to execute pressure and we need to make sure the DBs don’t blow a single coverage assignment.
Before that game, they need to do so in this week’s game.
October 25th, 2021 at 9:20 PM ^
You forgot about Devin Gardner…
/touches finger to ear
… Still nope.
October 25th, 2021 at 11:57 PM ^
I mean that isn't really how modern college football works. You win by offense more than defense. The losing teams in the national championship have averaged 26 points. If you aren't scoring over 30 you generally aren't winning a big game against a good team. I don't think its impossible Michigan puts up 35+ with Cade on OSU but I think 40 plus points has to be the expectation from the offense to win that game.
October 26th, 2021 at 8:43 AM ^
That's certainly how it's been. I'm interested to see this year with UGA having a defense on par (at least scoring wise) with the UM '97 defense. The trend certainly is for higher scores, but I wonder if the defenses are catching up to a degree to the spread/RPO attacks
October 25th, 2021 at 8:51 PM ^
Agree, if Cade can't score you 40+ against osu, they will not win. Guaranteed
October 25th, 2021 at 8:53 PM ^
Man, you have to play Cade until he loses his job by his performance.
October 25th, 2021 at 9:15 PM ^
Leave Cade in to keep JJ 1. Healthy, 2. Less exposure to what they call with him in for the one team that we think Cade can't beat 3. Cade's head in the game until OSU
We can't beat OSU until it's time to play them. JJ running scares me. He's never going to be all that big, but he's as small as he'll be now. How will he help us beat OSU if he gets hurt a week or 2 earlier like Peter's, or Speight who if healthy, Harbaugh probably has 2 wins? Give JJ 40% of the snaps in OH game and if he gets broken on his 7th run of the game it may be in Q3 with a lead and Cade can manage us to a couple scores to win it.
October 26th, 2021 at 12:43 AM ^
What kind of performance would it take for him to lose his job?
He does a pretty good job of not forcing bad passes (deep ball to Sarinstil in double coverage was forced), but he isn't seeing the field as well as some people seem to think. That same deep ball to Sarinstil, he had Johnson wide open in the flats for a 1st down. Later in the game he hit Johnson for a 1st down along the sideline, nice throw but he had Sarinstil breaking open for a likely TD if he looked that way. If all we are asking is to limit turnovers and throw for the occasional first down while relying on our defense and run game to win the game, he is a decent option. I'm just worried that at some point, maybe this weekend, that won't be enough.
Now if JJ just doesn't have a grasp of the offense and is forcing balls and gets us a bunch of dumb plays and INTs, then I understand going with the safe option. I'm not at practice and we really haven't seen enough game time action out of him to know the answer to this.
October 26th, 2021 at 9:26 AM ^
No idea what his read progression was, but on the play where he hits Johnson for the first. If that his his first read, and it is open, you throw it. So, seema unfair to criticize him for not hitting an open player for a td if that player is a later read and an early read was open.
October 26th, 2021 at 2:27 PM ^
No, you literally don’t. The best player should play. If JJ is better than Cade, then JJ should play based on that alone. Not because Cade did something to lose his job.
Good teams don’t wait for a player to do something to lose his job to replace him. They play the best player for the role no matter what.
Now, whether JJ is better than Cade at this point is another conversation entirely. But waiting for Cade to “lose his job by his performance” is pretty silly.
October 25th, 2021 at 9:02 PM ^
…but to beat OSU, UM needs a bunch of stupid college shit to happen while OSU is simultaneously pointing the shotgun directly at their own foot.
FIFY
October 25th, 2021 at 9:40 PM ^
Beating OSU is going to be dependent on way more than QB play. Like, Michigan scored 39 points against OSU in 2018 and 27 points in 2019 and weren't within sniffing distance after halftime of either of those games. McCarthy isn't going to unlock better corners, better tackles, better wide receivers, etc. than what OSU currently has.
Michigan can still win but I do not remotely understand this narrative that the outcome hinges on who is under center.
October 26th, 2021 at 10:51 AM ^
Yep, Michigan's not beating OSU anytime soon until someone figures out how we can hold them in the 20s or low 30s
October 26th, 2021 at 9:19 AM ^
McCarthy does not increase our chance of winning. Minimizing turnovers and poise in the pocket is a big part of "ceiling."
October 26th, 2021 at 2:13 PM ^
Does Tom Brady have any eligibility?
October 25th, 2021 at 8:16 PM ^
I like the idea of our semi-two headed QB situation. Give McNamara a break from time to time to gather himself and give JJ a chance to provide a change-up for the defense. Just wish that part of McNamara's best abilities was completing the downfield pass. Another opportunity awaits!
October 25th, 2021 at 9:20 PM ^
JJ, Haskins, and Corum in the backfield on every play.
October 25th, 2021 at 9:32 PM ^
Plus 1. This is a very sound idea. This would put enormous pressure on any defense. RPO's and a downfield passing threat.
October 25th, 2021 at 10:10 PM ^
Wow. What is wrong with people? Having both HH and BC in the backfield means 1 less blocker up front. Do you people even WATCH football!? It’s obvious you’ve never coached and likely never played.
SMH.
October 25th, 2021 at 10:33 PM ^
Having both HH and BC in the backfield means 1 less blocker up front.
I guess I do need to watch more football. I didn't realize that if you took one player out of the backfield you could add another to the line.
I'm happy to keep rolling with Cade, but this kind of belittling comment ("Do you people even WATCH football?") isn't cool. Haven't you ever seen an offense use two weapons in the backfield? It can really put the LBs in a tough situation.
October 26th, 2021 at 12:32 AM ^
It is very rare that you see teams with two RBs in the backfield, and there is a reason for that. Unless you are running a triple option offense (we aren't), you are taking out one blocker and replacing them with a player who isn't as good of a blocker, all the while bringing an extra defender into the box to account for that lesser blocker. You put yourself at an immediate numbers disadvantage when running the ball. If you are throwing the ball, well Haskins hasn't shown to be anything special in the passing game so better off just having All back there.
October 26th, 2021 at 9:23 AM ^
Actually, if Corum is something like a slot at times, you could still go 2 TE and 1 more wide, and create a hurricane of conflict for the edge and the LBs. Like a hybrid of triple option and RPO. Not that we would or could change the entire offense at this point, but this is a fantasy thread, and that would be tremendously fun.
October 26th, 2021 at 10:14 AM ^
I was thinking more of having one (Haskins) as a run option and the other (Corum) as a receiving threat out of the backfield. Kind of like this Neck Sharpies that Seth did some time back using a clip from the Spring game.
October 26th, 2021 at 1:22 PM ^
What makes that play work is that it's an actual RPO where the QB needs to make a read. Reminds me of what Ole Miss is doing on offense right now. For whatever reason, this staff shows zero inclination in letting Cade make those types of reads. Why that is is a whole different argument and the subject of much consternation on GameDay threads.
October 25th, 2021 at 8:26 PM ^
There is no QB controversy. Long live the QB controversy.
October 25th, 2021 at 11:01 PM ^
It's ridiculous there is a QB controversy.
This forum collectively longed for a game manager during the JOK, et. al., days -- 'if we just had someone serviceable who wouldn't lose the game Michigan would be great'.
Now Michigan has that and they are yelling for JJ.
October 26th, 2021 at 10:40 AM ^
I WANT MANNY LEGACE!! ALL HAIL MANNY LEGACE!!!!!
-- Red Wings fans the last time the Wings were good...
:: He was Chris Osgood's backup::
October 26th, 2021 at 7:31 PM ^
I don’t know a single Wings fan that ever clamored for Manny Legace.
October 26th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
I said it in the snowflakes thread after the NW win, the fan favorite of every offensively vanilla team is the backup QB. Nobody talks about the coaching, offensive scheme, play calling, WR's getting open, the blocking. It's "LETS BRING IN JJ!! Woo!!". If only we had recent evidence of that actually working here at Michigan not having to go back a couple decades.
October 25th, 2021 at 8:29 PM ^
Let's beat staee and then begin to "worry about things" such as credit given or taketh.
Go Blue.
October 25th, 2021 at 8:31 PM ^
Well, I have always liked this Pat Fitzgerald guy so I am going to just go with what he says.
October 26th, 2021 at 9:32 AM ^
He's one of the few B1G coaches I would want my son to play for.
October 25th, 2021 at 8:47 PM ^
I think Cade could honestly be a star. People forget that this is basically his first year as a starter. Whatever last year was doesn't count
October 25th, 2021 at 9:35 PM ^
Do you mean in the BIGTEN? Or if he transfers to a MACTION team.
October 26th, 2021 at 5:35 PM ^
Fuck off. It is possible to share your shit opinion without shitting on our players.
October 26th, 2021 at 7:48 PM ^
Easy tater. You are frightening. Saying someone is not going to be a star is not shitting on anyone. Emotions are wonderful.
October 25th, 2021 at 9:50 PM ^
A guy like Cade with a reliable, dominating receiver would be all we ever wanted in a QB.
With a single Nico, Funchess or even a Butt (I know they don’t grow on trees); just a guy he could depend on to go up and get a ball, we wouldn’t even be looking at McCarthy yet. We ehhh…kinda had one until Ronnie’s knee went all https://imgflip.com/memetemplate/187779015/Well-Now-Im-not-Doing-it, but Cade’s not going to be a star in this passing game without some serious help.
October 25th, 2021 at 10:38 PM ^
Don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve seen plenty of Butts growing on trees.
October 26th, 2021 at 2:48 AM ^
Ni-co Funchess or Butt. Sounds like a new flavor of cereal.
October 26th, 2021 at 6:22 AM ^
MSPaint dedication to a joke always gets a +1 from me. Well done.
October 26th, 2021 at 9:57 AM ^
I want that on a t-shirt.
October 26th, 2021 at 2:13 PM ^
A good QB can make receivers better too. I know this is not a popular opinion but QB's with better talent can make receivers better. JJ has more talent as a QB than Cade.
October 25th, 2021 at 8:51 PM ^
Michigan fans are the only ones that don’t realize he’s playing very good. His long throws were actually not that bad his receivers cut their routes off stopped and jumped for balls. Also the pass interference pass was right on the money but Johnson was held and kept it from being a completion.
October 25th, 2021 at 8:56 PM ^
I'll give you the two to sainristil, but the Johnson throw was horribly inaccurate....it needed to be thrown more to the center to allow Johnson to run to it, it was thrown as a fly and not a post that Johnson was running....also the seam route to schoonmaker was terribly thrown....