Scouts Inc.'s KC Joyner on the M offense
He's impressed with what Borges is doing and how standard ideas on stopping running QBs don't work with Denard. The interesting part for me was this, about the passing schemes:
It wasn't just the drop-backs that were impressive. The Michigan receivers were also using an extremely wide variety of pass routes. The slant, quick out, deep out, hook, hitch and wide receiver screen were more than enough, but then they were augmented by the checkdown/seam, wheel and throwback screen routes.
The first set of routes listed above is used to attack any manner of coverage, but it is the second set that makes the Wolverines' passing game highly dangerous. They are key-buster routes that make it extremely difficult to gameplan for this offense and are one major reason Michigan is the real deal in 2011.
October 4th, 2011 at 11:34 AM ^
BLOCK too!!!
October 4th, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
As much as I love Big Borges, I'm going to wait to praise him until I see how we do against the Spartan defense
October 4th, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
Agreed. If we can move the ball and score 24+ on the Spartan D then I will truly start to get excited for the rest of the year.
October 4th, 2011 at 12:35 PM ^
When their OL can't push anyone around, they are unmasked as the impostors that they are. They sucked against Ohio. Ohio just managed to bring more sucktitude than Sparty did.
Sparty will keep the game close for a half out of their sheer hatred of Michigan. Michigan will pull away in the second half when Sparty's defense gets too tired from being on the field too long and chasing Denard around. When they get tired, they will bite on misdirection plays more and make crucial mistakes, leading to big plays.
My best-case scenario for Borges was a hybrid offense. Not only are we getting a hybrid, we are getting stuff that nobody else in the profession has even thought of doing. And now, the team is experienced enough and old enough to not be playing boys against men anymore, allowing them to execute pretty much whatever is set on their plate.
Borges is for real and Michigan is for real. Denard is becoming more comfortable every week. Meanwhile, Sparty, Iowa, and even Nebraska are showing serious holes. This season is shaping up well.
October 4th, 2011 at 11:45 AM ^
I'm glad to see Denard being made to learn a complex passing game. That's what is going to get Denard into the NFL as a QB. NFL scouts always look down on people under 6' (and likey people in the 6' 2" and up range). Denard needs to really display the ability to make good reads and run a complex offense to impress the scouts. That's how Drew Brees compensated for his height.
Even if we struggle now and I want to tear my hair out sometimes, I'm glad to see Borge pushing Denard in that direction. It's also good for the WR's career prospects.
October 4th, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^
It also helps when you have a stud arm...
October 4th, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^
I think Denard's lack of size will hurt him in the NFL draft for sure. But with more NFL teams running wildcat formations and things of that nature, I can definitely see a team spending a late-round pick on Denard or signing him as a free agent and using him as a change-of-pace/emergency QB at first, and seeing if he can play in the League despite his lack of height. Also, if things don't work out for him at QB, Denard can always return kicks.
October 4th, 2011 at 12:54 PM ^
Denard's the same height as Michael Vick, and is only 15-20 lbs lighter than Vick. As a passer, Denard shows promise with the deep ball, but has not yet displayed the ability to consistently throw the short to mid-range laser passes that are a staple of pro play. In my opinion, Denard's potential as a pro QB turns on his improvement in throwing the laser passes. If he makes that improvement, his height won't be an issue. For this reason, the arrival of Hoke and Borges was a real opportunity for Denard to focus more on his passing game, including his footwork.
October 4th, 2011 at 1:29 PM ^
He is 5'10 at best. While his arm is strong enough to throw most college routes, it is not in the same category as Vick. He also lacks the accuracy that the NFL requires. Based on that, It is a near certainty that at the combine they will work him out at WR and perhaps even RB.
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<br>As i like i kid and do not want to dismiss a chance that he makes great improvement, i do think he has an opportunity to make a case for bring looked at as a QB. When he faces Saban's NFL-style defense in Dallas we will get a sense of whether he can play QB beyond this level. If he makes drastic improvements in reading defenses and accuracy AND puts up good numbers versus Bama, he just might change some minds.That Bama game is extremely important for Denard in ways more than those related to the team.
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<br>But why worry about this in the middle of his junior year? Let's just enjoy his magnificent gifts while we can still view them.
October 4th, 2011 at 1:00 PM ^
The fact that Denard would excel as a WR/slot guarantees he will go much higher than the late rounds or resorting to free agency. The NFL values athletes and Denard is one of the best, no matter what position.
October 4th, 2011 at 5:51 PM ^
It's not a fact that he would excel at WR. He's fast, yes, but there's a lot more to the position than that.
October 4th, 2011 at 1:05 PM ^
Why?
Michael Vick: 6-0, 215
Drew Brees: 6-0, 209
Matthew Stafford: 6-2, 232
Ryan Fitzpatrick: 6-2, 225
Mark Sanchez: 6-2, 225
Andy Dalton: 6-2, 220
Colt McCoy: 6-1, 215
Tony Romo: 6-2, 228
Donovan McNabb: 6-2, 240
Denard Robinson: 6-1, 193
All of those QBs (obviously not including Denard) have either had successful NFL careers or are currently a starting QB. Denard is within 1-2 inches of every one of these guys. I think it's naive to say that Denard cannot enjoy an NFL career as a QB just because of his height. I think the bigger questions for him should be can he can learn and succeed in a complex offensive system? Can he be an accurate passer? I remember a lot of those same questions circling around Michael Vick when he entered the league, and he admittedly did struggle as a passer early on, but he's been to multiple Pro Bowls and is now one of the top QBs in the league.
October 4th, 2011 at 4:35 PM ^
There is no way Denard is 6' 1" unless we're measuring people in cleats and standing on concrete. MGoBlue has him at 6' and in reality he's likely in the 5' 10 to 5' 11" range. As per NFL.com the average height of a starting QB is 6' 3". Hopefully Denard grows, but as it stands right now every single NFL scouting report on him is going to contain "concerns over height",
October 4th, 2011 at 7:22 PM ^
If Denard's 6' or 6'1" listing is excessive by 2 or 3 inches, are the listings for the other QBs also excessive by a similar margin?
In any event, I believe Denard's height won't be an issue, if his passing accuracy improves. The Alabama game will be a good opportunity to evaluate Denard's pro potential.
October 4th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
I normally am never really interested in espn insider articles (except from the newly hired Tomvh), but this one actually sparks my interest and makes me wish I had it.
October 4th, 2011 at 12:50 PM ^
You know MSU will have some trickeration planned for the Michigan game, especially to cover up their flaws on offense. We are going to have to use some of the new formations we showed, and others we didn't, because MSU tries to confuse the QB with there defensive pre-snap looks. Our Diamond formation would definitely off-set that. I just thnk the game comes down to stopping their run, which will kill their play-action and getting pressure on Cousins. The way our defense is playing, we'll get at least 2 picks off him and probably a fumble by an RB or WR. Also, I hope our offense can sustain long drives, (but obviously points are more important) to tire the MSU defense. Their starting 11 are fantastic, but not much depth. I know we've been perfect in the red zone, but I hope our scoring comes on plays of 20+ yards because MSU's defense is pretty good in the red zone and we all remember what happened last year. For that reason, I think Gallon and Smith (Shaw?) are crucial in this game, along with Denard, because of their speed.
October 4th, 2011 at 1:20 PM ^
I don't much fear Narduzzi's trickeration; you saw how that worked out for him against Ohio when he decided to blitz with 13 seconds to go...
Also, as for the Sparty defense...our offensive line collectively hates donkeys.
October 4th, 2011 at 7:33 PM ^
Don't mean to be too argumentative, but you say that we have to sustain long drives and then go on to say that you hope most of our scoring comes from plays of 20+ yards? Can't really do both?
To be honest I don't think it matters much how the scoring comes, as the game will be won or lost on the defensive side of the ball. I have a feeling we're going to score points against just about anyone we play.
October 4th, 2011 at 3:24 PM ^
Right now I'd say the greatest attribute Hoke gives to this team is reality. He continually denies they are as good as they look and by doing it he is aligning them well and preparing them for the game ahead, not the next game. While MSU is important I think the trap game is at Ryan field this weekend.
October 4th, 2011 at 8:16 PM ^
Joyner is an idiot. After last season he said Denard was one of the most accurate QBs in the nation. The problem is that he didn't watch any UM game an didn't realize Denard got a lot of easy looks from QB-oh-noes