No, Don't Turn Shea Loose
There is a new Michigan Man podcast post with Baumgardner as the guest (http://themichiganmanpodcast.com/the-michigan-man-podcast-episode-457-m…).
Nick is arguing that it is time for Harbaugh to let Shea loose and go pass heavy.
I cannot disagree more.
All I want out of this year is for healthy Shea going into the game. If you have a better QB, you always have a chance and I believe that we have a better QB than OSU this year. I have no doubt that we would have won the game in 2015 with healthy Rudock (or any of the last three games with a healthy starting QB).
With the current OL, PTSD every time Shea drops back for a pass. Exposing Shea to 20 passes a game is probably plenty, I see no reason why we want to bump that up to 30 or more when that also increases the chance that we will end up with Shea on the bench later in the season. I also disagree with Brian about Shea needing to keep the ball more on option. Screw that, just keep handing off to RB even if it means we have no gains on 3 or 4 plays.
I think Harbaugh is handling this exactly right and I hope he keeps course. If that means we drop a game or two we might have won otherwise, so be it. I just want Shea to be healthy for THE GAME.
Seriously, is the gain of having more Shea passes worth the increase in injury possibilities?
September 18th, 2018 at 2:34 PM ^
I'm more concerned about the defense giving up 20 points than I am by the offense "slowly" scoring 38. The defense was supposed to be a known commodity coming in to the season. Minimum improvement by the offense would offer countless possibilities for 2018 and the offense appears improved over 2017 thus far. However, I'm still confident the ceiling is high for this team and that Harbaugh hasn't somehow forgotten how to coach.
As it stands, we are 2-1 going in to league play and the BIG no longer makes our schedule feel as daunting. The ND game was highly circumstantial, meaning the timing sucked. (Michigan seems to suffer from that with injuries, new coaches, etc.) However, we had the ball with a chance to tie. We didn't. Gain experience and move on.
Go Blue!
September 18th, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^
Just keep making new accounts, you fucking loser.
September 18th, 2018 at 11:45 PM ^
I'm a looooooong time lurker. New poster....not a troll. And what about my very FIRST reply is troll worthy anyway? Seriosuly, the paranoia on this site by some of you is out of control. Thanks for the warm welcome.
Go Blue!
September 18th, 2018 at 3:17 PM ^
A new troll account from an obliterated user...
Giving up 24 on the road, at night, to a top 15 team is nothing to whine about. The offense failed to hold up its end - if you can't score 24, you can't win most games.
Giving up 3 pts to a tomato can on a VERY late FG is acceptable. SMU had two referee-aided 'drives' that led to scores. Take away the crap officiating, and they score 6 (maybe). (The first score, the failed coverage, should also have been called OPI for run blocking on the initial LOS pick.)
The defense is fine. The offense is getting better. Re-fucking-lax and let the games be played. Plenty of time for hot takes later, if things go south.
September 19th, 2018 at 12:19 AM ^
Are you talking about my hot take or yours?
It's not that they gave up 24 on the road to a top 15 team, but rather....how they gave them up. Getting punched in the mouth and giving up 14 points before you can blink did nothing to help the offense or the team settle in.
The WMU game was what was expected.
The SMU game offered a little continued concern from the defensive perspective if we are grading based on the understanding that the defense is a known strength. Some of that stuff needs to get cleaned up if we expect to beat better teams. Or we can just keep blaming refs....
And can we stop with all the troll crap. You board PI's and your McCarthyism is a tad overblown.
.
September 18th, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^
I wish he would unleash him. We have to run to set up the PA, but I don't believe we can be so fixated on the run as this is not going to work against good defenses.
September 18th, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^
So, if we drop a game or two along the way while keeping Shea healthy, the GAME is probably meaningless for us except for bragging rights.
September 18th, 2018 at 2:58 PM ^
When I say "turn him loose" I don't think passing. I do think a handful of designed runs should be deployed, but perhaps against higher quality opponents. Love that he kept the ball a couple of times - he should do that some to keep defenses guessing. Handing off every time just takes something the defense needs to respect away.
September 18th, 2018 at 2:59 PM ^
Coach Harbaugh has my permission to call plays and game plan the way he feels is best.
September 18th, 2018 at 3:18 PM ^
If you have a better QB, you always have a chance and I believe that we have a better QB than OSU this year.
While I agree that Shea Patterson is easily the most talented QB Harbaugh has had to work with in his time at Michigan, I'm not sure he's a better QB than Haskins. That guy has every bit the arm that Shea has and he's just as accurate. Dwayne Haskins might be the best QB that Urban Meyer has had in his time at OSU.
Michigan's defense will have all it can handle when they face off against the Buckeyes in November.
September 18th, 2018 at 3:53 PM ^
Id like to see more run read option as was stated in the MgoPodcast.
We have a duel threat QB yet we are making him a pure pocket passer. Kid looks tough and it would just put so much pressure on the defense
September 18th, 2018 at 4:25 PM ^
I love Shea’s play so far but I’m sorry Haskins looks better. Mayb because of the system he plays in and overall better players around him but that’s what makes you a better player. He’s been flawless so far. All I want is to beat osu and msu!
September 18th, 2018 at 5:30 PM ^
They both look very good based on the early season play. We are not at a disadvantage from a QB standpoint.
OSU is a different team with Haskins. He opens up the pass game in ways Barrett and Pryor did not. The interesting thing is it seems like QB rushes are what have hurt us with this D
September 18th, 2018 at 6:10 PM ^
haskins is standing behind a wall.... shea has a collapsed pocket every other dropback.... not being a biased prick here, either... switch lines, and you'd see the same thing.... not knocking haskins here.
September 18th, 2018 at 5:25 PM ^
Just take what the Defense gives you. It’s not all that complicated.
September 18th, 2018 at 6:09 PM ^
YES. YES. YES...
set up the run by passing FIRST, and deep.... i agree with sparty here.....
September 18th, 2018 at 8:03 PM ^
FUCK THAT, I don't think we should overdo the read option runs with him but we should do more of that and he should be throwing more to develop timing in games. It would suck if he got hurt but unlike last year we have very capable backups.
September 18th, 2018 at 8:32 PM ^
I like Shea a lot, but I’m not ready to say he is hands down better than Haskins
September 18th, 2018 at 11:27 PM ^
I would hope we would not in fact drop games just for health reasons, we gotta win any we have the chance too. Need to get a Big Ten title chance
September 19th, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^
It would nice to have another dimension on offense. I say air it.