Rutgers Snowflakes: The Offense
September 25th, 2021 at 7:26 PM ^
And within the ten yard.line. Over and over in the middle. Let Corum beat the guy to the pilon. Just blows my mind they always turtle.there.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:00 PM ^
That was horrifying.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:01 PM ^
I thonk this is the most of a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance in one game that I have ever seen in a sporting event. It looked as if a totally different team had put on Michigan uniforms for the second half
September 25th, 2021 at 7:01 PM ^
McCarthy can't take over as QB fast enough for me. McNamara is fine as a game-manager but clearly lacks the arm talent to carry an offense.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:51 PM ^
I disagree on McNamara as a game manager, at least based on the second half. A game manager can consistently make routine plays. McNamara couldn't.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:02 PM ^
JJ should start the rest of the year. And Gattis needs replaced.
September 25th, 2021 at 10:46 PM ^
To be?
September 25th, 2021 at 7:02 PM ^
Maybe our offensive line will stop reading their press clippings and stop talking about running the ball down people’s throats. We got out rushed and out passed. If Cade was scared today at home vs Rutgers, and clearly he was, good luck at Wisconsin, MSU and Penn St.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:03 PM ^
Yea. Wisconsin offense is putrid this year but their defense is good and we can’t get a first down against fucking Rutgers. Maybe the team will have a goal to cross the 50 next week.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:31 PM ^
Scared ? The kid is 5-0 as a starter and still hasn't thrown a pick. And took massive shot. Cut him some fucking slack.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:43 PM ^
Agree. I like McNamara! But I'm not sure the coaches do -- we seem petrified of letting him take a five step drop, review the field, and let 'er rip.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:02 PM ^
How many OCs is Harbaugh gonna go through before people realize it's not the OC.
Also just maybe we didnt pass at all the first 3 weeks because well...we cant. In year 7.
Again, amazing that every QB here gets worse the longer theyre here.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:21 PM ^
This. ^^^^^^^
September 25th, 2021 at 7:42 PM ^
Yup. Beyond the QB dysfunctions, the main problem is that Harbaugh can't motivate and inspire this team to play at a high level. It's crystal clear after 6+ seasons. The team can't respond with toughness when things go south. This is 100% on Harbaugh because nothing changes no matter who the assistants are.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:02 PM ^
Time to move on from Gattis. Zero adjustments in 2nd half.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:09 PM ^
Why after the Gattis hiring do you trust Harbaugh to hire another OC? The problem is not the OC.
September 25th, 2021 at 9:49 PM ^
Exactly. When your last five marriages have failed, it wasn’t them, it’s you.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:02 PM ^
It’s almost like the passing game worries had merit.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:02 PM ^
Didn't expect to be shut out the entire second half. I credited Rutgers defense for a lower scoring game all week, but the offense didn't look good during the second half.
1st half: an A, 2nd half a D-.
It wasn't that pretty. Overall, humbling which could be a good thing going into Wisc. Lots more work to do in tight situations late in the game.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
There is nothing out there that would cause me to give this team a passing grade for their 2nd half performance.
September 26th, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^
No, the offense doesn't get an A for that first half. A solid B, sure. But except for two hits on crossing patterns we didn't do a whole lot in the air (those long run-after-catches made McNamara's stats look really good), and they pretty much shut down our run in the second quarter. I'm not saying it was bad, obviously, but you just can't give that performance an A. I mean, if that's an A, what was Northern Illinois?
September 25th, 2021 at 7:03 PM ^
I wonder about McNamara's performance after he got smacked in the head on the targeting. Was he all there in the 2nd half? If so, do we have a QB who is easily rattled after taking a big shot?
September 25th, 2021 at 7:03 PM ^
It’s odd that even harbaugh said l, we called a perimeter run…I mean, how do you not run to the outside consistently in this game? It’s not like they hadn’t shown it before. But honestly, that’s gattis. He struggles when it starts to go south.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:03 PM ^
Fire Gattis before he leaves the building. And start JJ in Madison.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:03 PM ^
Zero QB reads in this offense. No creativity. This is why some of us said you still needed to establish some balance in your offense in “pre season” games.
this staff is what it is - totally and utterly mediocre.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:03 PM ^
I would love to know honestly who calls the offense? We have really bright spots that move the ball, and then we routinely run into the back of the center.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
Well after getting a big play it’s best to run into a stacked box, have an incomplete pass, and then go back into running into a stacked box.
It’s the Michigan difference.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
Played "not to lose" after going up 7-3.
#firegattis
September 25th, 2021 at 7:44 PM ^
They didn't lose....
September 25th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
Cade isn't good. Totally dependent on defenders selling out on the run and leaving WRs wide open.
September 25th, 2021 at 8:09 PM ^
He can throw, ppl have to calm down. You only throw the ball 16 times, he had 163 yards passing & no picks. Is he Trevor Lawrence…absolutely not. Can he be Ian Book…yes he can. He is not going to lose you a game and has enough arm talent to be the QB of a winning squad.
September 25th, 2021 at 9:17 PM ^
Ian Book ran for nearly 500 yards last season. McNamara has -2 total after today.
People keep talking about game managers and guys like Ian Book, but this is nothing like that. When you have your QB throw as often as the military academies do and never have him run, that’s not game managing; that’s avoidance.
September 26th, 2021 at 7:43 AM ^
This ^^^^^^
If you’re going to make comparisons to other QBs please actually pick comparable guys.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
Cade wasnt the same after that hot. He played scared or hes off from the hit
September 25th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
Meh. It was clear this could be a problem by the end of the first half of Washington. Crushing bad MAC defenses doesn’t change that.
It was a win. A grinding win. These types of games were always on the table.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:10 PM ^
Yep. Full credit for the win. Every team has some unexpectedly close games. But ... damn, its not like we had lots of turnovers or our quarterback got injured or ... nothing we tried worked.
I don't remember us trying to go over the top once in this game, and it felt like the only time we tried to run outside in the second half it worked ... and then we immediately didn't do it again.
I continue to think the problem isn't our talent, it's the coaching, and that's ... confusing and frustrating as all hell. Does Harbaugh pull Gattis in at some point this week and ask WTF?!?!?
September 25th, 2021 at 7:12 PM ^
Seriously -- am I dreaming? Is that not the most confusing play-calling you've ever seen ... and it's so familiar to us! I don't want to be that guy, but ... I don't think I can imagine Alabama, or Ohio State, or any other team, in that situation, continue to run up the middle every single damned play, even when the defense is selling out to stop it. It's ... it's bizarre.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:15 PM ^
It was the Army game on repeat. Just unsuccessfully run up the middle and hope not to lose.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
Remember those successful slant passes, I’m glad we didn’t throw any more of those
September 25th, 2021 at 7:17 PM ^
That's my biggest issue. They see what's working and decide because it's not what they want to work best they'll stop and continue doing something that doesn't work because that's what they want to work.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:17 PM ^
That's my biggest issue. They see what's working and decide because it's not what they want to work best they'll stop and continue doing something that doesn't work because that's what they want to work.
September 25th, 2021 at 8:15 PM ^
He tried to hit Sainrastil(threw it low and in the dirt) and All(a little out his reach) on slant routes in the 4th qtr. He just was a tad off. He usually is pretty accurate, just missed guys in the 2nd half
September 25th, 2021 at 7:52 PM ^
Silly wabbit, those were pass plays. We don't want to do those if we can help it.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
Dr Jekyll and Mr Shit
September 25th, 2021 at 7:16 PM ^
I laughed
September 25th, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
We have our answer.
This pathetic excuse for an offense can’t move the ball through the air or on the ground when they face actual competition, which in this case only needs to be Rutgers good.
Play calling is still horse shit and unimaginative. Cade is a game manager at best and isn’t going to pick the team up and lead them when needs must. Defense is better than expected but still doesn’t know how to defend against a running QB.
I have ZERO confidence in Josh Gattis as a competent offensive coordinator or play caller.
Defense saved the offense’s ass today.
Future prognosis? Bleak. Either the offense gets a miracle or this team is losing to MSU, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Ohio State with every other game being a complete tossup.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
Like tickets, exists.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
Okay guys, move away from the ledge. The second half was trash but we got the job done. The D came up big. The offense needs work.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:08 PM ^
The D did not come up big today. They had a good play that salvaged the game following an afternoon of getting bulldozed by a backend P5 team.
September 25th, 2021 at 7:14 PM ^
At least I’ve felt very skeptical during the previous three weeks. I was going to wait until after Wisconsin to see whether to get on board or not.
That Wisconsin dline is going to punk this team. The corner backs are incapable of making a play on the ball so can’t count on Mertz having a bad game. 8-4 seems like the ceiling with the floor being 5-7.