(03-03-2018 09:00 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(03-02-2018 03:52 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-02-2018 09:47 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(03-02-2018 09:37 AM)Splooie99 Wrote:  

(03-02-2018 07:57 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  When Lynch and Harnish were struggling at the beginnings of their career, you could see an upside they had so you lived with the mistakes. Even Hare, whom I thought couldn't throw well at first, made plays as he played through inexperience. With Childers I don't see an upside. What worries me is he may be like Graham. Graham had no upside and hence never improved.

I'm not saying Childers can't improve, I'm saying I can't see where he will improve. A young QB usually needs to improve by eliminating mistakes. Childers already doesn't make many mistakes. He just seems limited as a QB.

This pretty much sums up my expectations as well. Harnish got 4 years. Lynch only 2. But, they both improved as they played each year.

My heart says he will not show the amount of improvement we need to win at any of our OOC games. Trust me, I would love to be wrong. This years team will only be as good as Childers allows them to be. I believe our D will keep us in the games for 3 quarters, but that alone will not be enough.

Carey bet the future of the team on Childers. With Carey's track record, I am not sure it was the right move long term.

Our problem will continue to be QB issues until we recruit better.

Yep. Other MAC teams do not seem to have a problem recruiting QBs. It seems like Carey is looking for that magic Lynch-like diamond-in-the-rough that is a decent passer and superb runner. This is a Holy Grail that he may not find for quite some time. In the meantime, he needs to bring in someone who can pass the ball. Just being a good runner is not good enough because opposing teams will just stack the box. Without a passing game, you waste decent WRs, and 3-and-outs become easier. If he's going to stick with a run-first QB, I'd like to see the triple option, but I know that's too much to ask.

Even being a good runner would help. We haven't really had a good runner after Lynch and Harnish. We've had decent runners, more or less.

Maddie has to go in the good category. Hare decent. Graham and Childers average at best.

Childers will be Graham if he doesn't improve greatly:

Rushing:
Graham 127 att 413yds 3.3 avg
Childers 143 att 473yds 3.3 avg

Passing:
Graham 141/267 1561yds 16td 10int
Childers 152/265 1674yds 16td 5 int

They look like similar players to me talent wise and the numbers reflect that. Add to that the fact Graham played a much tougher list of opponents and it tells me Childers needs to make a big jump in year 2.