Alex Smith is a Solid QB



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It's hard to believe that Alex smith is now in his 7th season with the 49'ers, but he is and it hasn't been the easiest road for him or the team.  Smith has been the recipient of some harsh criticism over the years and even the fans of the 49'ers have called for the backup on more than one occasion.  It is, however, a new year and that means a fresh start and new round of evaluations and opinions from the media and bloggers like myself. 

I broke down Alex Smith's play against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend to make my own determination about his pro potential and effectiveness.  I chose this game because the Cowboys defensive is pretty solid and a fair test of any QB's ability.  At a glance Smith's stats aren't impressive.  He completed 66% of his passes for 179 yards averaging just over 11 yards per reception.  He had 2 TD's with 1 Int and was sacked 5 times.  Like I said, not impressive, but that is why evaluations aren't done purely on stats

When evaluating any position, but especially the QB position, it is important to take into consideration the tools that the player brings to the game as well as their overall performance.  Watching Smith take snaps from center, something he didn't do much of until he got to the pros thanks to poor coaching in college, I saw a QB sound in his footwork, comfortable in the pocket, and able to make proper decisions quickly.  His throwing motion is very sound as well.  He holds the ball just below his chin toward is back shoulder which is the proper ready position to throw a ball.  Once he decides where to go with the ball, Smith brings the ball up to ear level and releases the ball high.  It is a very compact motion that allows him to get the ball out quickly and accurately.  His throwing motion doesn't change when he is on the run so he can be very affective in that area of the game as well.

Now we have to look at the play on the field.  The stats overall aren't impressive, but when we look closer we can see what should be expected of Alex Smith now and in the future.  Smith threw the ball 26 times in the game on Sunday (2 throws were negated by penalties for the official stats) and 19 of those passes were caught by his wide receivers.  1 of those catches was negated by a penalty and 2 others were passes that were caught out of bounds.  The catches out of bounds are the fault of both the QB and the receiver.  both were fade routes that were thrown in a place were only the receiver could get the ball but it also took the receiver out of play in order to make the catch.  The receiver, though, needs to run the route so that there is room to put the ball in play so that the QB has an opportunity to make that completion.  Of the 7 passes that weren't caught 3 were dropped and one of those would have been a TD (the 49'ers scored a play later on a one yard run due to a pass interference call).  So of the 26 passes that were thrown 23 should have been caught in play.  That is impressive.  Smith threw 2 poor passes the entire game and one was a bad decision more than a poor throw.



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The decision I'm talking about was the interception that Smith threw in the game.  Smith had plenty of time in the pocket but failed to accurately determine the coverage being played.  A linebacker was in man coverage but had help over the top so he was spying the QB the entire play so he was able to see the throw to a different receiver and break off his man and make the pick.  It was the only really bad play that smith made in the game.  He was sacked 5 times in the game but all came from immediate pressure that he couldn't escape and not from hanging onto the ball.  He was pressured 8 times in the game and never once showed signs of panic.

After watching the game on Sunday I am convinced that San Francisco made the right decision in staying with Smith as their QB.  He is a very accurate passer and capable of running that offense.  The problem with Smith to this point has been a lack of consistency.  He is on his 3rd head coach and 7th offensive coordinator in 7 years.  It doesn't matter how good you are, if there is no stability around you then your play will be inconsistent as well.  Jim Harbaugh will hopefully be that consistent influence on Smith and allow him to take the next step towards being a successful NFL QB for the rest of his career.

* All evaluations are made from the game film that can be abtain by watching the game on TV.  I don't have access to actual game film which would make for a true coaches evaluation of a player's overall performance.

G-Men Forgot What They Are

For as long as I can remember the New York Giants have been a physical presence in the NFC East.  over the last few years I have noticed a change in that personality, at least on the offensive side of the ball.  Instead of a line up and pound the ball type of mentality they have moved towards more of a finesse style of play which they aren't built for.  The Giants need to get back to their roots and grind out some ugly wins.

The Giants have a physical offensive line and they create good holes for running backs to get through.  Yesterday, during the game against the Washington Redskins, the Giants ran 17 times for 76 yards.  That means that they ran for 4.4 yards per attempt.  4.4 yards per run means that the chains keep moving if you were to run every down.  That isn't even the best stat of the night for the running game.  Not one of the 17 runs for the Giants went for negative yards and only twice during the game were the Giants stuffed right at the line of scrimmage.  As a former player I know the value of a running game that never looses yards.  It is an imposing force and the more you stick with it the better the gains become. 

In the first half the Giants were balanced in their attempts running and passing.  They started passing more than running but found a good balance before halftime.  As a result they had scored 14 points in the first half.  In the second half the Giants fell behind a little and got away from what had made them successful.  Eli Manning threw 20 passes in the second half and dropped back several times more but got sacked in the process.  The Giants only ran the ball 6 times in the second half.  This made the play action passing less affective and allowed the defense of the Redskins to bet after Manning and they got to him 3 times in the second half.  The Giants didn't score again and they looked like the injuries they had were on offense instead of the defense.

6 attempts rushing the ball in a half is something that the Patriots do.  The Giants are supposed to run the ball.  Why else would they have a 260 lbs. running back?  They are built for running the ball and taking advantage of the play action passing game.  Eli Manning, though a very good quarterback, has never been a guy to drop back 30- 40 times and win a game.  He is a fantastic game manager when he has all of his weapons at his disposal and yesterday he was strapped by scared play calling.  Brandon Jacobs, the 260 lbs. running back, touched the ball only 6 times.  Even as the backup that isn't enough carries and there is no reason for Ahmad Bradshaw to be carrying the ball on 4th and 1.  Kevin Gilbride, the offensive coordinator, needs to remember what makes the Giants special is that running game.

The Giants need to run the ball more than they pass.  It opens up the field for Manning in the passing game and creates mismatches on the edges with their small but quick receivers.  They are capable of running against the blitz and, as they proved yesterday, they are better able to stay on schedule and score when they are balanced.  The Giants are a running team and as soon as they remember that and embrace it then they will be on top of the division again and competing for championships.