Case Keenum: Career Backup or Something More?

[Arky]

Originally Posted by Keith

Split the Case discussion from the Jags game thread.


I don't expect the sensational, though it seems Case expects it of himself. Case needs to learn to throw the ball away instead of taking a 16 yard loss and a sack. Reading blitzes, knowing when to throw away... these are things young QBs always struggle with, so combine that with the injuries on offense, and I can understand why the results are what they have been and why people want to give Case a huge benefit of the doubt.

I think he wants to do a good job and maybe he's trying to hard to make plays. He beat the blitz a few times yesterday but no one seems to want to acknowledge that. The Jags backed off and only rushed 4 most of the time. Did you notice all the misfires yesterday? Receiver runs one way, QB throws another? Can't really speculate who is at fault here, but let's say it's 50:50. Reps and practice fix that. He was sacked twice against the Jags - not atrocious for a QB in any game (though admittedly, his sacks are big'uns).

I don't lay the 0-5 record on Case at all, those first three were there to win, and the team as a whole is responsible. But losing at home to the Raiders and Jaguars? When the opposition had Henne and someone named McLovin? Those "backyard" or what I call "flag football" plays sure seem to have dried up lately. Not a fluke. Teams adjust. This is why it was dangerous to prorate Keenum's stats after just 3 games.

The Raiders are not pushovers and the Jags have nothing to lose. The Texans are too dysfunctional to compete these days... Wait till the Pats come in this Sunday...

Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, etc. many more have been playing backyard/flag football for years. You make it sound like a "bad" thing. Keenum's ability to extend plays is a good thing.....and I expect it to return - if not with us, then with another team. There is absolutely no way a secondary can prepare for it. There is no adjustment that can be made for it. A good defense will try to prevent it from getting started..... This last game, seemed to me, he was "instructed" to be more Schaub-like....

And "dangerous" to prorate his stats after 3.5 games? Not the adjective I would have used.... "premature" maybe.... Some of us consider it "ludicrous" to call a guy a career back-up after 4 or 5 games but that's probably another situation where "premature" works better....

I'm just judging based on what I see. One stat I find telling in my assessment: Keenum is completing just 47.5% of his passes between 1-10 yards through 59 attempts. Yikes.

Not sure where you get your stats but I'll assume they are correct. This is a bit puzzling because I believe Keenum was known for his accurate short and intermediate game in college. What it suggests is his vertical game is much better. Keenum is currently at 55% completion overall as a first-year-in-the- NFL-action-starter (some get annoyed when one shortens it to "rookie" as he is not technically a rookie). Andrew Luck completed a whopping 54.1% of his passes in his rookie year...(And it's a real shame the Texans have lost their mojo this year as the Colts just ain't that good).

Here's the deal: I got a problem with the Case critics pointing out his flaws like piranhas on a cattle carcass. In their eyes, he can do no right (though they've got plenty of ammo the last couple of games). I'm here for balance.

QB development can take years. Drew Brees was a decent QB laboring in San Diego sometimes sharing starts with Doug Flutie. This didn't stop the Chargers from drafting Phillip Rivers. It was not till he was traded/signed with Sean Payton and the Saints that he turned into Drew effing Brees.... Some of us believe Keenum can at least reach the "decent starting QB" level....