10-21-2012, 05:53 PM
I don't think it's the case at all that Shaw is devoted to Nunes. If you watch the postgame interview, Shaw mentions:
1) need more ball security
2) "inexcusable" re: INT
3) left 3 TDs on the field.
This basically fits in with a pattern: Shaw is much more critical of Nunes after wins than losses; you can see similar things being said after U.S.C. or Arizona or whenever. And of course Shaw has posited on several occasions that Nunes needs to be hitting 60+% of his passes. So it's scarcely a guy who's unaware of Nunes' faults. So my guess is the same as hurlburt's: Hogan in late 2012 or, more likely, 2013; whenever it is Hogan has the experience/consistency to handle the offense fulltime (which I believe were the issues Shaw raised preseason re: Hogan.)
Anyway, I mostly think it's absurd to compare Maynard to Nunes. I would much rather have Nunes. Context is important. Stanford's offensive line is better, sure, but by the same token the 59ers' skill players are--to at least an equal, if not greater degree--better.
Maynard had three vivid plays that encapsulated it for me; maybe there were others but I don't remember them as well. On the last drive, both Keenan Allen and Chris Harper had some really good catches where they high-pointed balls in critical situations. There was also another ball Maynard threw that got Harper crushed between both Stanford safeties; Harper held on for a long gain. I'd guesstimate the yardage gain between the three of those catches at 70 yards or so.
The key thing here is that all of these throws were terrible, the kind of throws that Stanford fans kill Nunes for (and in these cases, not unjustifiably). But, in each case, the 59er wide receivers turned a bad throw into a highlight catch. It can't be reiterated enough, apparently, that not only does Nunes not get these kind of bailout catches, he is also routinely denied routine catches. If Nunes had the 59ers' skill players to work with in the passing game, he would probably be well over 7 YPA in the passing game, and Stanford would be undefeated, in all likehood. Maynard, on the other hand, is routinely bailed out by his wide receivers, so much so that jokes about Maynard only throwing to Keenan Allen are, like, totally passe.
Keep in mind that the 59ers' skill players are only solidly above average, by the way. A team like U.S.C.'s is another standard deviation or two above them.
1) need more ball security
2) "inexcusable" re: INT
3) left 3 TDs on the field.
This basically fits in with a pattern: Shaw is much more critical of Nunes after wins than losses; you can see similar things being said after U.S.C. or Arizona or whenever. And of course Shaw has posited on several occasions that Nunes needs to be hitting 60+% of his passes. So it's scarcely a guy who's unaware of Nunes' faults. So my guess is the same as hurlburt's: Hogan in late 2012 or, more likely, 2013; whenever it is Hogan has the experience/consistency to handle the offense fulltime (which I believe were the issues Shaw raised preseason re: Hogan.)
Anyway, I mostly think it's absurd to compare Maynard to Nunes. I would much rather have Nunes. Context is important. Stanford's offensive line is better, sure, but by the same token the 59ers' skill players are--to at least an equal, if not greater degree--better.
Maynard had three vivid plays that encapsulated it for me; maybe there were others but I don't remember them as well. On the last drive, both Keenan Allen and Chris Harper had some really good catches where they high-pointed balls in critical situations. There was also another ball Maynard threw that got Harper crushed between both Stanford safeties; Harper held on for a long gain. I'd guesstimate the yardage gain between the three of those catches at 70 yards or so.
The key thing here is that all of these throws were terrible, the kind of throws that Stanford fans kill Nunes for (and in these cases, not unjustifiably). But, in each case, the 59er wide receivers turned a bad throw into a highlight catch. It can't be reiterated enough, apparently, that not only does Nunes not get these kind of bailout catches, he is also routinely denied routine catches. If Nunes had the 59ers' skill players to work with in the passing game, he would probably be well over 7 YPA in the passing game, and Stanford would be undefeated, in all likehood. Maynard, on the other hand, is routinely bailed out by his wide receivers, so much so that jokes about Maynard only throwing to Keenan Allen are, like, totally passe.
Keep in mind that the 59ers' skill players are only solidly above average, by the way. A team like U.S.C.'s is another standard deviation or two above them.