[mutoo1]

i think shaw & pritchard deserve a heartfelt shout-out & thank you for the job they did. i see massive improvement in mills, and even in jack west, from year to year (mills & west) as well as from the colorado to the ucla game (mills). in mills' case, some, but not all, of the improvement was just shaking off the rust. but shaw & pritchard are often roundly criticized on this board for not developing quarterbacks and i have always disagreed with that criticism. mills is close to mastering the playbook and his game management skills are excellent. another year of experience would serve him well wrt nfl preparation. now he just has to learn to use his eyes better in looking off corners & safeties rather than locking in on his #1 or #2 option on any given play, and more quickly read the defense so he automatically knows where to throw the ball. that will come with more repetitions & experience but he has all the tools. but it looks to me like he is being coached well (despite three picks v. ucla).

further, i continue to think shaw & pritchard are on the elite level wrt offensive football knowledge, scheming and play calling. we may not always like shaw's offensive philosophy in certain games or at certain times within games but he has proven his philosophy works pretty damn well. he has also shown he can adapt when needed, and it appears to me he has improved in this regard, season-to-season, game-to-game and even in-game. in terms of adaptability, remember the deep ball attack of kevin hogan in his first full year; the successful use of weapons like luck, hogan, mccaffery & love, then jj arcega-whiteside & others. these guys know & can scheme for any kind of gameplan and talent. 

i have previously been critical of carberry for various reasons but it looks to me like he did an a very good job this year with the offensive line.

[mutoo1]

i think shaw & pritchard deserve a heartfelt shout-out & thank you for the job they did. i see massive improvement in mills, and even in jack west, from year to year (mills & west) as well as from the colorado to the ucla game (mills). in mills' case, some, but not all, of the improvement was just shaking off the rust. but shaw & pritchard are often roundly criticized on this board for not developing quarterbacks and i have always disagreed with that criticism. mills is close to mastering the playbook and his game management skills are excellent. another year of experience would serve him well wrt nfl preparation. now he just has to learn to use his eyes better in looking off corners & safeties rather than locking in on his #1 or #2 option on any given play, and more quickly read the defense so he automatically knows where to throw the ball. that will come with more repetitions & experience but he has all the tools. but it looks to me like he is being coached well (despite three picks v. ucla).

further, i continue to think shaw & pritchard are on the elite level wrt offensive football knowledge, scheming and play calling. we may not always like shaw's offensive philosophy in certain games or at certain times within games but he has proven his philosophy works pretty damn well. he has also shown he can adapt when needed, and it appears to me he has improved in this regard, season-to-season, game-to-game and even in-game. in terms of adaptability, remember the deep ball attack of kevin hogan in his first full year; the successful use of weapons like luck, hogan, mccaffery & love, then jj arcega-whiteside & others. these guys know & can scheme for any kind of gameplan and talent. 

i have previously been critical of carberry for various reasons but it looks to me like he did an a very good job this year with the offensive line.

[Mudhead]

i think shaw & pritchard deserve a heartfelt shout-out & thank you for the job they did. i see massive improvement in mills, and even in jack west, from year to year (mills & west) as well as from the colorado to the ucla game (mills). in mills' case, some, but not all, of the improvement was just shaking off the rust. but shaw & pritchard are often roundly criticized on this board for not developing quarterbacks and i have always disagreed with that criticism. mills is close to mastering the playbook and his game management skills are excellent. another year of experience would serve him well wrt nfl preparation. now he just has to learn to use his eyes better in looking off corners & safeties rather than locking in on his #1 or #2 option on any given play, and more quickly read the defense so he automatically knows where to throw the ball. that will come with more repetitions & experience but he has all the tools. but it looks to me like he is being coached well (despite three picks v. ucla).

further, i continue to think shaw & pritchard are on the elite level wrt offensive football knowledge, scheming and play calling. we may not always like shaw's offensive philosophy in certain games or at certain times within games but he has proven his philosophy works pretty damn well. he has also shown he can adapt when needed, and it appears to me he has improved in this regard, season-to-season, game-to-game and even in-game. in terms of adaptability, remember the deep ball attack of kevin hogan in his first full year; the successful use of weapons like luck, hogan, mccaffery & love, then jj arcega-whiteside & others. these guys know & can scheme for any kind of gameplan and talent. 

i have previously been critical of carberry for various reasons but it looks to me like he did an a very good job this year with the offensive line.

I’m on board with your thinking.  Yes their are reasons to be concerned about the program from a recruiting and an injury perspective, and yes I too sometimes cringe at the play calling. But overall, the coaching team did a masterful job this year.

[Mudhead]

i think shaw & pritchard deserve a heartfelt shout-out & thank you for the job they did. i see massive improvement in mills, and even in jack west, from year to year (mills & west) as well as from the colorado to the ucla game (mills). in mills' case, some, but not all, of the improvement was just shaking off the rust. but shaw & pritchard are often roundly criticized on this board for not developing quarterbacks and i have always disagreed with that criticism. mills is close to mastering the playbook and his game management skills are excellent. another year of experience would serve him well wrt nfl preparation. now he just has to learn to use his eyes better in looking off corners & safeties rather than locking in on his #1 or #2 option on any given play, and more quickly read the defense so he automatically knows where to throw the ball. that will come with more repetitions & experience but he has all the tools. but it looks to me like he is being coached well (despite three picks v. ucla).

further, i continue to think shaw & pritchard are on the elite level wrt offensive football knowledge, scheming and play calling. we may not always like shaw's offensive philosophy in certain games or at certain times within games but he has proven his philosophy works pretty damn well. he has also shown he can adapt when needed, and it appears to me he has improved in this regard, season-to-season, game-to-game and even in-game. in terms of adaptability, remember the deep ball attack of kevin hogan in his first full year; the successful use of weapons like luck, hogan, mccaffery & love, then jj arcega-whiteside & others. these guys know & can scheme for any kind of gameplan and talent. 

i have previously been critical of carberry for various reasons but it looks to me like he did an a very good job this year with the offensive line.

I’m on board with your thinking.  Yes their are reasons to be concerned about the program from a recruiting and an injury perspective, and yes I too sometimes cringe at the play calling. But overall, the coaching team did a masterful job this year.

[martyup]

The offensive line play in this short season was so much better than last year.  I hope we can keep that up in years to come.

[martyup]

The offensive line play in this short season was so much better than last year.  I hope we can keep that up in years to come.

[SamuelMcF]

For what reasons were you previously critical of Carberry?

[SamuelMcF]

For what reasons were you previously critical of Carberry?

[Hulk01]

Tackles for loss allowed seems one good measurement of an offensive line's effectiveness.
Stanford ranked only behind Washington in the Pac 12 in this stat, 3.83 per game,
behind Washington (2.5) and a spot ahead of ASU (4.5).

That's our third-best mark of the Harbaugh/Shaw era, being our 3.15 in 2011 and 3.31 in 2009.
And it's a major improvement over the previous four seasons: 5.54, 5.21, 5.85, and 5.75.

[Hulk01]

Tackles for loss allowed seems one good measurement of an offensive line's effectiveness.
Stanford ranked only behind Washington in the Pac 12 in this stat, 3.83 per game,
behind Washington (2.5) and a spot ahead of ASU (4.5).

That's our third-best mark of the Harbaugh/Shaw era, being our 3.15 in 2011 and 3.31 in 2009.
And it's a major improvement over the previous four seasons: 5.54, 5.21, 5.85, and 5.75.

[lex24]

This, I think, was the first year under Carberry that the line stayed healthy.  And the off-season weight program obviously helped. They got push this year. The past couple, they were not moving anyone.  You can’t run if the d line is getting consistent penetration.  This year, that did not happen.  I doubt anything changed in coaching the line.  (Although, admittedly I do not know.) They  got bigger, stronger and healthier.  And they stayed together as a unit. 

I think we focus way too much on what position coaches do or do not do.  Fact is, I don’t think many of us have any knowledge on that topic.  Unless you are tied to the program.


Take QB development.  How many out there can say what Pritchard does or doesn’t do with the QB’s. Or how he compares to (take your pick).  And if you make that comparison, what is your basis?  

 I agree with Mutoo on the development of Mills.  He got better and better. Had he played in 30 games, he would have been the next great Stanford QB.  Alas, that did not happen.  But I don’t know if his development has to do with coaching or just a normal maturation process coupled with a QB that is a major talent. 

Another example is Akina.  He was widely considered as one of the nations better DB coaches when he came to Stanford. His first few years here, he was being showered with praise.  Now he gets blasted.  He didn’t forget how to coach.  The talent level dropped precipitously in the backfield.  And they get no pressure on the QB.  Which makes it worse. 

Coaches matter, of course. But it’s Jessie’s and Joes first and foremost.

[lex24]

This, I think, was the first year under Carberry that the line stayed healthy.  And the off-season weight program obviously helped. They got push this year. The past couple, they were not moving anyone.  You can’t run if the d line is getting consistent penetration.  This year, that did not happen.  I doubt anything changed in coaching the line.  (Although, admittedly I do not know.) They  got bigger, stronger and healthier.  And they stayed together as a unit. 

I think we focus way too much on what position coaches do or do not do.  Fact is, I don’t think many of us have any knowledge on that topic.  Unless you are tied to the program.


Take QB development.  How many out there can say what Pritchard does or doesn’t do with the QB’s. Or how he compares to (take your pick).  And if you make that comparison, what is your basis?  

 I agree with Mutoo on the development of Mills.  He got better and better. Had he played in 30 games, he would have been the next great Stanford QB.  Alas, that did not happen.  But I don’t know if his development has to do with coaching or just a normal maturation process coupled with a QB that is a major talent. 

Another example is Akina.  He was widely considered as one of the nations better DB coaches when he came to Stanford. His first few years here, he was being showered with praise.  Now he gets blasted.  He didn’t forget how to coach.  The talent level dropped precipitously in the backfield.  And they get no pressure on the QB.  Which makes it worse. 

Coaches matter, of course. But it’s Jessie’s and Joes first and foremost.