[doug]

I would add a 4th possible conclusion to Yvonne's list: Shaw's instinct is to be overly controlling. Combined with Yvonne's no. 2 (Shaw won't back down from an initial decision), this is the one that most concerns me. What I have seen from Shaw is a consistent pattern of valuing cautious, don't-make-mistakes play over play-making ability. That is the NFL approach (which is Shaw's background) and is fine for the NFL because almost everyone who makes it there is a play-maker, but it doesn't work in college. Play-makers often deviate from the script which is often why they make plays. Shaw appears to me to undervalue play-making ability in favor of a cautious, don't-make-mistakes approach.

Whether this theory has validity is speculation on my part, but it would explain many things I find frustrating: Shaw's stated criteria for choosing JN over Nottingham (JN lets me sleep at night); his decisions at the end of the Fiesta Bowl; the lack of confidence JN exhibits until the handcuffs Shaw has put on the offense are taken off (2nd half vs. Arizona, last drive of 1st half vs. ND); JN's painfully slow decision-making; the drive-killing (and soul-killing) delay of game penalties; his stubbornness and lack of imagination in play-calling (OT vs. ND being just the latest example); his defensiveness when questioned much less criticized (his "asinine" comment upon being questioned about even the possibility of considering a QB change); and probably others I can't think of right now.

But remember how Shaw has effusively praised some players (Kelsey Young is a prime example) but we have yet to see anything from them? KY has had 3 touches of the ball, and each were outstanding: critical 1st down vs. USC on final clock-eating drive; critical 55-yard TD run vs. UA (without which we probably don't win); and a 12-yard catch and run vs. ND that might have been his best play of all -- the ball was thrown low and behind him (another of JN's poor short throws) but he caught it, slipped an immediate tackle and finished the play by running through 2 tacklers. KY with very few opportunities has shown play-making ability we are sorely missing, yet half way through the season he has gotten on 3-4 opportunities. My guess is that the reason is Shaw is not yet satisfied that KY has been sufficiently programmed re mistakes and Shaw is willing to forego KY's play-making ability until KY has satisfied Shaw's "he lets me sleep at night" criteria.

I hope I am wrong about this. I want to be wrong about this. But it explains too much of what I see. I am interested what others on the board think.

[doug]

I would add a 4th possible conclusion to Yvonne's list: Shaw's instinct is to be overly controlling. Combined with Yvonne's no. 2 (Shaw won't back down from an initial decision), this is the one that most concerns me. What I have seen from Shaw is a consistent pattern of valuing cautious, don't-make-mistakes play over play-making ability. That is the NFL approach (which is Shaw's background) and is fine for the NFL because almost everyone who makes it there is a play-maker, but it doesn't work in college. Play-makers often deviate from the script which is often why they make plays. Shaw appears to me to undervalue play-making ability in favor of a cautious, don't-make-mistakes approach.

Whether this theory has validity is speculation on my part, but it would explain many things I find frustrating: Shaw's stated criteria for choosing JN over Nottingham (JN lets me sleep at night); his decisions at the end of the Fiesta Bowl; the lack of confidence JN exhibits until the handcuffs Shaw has put on the offense are taken off (2nd half vs. Arizona, last drive of 1st half vs. ND); JN's painfully slow decision-making; the drive-killing (and soul-killing) delay of game penalties; his stubbornness and lack of imagination in play-calling (OT vs. ND being just the latest example); his defensiveness when questioned much less criticized (his "asinine" comment upon being questioned about even the possibility of considering a QB change); and probably others I can't think of right now.

But remember how Shaw has effusively praised some players (Kelsey Young is a prime example) but we have yet to see anything from them? KY has had 3 touches of the ball, and each were outstanding: critical 1st down vs. USC on final clock-eating drive; critical 55-yard TD run vs. UA (without which we probably don't win); and a 12-yard catch and run vs. ND that might have been his best play of all -- the ball was thrown low and behind him (another of JN's poor short throws) but he caught it, slipped an immediate tackle and finished the play by running through 2 tacklers. KY with very few opportunities has shown play-making ability we are sorely missing, yet half way through the season he has gotten on 3-4 opportunities. My guess is that the reason is Shaw is not yet satisfied that KY has been sufficiently programmed re mistakes and Shaw is willing to forego KY's play-making ability until KY has satisfied Shaw's "he lets me sleep at night" criteria.

I hope I am wrong about this. I want to be wrong about this. But it explains too much of what I see. I am interested what others on the board think.