Lots of rewatch threads but did mine tonight using this condensed version:
QE was gold in the 3rd quarter, put the game out of reach, and gave way to MM. No need to analyze that. Gold is gold.
The team had a few first half miscues that I chalk up to opening day nerves (or potentially a vanilla game plan for Rice). But I don’t see a single incorrect read by QE and only 2 throws he really wished he had back.
Don’t have time to create clips but here goes.
@1:07. First drive. 3rd and 3 (the play where the turf monster got him). Excellent pass protection. QEs first and second reads are to his right (field side). Worthy’s CB is giving him a 10 yd cushion and JWhitt is doubled by safety and LB. If QE takes an extra heartbeat to come to his left, AD is coming open on a post and so is Sanders on a flat. But instead QE tucks and runs.
Not a bad read by QE as the field side LB had dropped into coverage, but damn turf monster. Still it’s a teachable moment as he had +20yd play to AD there if he had just been patient and come back to his left.
Next play: 4th down. Pass was just too low. Play call and design we’re right. QE hits that 9 times out of 10.
@8:48 1st and 10. Deep ball to Worthy. Right read. QE has a stutter step before launching. Correctable. Defensive PI could’ve have been called. CB never got his head around and made contact well before ball arrived on replay. But in real-time it’s close.
@9:11 3rd and 9. On my first watch, I thought this was QE not trusting his protection (which was good), and bailing from the pocket to early and running into pressure. Maybe that’s still the case. But on rewatch Rice shows pressure pre-snap but then the LBs bail out and drop into coverage. The 4 man rush is picked up, but Sark’s play design has QE with a 5 step drop and all receivers +10yds downfield where they’re blanketed over the top by DBs and blanketed underneath by LBs. Perfect call by Rice and a zero yard scramble by QE is an acceptable play. At the time, the broadcast blamed the OL, and I blamed QE; but on rewatch it’s just damn good coverage and play call by Rice. There was nowhere for QE to go. A punt is better than an interception.
@12:45-13:12 The end of this drive is not on QE. 2nd and 8. Sark rolls pocket with a 1 man route. Rice has it covered. QE lives to fight another play. 3rd down. Right play call. Brooks with a drop.
@16:49 2nd and 13 after negative run play this is where JWhitt and Sanders collide. Lots to dissect here. 3 man rush is picked up. But 8 in coverage leaves few openings for QE. Initial read is field side (didn’t matter b/c both field and boundary are blanketed). LB on AD’s crossing route gives AD to field side coverage and rushes QE. Sanders’ hook is covered but QE extends the play long enough for Sanders to release (into JWhitt). QE with good reads and good play to almost make something out of nothing.
Next play 3rd and 18. Safe high throw by QE to preserve the FG.
@21:46 1st and 10. QE sacked. This is on the OL. 3 man rush with Brooks in to chip. Comm breakdown. Not sure why Banks released his man since no one was outside him. Not sure why Connor collapsed so far inside. Correctable.
@22:46. 1st and 10. Right read by QE and ok mechanics. But ball sails barely out of bounds on deep ball. This is one QE wants back.
@24:25. QE sacked. Rice shows a 3 man front, brings 4 and then a 5th on a delay. Hand off b/t CJ and DJ needs to be better. CJ adjusts outside to delayed blitzer and DJ fails to disengage off his double team with Majors. If QE senses blitz earlier and comes off his first read, Worthy comes open quickly on a combo route. That’s a tall ask of QE though. Not sure how many QBs turn that OL breakdown into a positive play.
That’s the first half in my view. I’m heartened by the fact that I don’t think QE ever made the wrong read. And he only had 2 throws that he’d probably want back (the deep ball to Worthy out of bounds and the low throw to Sanders on 4th down). And they were both very close.
After a rewatch, QE’s game is strong. He leads us to a win this weekend.
QE was gold in the 3rd quarter, put the game out of reach, and gave way to MM. No need to analyze that. Gold is gold.
The team had a few first half miscues that I chalk up to opening day nerves (or potentially a vanilla game plan for Rice). But I don’t see a single incorrect read by QE and only 2 throws he really wished he had back.
Don’t have time to create clips but here goes.
@1:07. First drive. 3rd and 3 (the play where the turf monster got him). Excellent pass protection. QEs first and second reads are to his right (field side). Worthy’s CB is giving him a 10 yd cushion and JWhitt is doubled by safety and LB. If QE takes an extra heartbeat to come to his left, AD is coming open on a post and so is Sanders on a flat. But instead QE tucks and runs.
Not a bad read by QE as the field side LB had dropped into coverage, but damn turf monster. Still it’s a teachable moment as he had +20yd play to AD there if he had just been patient and come back to his left.
Next play: 4th down. Pass was just too low. Play call and design we’re right. QE hits that 9 times out of 10.
@8:48 1st and 10. Deep ball to Worthy. Right read. QE has a stutter step before launching. Correctable. Defensive PI could’ve have been called. CB never got his head around and made contact well before ball arrived on replay. But in real-time it’s close.
@9:11 3rd and 9. On my first watch, I thought this was QE not trusting his protection (which was good), and bailing from the pocket to early and running into pressure. Maybe that’s still the case. But on rewatch Rice shows pressure pre-snap but then the LBs bail out and drop into coverage. The 4 man rush is picked up, but Sark’s play design has QE with a 5 step drop and all receivers +10yds downfield where they’re blanketed over the top by DBs and blanketed underneath by LBs. Perfect call by Rice and a zero yard scramble by QE is an acceptable play. At the time, the broadcast blamed the OL, and I blamed QE; but on rewatch it’s just damn good coverage and play call by Rice. There was nowhere for QE to go. A punt is better than an interception.
@12:45-13:12 The end of this drive is not on QE. 2nd and 8. Sark rolls pocket with a 1 man route. Rice has it covered. QE lives to fight another play. 3rd down. Right play call. Brooks with a drop.
@16:49 2nd and 13 after negative run play this is where JWhitt and Sanders collide. Lots to dissect here. 3 man rush is picked up. But 8 in coverage leaves few openings for QE. Initial read is field side (didn’t matter b/c both field and boundary are blanketed). LB on AD’s crossing route gives AD to field side coverage and rushes QE. Sanders’ hook is covered but QE extends the play long enough for Sanders to release (into JWhitt). QE with good reads and good play to almost make something out of nothing.
Next play 3rd and 18. Safe high throw by QE to preserve the FG.
@21:46 1st and 10. QE sacked. This is on the OL. 3 man rush with Brooks in to chip. Comm breakdown. Not sure why Banks released his man since no one was outside him. Not sure why Connor collapsed so far inside. Correctable.
@22:46. 1st and 10. Right read by QE and ok mechanics. But ball sails barely out of bounds on deep ball. This is one QE wants back.
@24:25. QE sacked. Rice shows a 3 man front, brings 4 and then a 5th on a delay. Hand off b/t CJ and DJ needs to be better. CJ adjusts outside to delayed blitzer and DJ fails to disengage off his double team with Majors. If QE senses blitz earlier and comes off his first read, Worthy comes open quickly on a combo route. That’s a tall ask of QE though. Not sure how many QBs turn that OL breakdown into a positive play.
That’s the first half in my view. I’m heartened by the fact that I don’t think QE ever made the wrong read. And he only had 2 throws that he’d probably want back (the deep ball to Worthy out of bounds and the low throw to Sanders on 4th down). And they were both very close.
After a rewatch, QE’s game is strong. He leads us to a win this weekend.
Last edited:
