Since things are slow around here I thought it might be of interest to discuss Shaw's comments in a recent interview on the QB competition.
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Discussing the current QB competition at Stanford:
Shaw: "The most important thing for me is diffusing whatever tension may be there. Whether it's between the two guys that's a bad thing or the tension amongst the football team because that's the most important position in team sports, a quarterback, and it's not it's not settled. So the big thing is for them to realize that the best thing they can do is do their jobs at a high level because no matter who plays and how much they play and who starts, they're still going to be a first-time starter. We need to make this thing easier for them, not harder on him. The receivers got to play better, and Michael Rector going to have his best year. The offensive line has to play the best they can play. It's more pressure on Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love and our guys that carry the ball. More pressure on the defense take care of the young quarterback that may make a mistake or two - not to tear them down but as part of his growing process. Now, the whole team has to have that quarterback's back, as opposed to the whole team looking at the quarterback saying ‘lead us.' We're not going to do that to a first-time starter. It's getting the whole team to realize where we are. These guys are going to work extremely hard and put their best foot forward. If we choose a starter in training camp, that's great. If we take the competition end of the season, great. But the bottom line is for the rest of the team around those guys to play their best and make sure that we make that position as easy as possible for whoever steps into place."
I've commented previously that I wasn't happy with our QB coaching, particularly in 2012, in part because we appeared to expect too much from the QB. Whether or not we've done that in the past, it could be that we recognize the problem and will try to avoid making that mistake in the future. I count that as a very good thing.
Likewise, I'm pleased to hear that Shaw will try to diffuse whatever tension is there. I've worried that we have mistakenly failed to pick a starter (because I think you need the #1 guy to get as many reps as possible so that not only can he become comfortable in the position but the other 10 guys can get comfortable with him, as well) because we were into the old "iron sharpens iron" thing. My take is that you need to focus on what you can do, your strengths and weaknesses rather than thinking about someone else's situation, which you have no control over.
As a result, I'm upbeat about our QB situation, which, along with the OL, is critical to whether we're just OK next year or really good.
"
Discussing the current QB competition at Stanford:
Shaw: "The most important thing for me is diffusing whatever tension may be there. Whether it's between the two guys that's a bad thing or the tension amongst the football team because that's the most important position in team sports, a quarterback, and it's not it's not settled. So the big thing is for them to realize that the best thing they can do is do their jobs at a high level because no matter who plays and how much they play and who starts, they're still going to be a first-time starter. We need to make this thing easier for them, not harder on him. The receivers got to play better, and Michael Rector going to have his best year. The offensive line has to play the best they can play. It's more pressure on Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love and our guys that carry the ball. More pressure on the defense take care of the young quarterback that may make a mistake or two - not to tear them down but as part of his growing process. Now, the whole team has to have that quarterback's back, as opposed to the whole team looking at the quarterback saying ‘lead us.' We're not going to do that to a first-time starter. It's getting the whole team to realize where we are. These guys are going to work extremely hard and put their best foot forward. If we choose a starter in training camp, that's great. If we take the competition end of the season, great. But the bottom line is for the rest of the team around those guys to play their best and make sure that we make that position as easy as possible for whoever steps into place."
I've commented previously that I wasn't happy with our QB coaching, particularly in 2012, in part because we appeared to expect too much from the QB. Whether or not we've done that in the past, it could be that we recognize the problem and will try to avoid making that mistake in the future. I count that as a very good thing.
Likewise, I'm pleased to hear that Shaw will try to diffuse whatever tension is there. I've worried that we have mistakenly failed to pick a starter (because I think you need the #1 guy to get as many reps as possible so that not only can he become comfortable in the position but the other 10 guys can get comfortable with him, as well) because we were into the old "iron sharpens iron" thing. My take is that you need to focus on what you can do, your strengths and weaknesses rather than thinking about someone else's situation, which you have no control over.
As a result, I'm upbeat about our QB situation, which, along with the OL, is critical to whether we're just OK next year or really good.
