OC Apology Tour

I want you all to apologize to Matt LaFluer. Mariota was close to the top of the league in completion percentage with a similar YPA working with a depleted receiving unit and issues on the line himself. He couldn't grip a football, Blaine Gabbert played far more than he ever should, yet we were 14th in 3rd down percentage. He generated more points with Gabbert ,tackles off of the street, and Taywan Taylor as his 2nd best receiving option vs Watt and that D line than we did yesterday.

There are issues with the line. But I think that Smith is clearly in over his head here. You can't build an offense based on what Mariota says that he is comfortable with, you build it based on tape study and seeing what he can't do. Game planning goes the same for the OL or whatever issues you'll have in the upcoming matchup. I like him and think that he could be good, but I think that we were too ambitious and confident that a flexible OC and improved skill players would be the answer to the offensive woes.

Terry Robiskie was no good, but at least he wasn't bashful about his play selection. And they could keep Mariota upright. I'd rather see stuffed runs than sacked QBs who are too rattled to hit open receivers. No matter what your personal opinions of our previous OCs are, I think that you can admit that they weren't the issue .

 

Given what LaFluer had to work with, he did a good job. Robiskie was just the beneficiary of Mariota's anomaly season in which he was good.

 

If you watch the highlights from that season, Mariota was threading the needle in a way that he hasn't in years and was borderline unstoppable in the red zone. He lost any confidence to make throws like that now, or defenses have figured him out

 

If we could pass, we would. There is no trust in Mariota to do so.