AS someone said, the QB gets too much credit-- for both wins and losses.
IMO, the numbers can be skewed because of the bad first two games. Take away those, and it is a more even ratio.
I give the man credit, because when SOB went down last year, he roghted the ship, made one helluva comeback, had some nice games, made some great plays. More than for just one game.
I mostly blame the run game (which is so bad as to make Simms horrible season look great, in comparison...remember, 585 yards in 3 games.) How much damage has the run game done to anyone this year? Go look at the numbers...I have, and they don't amount to much (worst in the league). They are horrible. Now wether that is Caddy, Pittman, or the O-lines fault, it has certainly impaired what happens to Simms. Instead of playing eight in the box, the defenses can sag, they can man up tighter, and assume the first line of defenders is enough to stuff the anemic run attempts. Whatever it is, it hurts the offense bad. It cuts them right down the middle, and it gets the DBs slobbering. The O-line protection is weak, at best. The reason why pass pro was even "marginal" in the ATL game was because they were playing behind, and forced to throw practically every down...so the blitzing stopped, and it became more even on the front lines.
As stated, his miscues were starting to correct themselves. He has been under soooo much duress, that how can he settle down, and get into a groove if every down he is being SMASHED into the turf? Tough he may be, but that doesn't mean he is playing with his eyes closed and his teeth gritted....he is trying not to get his ribs broke, or his spleen removed! (Too late).
Gruden may or may not have done enough. But he has made some bad decisions this year. The O-line is downright pathetic, Bush League garbage. The Caddy is stalling out.Â
Who would you rather have man this offense right now? Bruce? Or Simms?
I will take Simms based on the fact he is warming (was) warming up. Gradkowski spells D-o-o-m for the Bucs...
I dont know how you give Chris credit for righting a ship that was 5-1 when Griese went down.
You keep saying how bad the Oline was for him but in actuality they pass protected pretty well- their weakness was run blocking and springing holes for Caddy. Through three games Simms was sacked 4 times, hit 11 times , and hurried 15 times. He has had 106 att. Not bad when you actually look at how many att Chris has had. It's pretty much on par for what Simms faced last year and did pretty well with after his horrid 0-2 start. Maybe he is just a slow starter.
As for the running game the run blocking has been piss poor, but also we have had to go away from the run and passed more because we have been playing from behind in large part due to Simms turning the ball over and giving the other teams short fields in which to score early. I won't even start on the batted balls at the line. Thats Simms not reading his lanes, keying on a receiver instead of going through his reads, not moving in the pocket, and his low trajectory-- it was to the point other defenders have said the tape is out on Simms and we are told to stay and just put our arms up. And thats with plenty of coaching on it and a ten foot PVC dummy through all of camp. It was a huge problem.
I have looked at the run game numbers and they are piss poor but so are the number of attempts thanks to teams getting early leads in large part due to Simms turnovers and batted balls on makeable 3rd downs set up by the run. As many will tell you a running game has to get it's touches to finally wear down and break one. However we never had that luxury due to being down early and often and the deficiencies already mentioned.
If you read what I wrote I said Simms was still the best QB on the roster, hopefully that was a clue to who I would rather have starting.
Rookie QB's are never a good thing -- then again King was 4-1 as a rookie with a crap OL, but he could get out of the pocket and run for his life and had a defense that literally took the offense back in those days kicking and screaming to victory. But as I said Chris didn't get alot of help and he didn't help himself either.
54 att in 3 games in the running game is sad and alot has to do with turnovers setting up early scores for the opposition anbd playing from behind.
Chris did do well in the Carolina gm other than giving up a pick on the first throw from scrimmage that led to points going the other way and handicapping the run game due to playing from behind yet running game scored twice and we attempted alot more. May be a trend that and the fact Chris only threw one turnover. He was hit more in the Carolina game than any other game yet played his best with busted ribs and a spleen injury---Thats a F'ed up trend.
ATL game he put up big yards and made stupid plays in the redzone time and time again while the defense and ST's held ATL to 14pts. He was hit the least in this game and as you said barely a pass rush but yet the turnovers didn't stop.
Baltimore game he just plain looked awful.
And all this means is Simms played crappy early and came on late. But the truth of the matter was he did not get much help from the run game but he didn't help himself either when there were plays to be made.
