6 foot 5 Cam Newton
"Quarterback Cam Newton has had eight passes batted down by defensive linemen, three more than any other quarterback in the NFL this season.
. . . .
Coaches have been working with offensive linemen to keep the hands of defenders down for several weeks. You'd think that wouldn't be a problem with a 6-foot-5 quarterback.
But with teams aware of Newton's scrambling ability and focused on keeping him inside the pocket instead of aggressively flushing him out of the pocket, getting their hands up has become a weapon."
and Cam Newton with another team, the Patriots:
He had a few low passes, and the batted balls. So he fielded a question about Watt’s stat line.
“He’s J.J. Watt,” Newton said, laughing. “What do you expect?”
A reporter pointed out that Watt doesn’t usually get four batted passers per game.
Thought this was interesting, this is from when Mayfield was with the Panthers:
Still, on a per-pass level, Mayfield's 2.46 percent passes batted down mark is the second-highest rate in the league among the 30 quarterbacks that have attempted at least 1,000 passes since 2018. The only quarterback with a higher percentage over that span is 6'5" Cam Newton at 2.56 percent.
In terms of most passes batted down per game, Mayfield's 1.04 average is the fifth highest since 2018 behind Minnesota's Kirk Cousins (6'3"), Ryan and Arizona's Kyler Murray (5'10").
"It comes down to finding windows,'' Mayfield said. "I know how those guys are preparing in that building [in Cleveland], how they see the footwork they stop and get their hands up.
"It's also maybe being on the same page with our O-line. Getting their heads down, finding windows, because every once in a while things are going to happen and I'm going to have to find a lane.''
That was pretty much what coach Matt Rhule suggested had to happen before Sunday's game against the New York Giants.
"Our line had to do a great job of driving out, making sure the pocket is really a firm pocket,'' he said. "That's a huge challenge this week. Baker has to do a great job of sliding, finding windows when they're open.
"As the game went on we got more comfortable. One of them even happened on a naked [bootleg]. We feel really good about the direction Baker and the offensive line, that relationship they have in the pocket together is going. We just technically need to improve.''
Nice dig BC, it certainly sounds like a complex dynamic, and when you encounter better opposing defensive lines, or at least competent enough to be able to negate your own offensive lines “push” - it could explain some inconsistency.
And as you point out, it’s not entirely dependent on QB height, as Cousins is 6’ 3” and Newton is 6’ 5”…etc.,
It is interesting that it was diagnosed, and there was a plan, but that the plan could be effected by a more competent, opposing, d-line.
There’s a lot in there. It’s not ALL the explanation of inconsistency, but it would seem to be a factor.
Well done!
(Hey, did you see DalBuc posted in another thread?! I don’t think I’ve heard from Dal in several years? Good to hear from some of the old greats!)
Thought this was interesting, this is from when Mayfield was with the Panthers:
Some interesting reads for sure.
Again, as I said, multiple offensive lines and multiple schemes…yet…he still has the most batted passes since 2019.
At that point, it’s primarily on the QB.
Just another facet of the “Consistently Inconsistent” title.
Kind of reminds me of the Jaboo days. Lol.
Talk about FIRE…OL excuse in the batted balls discussion
Just an observation, maybe? It is LEGITIMATELY a reason for batted balls.
Here you can find a D-lineman talking about the OFFENSE LINEMAN and offense as a reason for batted balls.
https://steelersdepot.com/2021/11/keith-butler-on-the-secret-for-d-linemen-batting-down-passes/
He actually mentions something that Mayfield does a lot in his role -- QUICK RHYTHM PASSING - no mater which team. Literally what Canales said over and over, hit back foot and throw
Here is another D-linman saying its the QB's eyes (a point DH made, I think)
Everything posted here is NOT and "excuse." Tts NOT all "us versus them." Its not 'baker bros" versus "Trask Bros."
Not aiming it, but it does kinda infer that the o-line contributes to it.
It’s an issue, just not sure he’s lost games because of it…so how big of an issue is it?
This thread is a NOW pristine example of Biggs the Troll. It was a football discussion, but now it's about the posters. . . and Biggs is the turning point.
Three or four posters (some Mayfield fans, some critics) talking about some of Mayfield's weaknesses, the featured one being batted balls. It's a football discussion.
One of my last posts from that FOOTBALL discussion even highlights Mayfield's . . . INCONSISTENCY lol
I just saw a PFF snippet from early on his career that had him as BOTH the league leader in uncatchable balls and the league leader in perfect throws, so there is some of that inconsistency.
In comes Biggs to move from FOOTBALL to POSTERS:
Why is it so difficult for some to put blame on him?
ROFLMAO
That pattern exists in nearly every thread involving Biggs lmao.
Badabing is a "dope," and "some" cant put the blame on him . . right after posts calling him inconsistent. lol
Good, just try and deliver it more gently. And inch at a time, roasts are better slowly cooked…like a duck or sumthin🤣
Thought this was interesting, this is from when Mayfield was with the Panthers:
Some interesting reads for sure.
Again, as I said, multiple offensive lines and multiple schemes…yet…he still has the most batted passes since 2019.
At that point, it’s primarily on the QB.
Just another facet of the “Consistently Inconsistent” title.
Kind of reminds me of the Jaboo days. Lol.
Definitely primarily on the QB, but it reads like the offensive scheme too. Not an excuse, just an observation. Also an observation that Cam Newton took his team to a Super bowl and his batted ball rate was a fraction of a % behind Mayfield so the point is that not sure how much it matters, beyond frustration.
Yesterday this thread was discussing the deep ball:
"Mayfield finished with 7.1 passing yards per attempt. That’s third-best in Bucs history.
In the playoffs, Mayfield had — in two games — 8.9 passing yards per attempt, That’s a Bucs postseason record.
I saw that on JBF and one of the Joes addressed the common response:
"having Mike Evans helps. Guess what? Brady and Jameis also had Evans."
I think here the credit might go from some to Canales? Not sure.
not sure he’s lost games because of it…so how big of an issue is it?
Cam Newton was right behind him by a fraction of a percent. Newton took his team to the SB
Kind of reminds me of the Jaboo days. Lol.
Interesting point, although the two seem different in terms of their deficiencies. Anyway, with the caveat that we only have ONE Bucs season for Mayfield so far and that one season of Mayfield's is more like Winston's first or maybe second season with the Saints, in the sense that both were on redemption tours ie rocky early career performances, trying to turn things around, play against their past etc.
But in terms of comparison of the two as Bucs, I think Mayfield's production last season would be sort of like taking the GOOD pieces of Winston's best seasons (plural) and splicing them together, BUT LEAVING OUT THE BAD.
I say that because . .
Mayfield -- 64.3% 4044 yds 28TDs 10 interceptions with a 94.6 rating
Winston only threw for 64% completions or higher once (2018) and he beat the yardage a few times (more about the offense?), BUT to throw equal or more TDs (2016, 2019) he also threw MORE INTS (18 and 30, respectively) and he never had a rating of 94.6 or higher EXCEPT for his second year with the Saints, which, as I alluded to above, was sort of a partial year (2021) where he seemed to be trying to play within the offense for the first time (lol).
The open question on Mayfield as a Buc is how much of his statistical "inconsistency" last season was skewed by shaky early TEAM performances in a new offense. The entire team seemed to improve late, so which version of mayfield do we see in 2024? Does his variance tighten some or does he go the other direction WITHOUT Canales?
His style of play also leaves him open to injury, of course, a drop back QB would have trouble with the same thing, so some of it is the line play.
…then again, the o-line play leaves “clean pocket” QB’s open to injury as well - guys like Kirk Cousins need a really good o-line to function.
We needed a QB that could move outside of the pocket - as our o-line is undergoing some transition and was nowhere near the quality that was built for Brady. I think Baker can play the drop back game, he showed it some games, but as we faced better front 7’s Baker’s movement was able to keep the play alive. It’s why he is the best option as we re-build the line on the fly.
The development of the line will also help the run game, taking some additional pressure off of Baker.
Ideally, adding a couple of pieces on defense, should result in turnovers, or at least more 3 & outs, which will help it all work that much better.
We aren’t that far away.
The development of the line will also help the run game, taking some additional pressure off of Baker.
Ideally, adding a couple of pieces on defense, should result in turnovers, or at least more 3 & outs, which will help it all work that much better.
We aren’t that far away.
This ^^^
The norm these days is too much focus on the QB.
Damn two pages of quibbling between fellow buc brothers. Just keep it above the belt. Pease!!!💪🥰🙏
