[Husker] Taylor Martinez on the field

[Aaron Wolfson]

I think we're all very emotional about Martinez, for various reasons. But
it's possible with some effort to take a step back and look at how he's
performing on the field. Save any off-the-field stuff for another thread; I
want to discuss how Taylor's progressed thus far in his career, and where we
think he might go from here.

First of all, for any athlete in any sport, there will be things he or she
can be taught, and things he or she can simply do. It's talent vs.
technique. I think when discussing Taylor it's important to keep this
distinction in mind.

So let's start with the positives:

TALENT: Amazing straight-line runner; arm strength to make most (85%?) of
the throws; confidence/arrogance to play QB
TECHNIQUE: reading the mesh point on the zone-read; hitting mid-range passes
(10-15 yards) from the pocket with no pressure; running the speed option

We know about Taylor's speed, but I think we underestimate it; when the
offensive line opens a hole for him, he's going to get 10-15 yards minimum.
That threat alone dictates a major chuck on the defense's gameplan. He's
also good at running the zone read, and getting better about making reads on
the option. He has a good, strong arm, and opposing secondaries must at
least respect his willingness to throw deep.

Negatives:

TALENT: Lack of agility; absent-mindedness about ball security;
TECHNIQUE: Passing footwork under pressure; accuracy under pressure and on
deep throws; checking down/secondary reads; running the triple option
(spacing and pitching)

I've never seen anyone who was so fast and had so little agility. I'm not
sure I've seen Taylor break a tackle since he's been a Husker. This to me is
the biggest issue with his future as a QB, because it's nothing really
something that he can improve with coaching. Yet, realistically, this is a
skill that very few QBs have (think Rob Griffin, Mike Vick, Tyrod Taylor). I
listed ball security under talent only because some players seem to have a
natural ability to hang onto the ball (see: Burkhead, Rex), although it's
been shown that ballcarriers can get better at this. There are indications
Taylor is working on ball security, particularly with sliding, although he
still tends to carry the ball out in front of his body.

The rest of the negatives on this list are things that can be coached.
Footwork and accuracy are obviously two sides of the same coin, and are
difficult to improve. The good news is that Taylor need not be asked to
throw on the run too often, and this negative can be mitigated. Even better
news is that Taylor has shown progress with checkdowns, something I expect
we'll continue to see. And running the option is notoriously complex;
Taylor's pitching is poor, and Beck seems to have shelved this for the most
part.

--------------------

Can we win a conference title with a QB who is a huge threat running the
ball, hits 1/3 to 1/2 of his deep throws (especially if Beck gives him
run/pass options and designed rollouts), hits an average percentage of his
underneath throws, checks down to Burkhead 5 times a game, and maybe run a
passable option? Yes, I think so, if the offense is designed well around
him. It seems to me the main thing you need alongside a QB like Martinez is
a stable of talented running backs, so that defenses can't key on Martinez
in the run game, and an excellent O-line.

Thoughts? If you disagree with me, is it because you think such an offense
isn't explosive enough, or because you don't think Martinez can do those
things I mentioned?


Aaron