scine09 Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 I am hoping that this doesn't turn into another Mariota vs Mettenberger debate. Anyways, I was meaning to post this for a few weeks. I know that Ken Whisenhunt said all the right things. I think that Whisenhunt legitimately did like Mariota. However, I think he liked the idea of having the tall drop back passer who is always in the pocket even more. His history suggests that. And after week 1, when he put some concepts that Mariota was familiar with into the game plan, he went back to the same old offense he'd been running forever. You could see the difference last week, when Mularkey and Michael let Mariota throw on the run a few times and also called a QB scramble for an easy 1st down. While I think Mariota is a much, much better pocket passer than I ever envisioned (I even made a thread after the Cleveland game with concerns about how well he'd hold up throwing it a lot), he still has unique skills that Whisenhunt absolutely refused to let him use. Mariota can hurt you throwing the ball squarely from the pocket and also can hurt you throwing on the run. I don't think Whisenhunt wanted Mariota to move at all outside of one or two designed calls a game. Like I said, Whisenhunt said all the right things the entire offseason and from what he said we'd all think that he was smitten with Mariota. I do not think that was the case. I think that Whisenhunt preferred either a trade down or probably Amari Cooper to help out Mettenberger. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the real reason that Whisenhunt was fired was because he was unhappy with the draft pick and there was friction between he and Webster and the ownership got involved. That'll likely never come out and could be completely false. But if Whisenhunt was not all in on Mariota then I guess it makes sense that he wouldn't be protecting him like someone would their biggest franchise asset. Of course he wasn't exactly protecting Mettenberger well either but that's another story. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
reo Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 Didn't they say Mariota was Webster? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10 A See Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 I'm still waiting for Whiz to comment on the termination. Kinda strange that he hasn't said anything publicly. I'm guessing something will come or sooner or later... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OILERMAN Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 1 minute ago, 10 A See said: I'm still waiting for Whiz to comment on the termination. Kinda strange that he hasn't said anything publicly. I'm guessing something will come or sooner or later... With his results there really isn't anything he can say Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
big2033 Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 I think he did want him and was open to him being a running QB only when things broke down. He wasn't going to scheme a lot of movement. I think he saw his release, accuracy and intelligence and saw that he could definitely be his QB. The scouts had been watching Mariota for a year. I think he figured his mobility would take care of having to scheme heavy movement early. But saw his ability to be a pocket passer anyway. I don't think Whiz thought Mett was the future. It's just that everyone thought it was smoke at the time. Whiz was pretty candid during the process, and was pretty candid about the QB when Arizona had an opportunity to draft one. Don Banks and Peter King came away convinced the Titans were going Mariota after a conversation with Whiz. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nash Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 $15 million can sure buy a lot of silence.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nine Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 All the talk leading up to the draft was about Whisenhunt being in love with Mariota, to the point where even the national media thought they were being a bit *too* obvious with it. I have no doubt that Whisenhunt loved Mariota as a prospect, and we're all seeing exactly why he fell in love with the kid. (Well....*most* of us, anyway.) Whisenhunt's problem is that his narrow view of offensive philosophy left very little room for variation...even it it meant ignoring one of Mariota's most obvious advantages. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschool Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 I'm sure Webster is telling everyone behind the scenes that he was the driving force behind Mariota. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Face Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 I agree with Scine & started to really get the same feeling after Wiz was canned. Like Reo mentioned above, "wasn't Mariota Webster's guy?" Yes, and we only found this out after Wiz was canned. Out of nowhere, Wyatt wrote that Webster was the main thrust behind picking Mariota. Why would he write that? What does it have to do with Wiz being fired? It just seemed odd. It also looked like Wiz did some Oregon spread stuff on Opening Day just to get it out of the way. Everybody was raving about how flexible he was but then you never saw it again, just his same offense. Yes, the main reason Wiz was fired was his record & refusal to protect Mariota. But I also think there may have been some friction there where the FO maybe felt Wiz wasn't embracing & protecting Mariota. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opus74 Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 As Hillary would say, "What difference does it make now?" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Face Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 1 minute ago, BergerKing said: Maybe someone should ask Wyatt why he'd write that Mariota was more of a Webster pick than a Webster + Whiz pick? I don't buy it. I think Whiz thought one of the most athletic QB's ever would improvise and move, and didn't realize (though he should've from film) that he doesn't move a bit-unless that's what's drawn up. I think he also thought he could fire it downfield. Again, the film said that's not really on the table. Don't think Whiz realized the kid's even more rigid than his own play calling. One glance at the film should've told him all he needed to know. If he wanted improvisation (or the appearance of it, as in week one) he needed to draw it up that way. The kid has no innate off script to himself. If he goes off script, things can get ugly fast. I think it's the opposite. I don't think Wiz really wanted him BECAUSE he thought he was an athletic, running type QB. He probably thought he was a typical, Johnny Manziel like spread QB. And then he gets him & everybody realizes "holy shit, this kid is a lot more Aaron Rodgers than Johnny Football". Nobody expected to see the things we are, effortlessly completing 3rd & longs, who would've thought he's the type of QB than could missle in a 3rd & 13 deep out against a shutdown QB like Ron Darby? Kids averaging 8 yards a throw. Just insane for a rook, and that's not even taking into account the poor supporting cast. The organization realized quickly that this is a once an every other decade talent, a truly special, special player that is going to put this team on the map until 2030, with a few Bowl wins probably sprinkled in along the way. And they certainly weren't going to let some ego monster HC whose only concern is his shitty "system" ruin that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 Link? Gif? Not seeing it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titans279 Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 2 hours ago, oldschool said: I'm sure Webster is telling everyone behind the scenes that he was the driving force behind Mariota. Funny how we're learning every good pick was all Webster and every bad pick, going all the way back through his employment with the Titans, was on the coaches! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titans279 Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 I actually think that the change in play calling happened in the Browns game after Mariota hurt his ankle. I went back and rewatched those first two games when Whiz was fired because a "week 1 ankle injury" was referenced in an article. Well, it was definitely not in week 1, it was in week 2. It was the play when Mariota rolled left, attempted to go back right, and lost his shoe. Then he got sandwiched between two Browns. To my eye, the play calling in the Browns game changed after that. Before it there were some designed QB runs, roll outs, and "Oregon" style plays built off the read option. After that it was all more traditional drop back passing. It could be that ankle injury was actually more damaging to Marcus's mobility than we realized. Even last week they had it taped up in practice. That would jive with Underwood saying that the coach needs to better protect the QB, even if it means holding him out of games. It also could be that Whiz just thought that Mariota was inherently less susceptible to injury in the pocket, so he dialed back the plays that put him on the run. That would makes sense. He sees Mariota get hurt on the type of plays he's philosophically opposed to and then decides they were a bad idea (his original inclination anyway). Mularkey disagrees with that, and I think he's largely right. I don't think most QB injures happen when they're running. Even with Locker it more often happened when he was in the pocket. "I've never had an issue with quarterbacks running," Mularkey said. "We had Kordell [Stewart] in Pittsburgh. I've always felt they could protect themselves better than they could standing in the pocket. So it wasn't really an issue for me. ... "At least they know where they are coming from and they can protect themselves." Regardless, I think the ankle injury vs. the Browns is something that we fans are not putting enough emphasis on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamlngEnvy Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 I was honestly thinking this too after the ownership fired him for not protecting him.seems ownership really really wanted mariota then we got reports of whiz and Webster *trying their hardest to love mariota cuz its what ownership wanted* well if it was that way, at least it looks like the ownership picked a good QB this time. didn't Washington pay Shanahan not to talk bout the franchise after he was fired for like a year or something. Same thing could of happened with whiz. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.