The Heaps Reclamation Project

[byu71]

Level of competition is different my friend. The last half of last year's season was full of easy competition. These paper tigers made our boy overconfident enough that he didn't see the need to improve in the offseason. Fast forward to this year and he is looking bad. I think all of us know he will look significantly better the next few games because they are all crappers. However beating up on lousy teams isn't necessarily going to fix what ails him. His problems right now are deep.

An interesting question that can't really be answered is where would we be if we started Nelson this year against that better competition?

[Hsaru]

Level of competition is different my friend. The last half of last year's season was full of easy competition. These paper tigers made our boy overconfident enough that he didn't see the need to improve in the offseason. Fast forward to this year and he is looking bad. I think all of us know he will look significantly better the next few games because they are all crappers. However beating up on lousy teams isn't necessarily going to fix what ails him. His problems right now are deep.

You honestly think that it has nothing to do with a new offensive system, Heaps looks very uncomfortable out there in this pro-style drop back precision based system. There were a lot more easy throws last year with Anae, there was a lot more consistency in playcalling.

Of course when Riley comes in, Doman just goes hog wild with the no-huddle running qb spread system that he can call plays for in his sleep.

[Hsaru]

An interesting question that can't really be answered is where would we be if we started Nelson this year against that better competition?

Didn't things work out perfectly for Nelson? Stomp the bad teams, get stomped by TCU, everyone gives you a pass for that and ride off into the sunset in the Armed Forces Bowl.

[TripletDaddy]

Another angle that hasn't been discussed much, but since this is a fun topic tonight, indulge a little conspiracy theory por favor.

Bronco is in a tough spot. If he starts Riley and Riley fails over the next game or two (but especially against SJSU) then what happens? Bronco has no fallback position without losing everyone...the team, the fans, and the media. bronco will look foolish by reverting back to this QB carousel that was denounced in the media last season. One year later and still no idea who the QB is supposed to be, who the team leader is supposed to be By keeping Heaps at the helm, he can always bring in Riley as a situational guy and Bronco and Heaps take most of the flack together, for better or worse. If he puts Riley in and it doesn't work, Bronco is up a creek and will have basically played all his cards.

I guess conspiracy is not the right word, but as a fan, I can't be the only one wondering whether we are screwed at QB for this year and next if Jake can't pull his head out.

People often wondered why Pete didn't give Aaron Corp much of a shot at SC. When Corp finally got his chance due to an injury, he started on the road against the Dawgs. And proceeded to look awful in the process. Sometimes head coaches keep certain players in despite what would seem to be an obvious need for change because the head coach understands that the player behind the starter isn't good. Corp wasn't good. I'm not saying Riley isn't good, necessarily, but trying to look at it from Broncos angle. Could it be that Bronco sees Riley much as some of us...a good kid with heart and hustle, but a liability despite a great job on Friday?

[Blueintheface]

Level of competition is different my friend. The last half of last year's season was full of easy competition. These paper tigers made our boy overconfident enough that he didn't see the need to improve in the offseason. Fast forward to this year and he is looking bad. I think all of us know he will look significantly better the next few games because they are all crappers. However beating up on lousy teams isn't necessarily going to fix what ails him. His problems right now are deep.

Riley Jensen of USU fame made a comment about Jake on local radio in August that I originally bristled at. He said Jake couldn't make the automatic throws, the ones coaches generally don't need to work on a qb with, ie short to intermediate, three step drop, screen passes, etc. I think he was dead on.

[Shaka]

You honestly think that it has nothing to do with a new offensive system, Heaps looks very uncomfortable out there in this pro-style drop back precision based system. There were a lot more easy throws last year with Anae, there was a lot more consistency in playcalling.

Of course when Riley comes in, Doman just goes hog wild with the no-huddle running qb spread system that he can call plays for in his sleep.

Ummm, the system got changed for all the quarterbacks. It's even worse for Riley because he has to run the same thing as everyone else this year.

Also the type of offense ran had a lot to do with with the score and time on the clock.

[byu71]

Another angle that hasn't been discussed much, but since this is a fun topic tonight, indulge a little conspiracy theory por favor.

Bronco is in a tough spot. If he starts Riley and Riley fails over the next game or two (but especially against SJSU) then what happens? Bronco has no fallback position without losing everyone...the team, the fans, and the media. bronco will look foolish by reverting back to this QB carousel that was denounced in the media last season. One year later and still no idea who the QB is supposed to be, who the team leader is supposed to be By keeping Heaps at the helm, he can always bring in Riley as a situational guy and Bronco and Heaps take most of the flack together, for better or worse. If he puts Riley in and it doesn't work, Bronco is up a creek and will have basically played all his cards.

I guess conspiracy is not the right word, but as a fan, I can't be the only one wondering whether we are screwed at QB for this year and next if Jake can't pull his head out.

People often wondered why Pete didn't give Aaron Corp much of a shot at SC. When Corp finally got his chance due to an injury, he started on the road against the Dawgs. And proceeded to look awful in the process. Sometimes head coaches keep certain players in despite what would seem to be an obvious need for change because the head coach understands that the player behind the starter isn't good. Corp wasn't good. I'm not saying Riley isn't good, necessarily, but trying to look at it from Broncos angle. Could it be that Bronco sees Riley much as some of us...a good kid with heart and hustle, but a liability despite a great job on Friday?

Bronco's problem is he has used up all his good will as the "greatest coach since sliced bread". Chastizing fans, fifth priority, they recruit us, all that stuff just falls on deaf ears now. Even the truest of the "true" fans aren't claiming he is a better coach than Whitt.

IN a way this is good. Our head coach is now in a position where he has to focus on football.

[Shaka]

Riley Jensen of USU fame made a comment about Jake on local radio in August that I originally bristled at. He said Jake couldn't make the automatic throws, the ones coaches generally don't need to work on a qb with, ie short to intermediate, three step drop, screen passes, etc. I think he was dead on.

He's totally right. I've said it before but Jake is struggling with the throws that are the football equivalent to a free throw.

[GrizzledVeteran]

Bronco's low rep/low injury practice model has been counterproductive. With a new OC, a young QB, freshmen and sophomore WRs and TEs, they should have been running 80 play scrimmages, not 30 or 40. They shouldn't have cut fall camp short. And so forth.

We keep hearing reports about how they've had to simplify this or simply that midseason. Why? Because they refused to put in the practice reps for the players to learn it.

Want Jake to play more from under center? Give him more reps. Want to better evaluate how Jake can make post-snap reads against something other than a vanilla fall camp defense? Give him more reps and actually throw defenses that resemble something an opposing coach would actually gameplan with.

The coaches screwed the pooch.

[Green Monstah]

I agree GV. when you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.

[Blueintheface]

Bronco's low rep/low injury practice model has been counterproductive. With a new OC, a young QB, freshmen and sophomore WRs and TEs, they should have been running 80 play scrimmages, not 30 or 40. They shouldn't have cut fall camp short. And so forth.

We keep hearing reports about how they've had to simplify this or simply that midseason. Why? Because they refused to put in the practice reps for the players to learn it.

Want Jake to play more from under center? Give him more reps. Want to better evaluate how Jake can make post-snap reads against something other than a vanilla fall camp defense? Give him more reps and actually throw defenses that resemble something an opposing coach would actually gameplan with.

The coaches screwed the pooch.

I've never understood Bronco's model but I think enough of a sample size exists to give us a pretty good idea; best the tesms you are supposed to beat but don't beat the bigger schools. That's what happens when you remove emotion from the game.

[MarkGrace]

Here is where the coaches start earning their salary. Given the current personnel, the only way we are going to be successful over the 1.5 to 2.5 seasons is for them to rehabilitate Jake.

Agreed. I'm watching some Riley stuff back right now and he's just not terribly impressive. It was fun and exciting and all, but didn't real do anything to change my impression of what he is as a QB (though he is definitely throwing the ball a bit better this year, so that is something). I'm on board with him starting next week and all and think he's earned it, but I just don't see anything more than stop-gap out of him. Though I think that pretty much seems to be the consensus and entire point of this thread.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Another angle that hasn't been discussed much, but since this is a fun topic tonight, indulge a little conspiracy theory por favor.

Bronco is in a tough spot. If he starts Riley and Riley fails over the next game or two (but especially against SJSU) then what happens? Bronco has no fallback position without losing everyone...the team, the fans, and the media. bronco will look foolish by reverting back to this QB carousel that was denounced in the media last season. One year later and still no idea who the QB is supposed to be, who the team leader is supposed to be By keeping Heaps at the helm, he can always bring in Riley as a situational guy and Bronco and Heaps take most of the flack together, for better or worse. If he puts Riley in and it doesn't work, Bronco is up a creek and will have basically played all his cards.

He is in a tough spot either way. If he immediately sends Riley back to then bench and Jake continues to stink it up and we lose to some awful teams, then what? You pull Riley again and he plays OK, but with some fire and emotion, it would be tough to ever go back to Jake.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Must be nice to not have to worry about this as you can just fall back on your other favorite team, Texas.

Come on. You were the one trying to convince us that this whole mess was a result of "3-4 dropped passes".

But speaking of Texas, there are some similarities. Garrett Gilbert was the top-rated passer in the nation coming out of HS. Tons of hype, just like Heaps. After a little over a year, the coaches got tired of him choking time and time again (not to mention poor leadership) and pulled the trigger.

Check out his replacement. Either of these plays look familiar? (sorry for the poor video quality)

[YOUTUBE]pXPDVS3U1lE[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]t5dd-QSpd84[/YOUTUBE]

[Jeff Lebowski]

Here is where the coaches start earning their salary. Given the current personnel, the only way we are going to be successful over the 1.5 to 2.5 seasons is for them to rehabilitate Jake.

The other alternative to hand the reigns to a QB that has no prayer of being a successful passer who will get chewed up and spit out by the likes of Boise, Utah, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame on the road next year.

We have neither the RBs, OL or the defense to completely eschew the pass game. You can either have a spunky QB that fans and teammates like who can't throw his way through a wet paper bag and BYU is staring at 6-6 in the face, or you coach your butts off with an extremely talented QB to get his head right and give yourself at least a chance of winning in the long term.

If 2011 means that much to you, then go ahead and mortgage your future for the Armed Forces Bowl or whatever the hell it is this year. No one at ESPN is really going to care at this point because there are no more marquis matchups until 2012 as TCU has their own issues and we are serving as programming filler for late Friday nights going up against the likes of Nick at Nite, Conan and Spike TV's 2,749th rebroadcast of the Star Wars Trilogy.

That's a tad hyperbolic for my tastes, Indy, but your main points are correct.

Here is my question for you (and everyone else): At what point do you give up on Heaps? Outline for me what type of performance would earn him a long-term spot on the bench. Tough for me to imagine him playing worse than he has, but perhaps you could enlighten me.