Is Tanner Morgan a game-changer or game-manager?

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think Morgan had a little case of the 'yips' last year. He doesn't run well ( or isn't allowed to run), so he needs a clean pocket to be successful. and last year, with injuries and opt-outs, the OL was not as solid as it was in 2019. I think that affected Morgan - the clock in his head was a little off, because he was not getting the time he was accustomed to, and that in turn may have lead to some forced throws or rushed decisions.

If the OL gives Morgan that extra bit of time to set up and make reads, I think he will bounce back and look more like the 2019 version. Then, it's up to the WR's to get open and catch the ball.

Doubling as a tackling dummy in the first quarter of the first game didn’t help set the tone of the season. Clicking, the offense wasn’t.


 

Doubling as a tackling dummy in the first quarter of the first game didn’t help set the tone of the season. Clicking, the offense wasn’t.


This is the sole play I believe derailed him for the season. While he didn't lose confidence per se, I think it caused some extra hesitation that wasn't there in 2019. Among the other things like missing folks on the OL, not having an off season to adjust to the new OC, etc.
 

^^^ we made Don Brown look like a genius, at times in that game.

Don't know if that play was just a plain ol MA by Mo, a poorly designed scheme by Sanford, a case where Tanner should've audibled out of the call or sent it the other direction, and/or a case where Brown simply "guessed right" and we were screwed.
 

Certainly from the stands in Tampa it seemed like after tieing it 10-10 that the offense was going to do what it needed to do, starting with the QB.

Expectations on Tanner for 2021 are going to be higher for sure.
 

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think Morgan had a little case of the 'yips' last year. He doesn't run well ( or isn't allowed to run), so he needs a clean pocket to be successful. and last year, with injuries and opt-outs, the OL was not as solid as it was in 2019. I think that affected Morgan - the clock in his head was a little off, because he was not getting the time he was accustomed to, and that in turn may have lead to some forced throws or rushed decisions.

If the OL gives Morgan that extra bit of time to set up and make reads, I think he will bounce back and look more like the 2019 version. Then, it's up to the WR's to get open and catch the ball.
So he is an immobile Leidner?
 



This is the sole play I believe derailed him for the season. While he didn't lose confidence per se, I think it caused some extra hesitation that wasn't there in 2019. Among the other things like missing folks on the OL, not having an off season to adjust to the new OC, etc.
The problem is if Morgan will still be standing after the OSU game?

If he takes too many big hits...
 





So he is an immobile Leidner?

No - Morgan is a better passer than Leidner - with much better touch on short and intermediate throws. But if Leidner got in trouble, he could tuck and run to avoid a sack.

Morgan either cannot run - or the coaches will not let him run. either way, it eliminates the run as an option, so Morgan has to be smart as far as throwing the ball away or going to a check-down to avoid a sack.

And, as I tried to say in my post, Morgan definitely seems like a rhythm passer. I just get the feeling that he's got a clock in his head, and he needs a certain amount of time to set up and make reads. If he doesn't get that time, it gets him out of his rhythm and he has a harder time improvising as opposed to a guy like Leidner who could just say "bleep it" and try to run the LB over.
 

No - Morgan is a better passer than Leidner - with much better touch on short and intermediate throws. But if Leidner got in trouble, he could tuck and run to avoid a sack.

Morgan either cannot run - or the coaches will not let him run. either way, it eliminates the run as an option, so Morgan has to be smart as far as throwing the ball away or going to a check-down to avoid a sack.

And, as I tried to say in my post, Morgan definitely seems like a rhythm passer. I just get the feeling that he's got a clock in his head, and he needs a certain amount of time to set up and make reads. If he doesn't get that time, it gets him out of his rhythm and he has a harder time improvising as opposed to a guy like Leidner who could just say "bleep it" and try to run the LB over.

..."as opposed to a guy like Leidner who could just say "bleep it" and try to run the LB over."

...and that he did many, many times...
 

No - Morgan is a better passer than Leidner - with much better touch on short and intermediate throws. But if Leidner got in trouble, he could tuck and run to avoid a sack.

Morgan either cannot run - or the coaches will not let him run. either way, it eliminates the run as an option, so Morgan has to be smart as far as throwing the ball away or going to a check-down to avoid a sack.

And, as I tried to say in my post, Morgan definitely seems like a rhythm passer. I just get the feeling that he's got a clock in his head, and he needs a certain amount of time to set up and make reads. If he doesn't get that time, it gets him out of his rhythm and he has a harder time improvising as opposed to a guy like Leidner who could just say "bleep it" and try to run the LB over.
I remember seeing Annexstad tuck and run a few times during the Spring game, so I really wonder which it is. It could be Annexstad can run it well and that's why we saw it in the spring game, or it is in the playbook but for rare situations and since the spring game was touch for the QBs, they let them run it more.
 

Morgan doesn't have to "win" games this season, just avoid "losing " games with bad decisions, imo.
 






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