***Bench WEBER, Start GRAY...Who's With Me???***

[thailleagle]

I hope he doesn't start one game this year for the mere fact that our OL is so bad. I'd rather let him keep whatever confidence he has right now instead of feeding him to OSU and PSU which would be all over him. Weber doesn't even have time to throw the ball away. One second was all it took and he was cornered in the pocket. Plus, why would you want him to throw it away at the end of the game? He had to try to make a play.

So you like his dancing around in circles just to take 10 yard sacks instead of throwing it away?

Be honest........

 

[WAGopher]

I think the Gophers' problems run far deeper than a soft offensive line.

I didn't say the O line is our team's only problem. But as a unit, they need the most help.

 

[cwilson21]

So you like his dancing around in circles just to take 10 yard sacks instead of throwing it away?

Be honest........

One play. That was the only play where he could've and should've thrown the ball away without getting an IG call. The other times he was suffocated in the pocket which means IG would've been called if he threw it away. The OL is made of paper.

 

[thailleagle]

One play. That was the only play where he could've and should've thrown the ball away without getting an IG call. The other times he was suffocated in the pocket which means IG would've been called if he threw it away. The OL is made of paper.

But my point is we've been seeing this for 3 years it's time for a change...My fear is a pattern. What if Weber bombs the rest of the season? Then we finally start Gray next season and have to take him a season to get him used to the team? So now we're looking at 2 possible losing seasons which doesn't look good for Brewster. I say work on the future *NOW* and have Gray READY for next season.......

At least let him play against Purdue for a quarter or 2 the same way Tressell let Pryor play against *US* last year.......

Weber is gonna be the reason people will be calling for Brewsters head, quote me on it.......

 

[cwilson21]

But my point is we've been seeing this for 3 years it's time for a change...My fear is a pattern. What if Weber bombs the rest of the season? Then we finally start Gray next season and have to take him a season to get him used to the team? So now we're looking at 2 possible losing seasons which doesn't look good for Brewster. I say work on the future *NOW* and have Gray READY for next season.......

At least let him play against Purdue for a quarter or 2 the same way Tressell let Pryor play against *US* last year.......

Weber is gonna be the reason people will be calling for Brewsters head, quote me on it.......

Weber isn't the greatest QB in the world but playing behind the worst line in the Big 10 doesn't help at all. Gray should be more involved in the offense but I doubt he's a better passer than Weber. There's a reason for him not throwing a pass yet. If Brewster is fired, the OL better be the reason.

 

[thailleagle]

Weber isn't the greatest QB in the world but playing behind the worst line in the Big 10 doesn't help at all. Gray should be more involved in the offense but I doubt he's a better passer than Weber. There's a reason for him not throwing a pass yet. If Brewster is fired, the OL better be the reason.

I like Brewster, I think we *NEED* Brewster here but I just feel his faith in Weber is going to come back to bite him in the ass eventually.......

 

[The Big L]

I don't want to hear it about the O-line. Sure they didn't play well, especially at the end. But there were quite a few times where Weber had all day, and usually had a guy open, but made a poor throw. He had Decker on a post and made a bad throw, Decker had to change directions. He had Decker for a TD near the end of the game, but underthrew the ball, which Decker did end up catching for a big gain. He had Decker on a corner if he threw it to the back corner of the end zone, but threw it short. He had Stottimire on a out for a first down but threw it short. None of these were under pressure. And this doesn't count poor decisions and not checking down.

Gray hasn't throw a pass so far, so Weber might be our best option, but I'm partial to Gray. Get him experience so he can do well in a couple years.

 

[festmeister]

Weber is the reason we settled for field goals and not td's - if both situations he underthrew the receiver and truly gave them no chance to make a play. If he had given them decent throws the receivers would have walked in. Without Decker, Weber doesn't play.

 

[MN Gopher Fan]

I vote for giving Gray more PT and possibly letting him start against in one of the later games depending on our record...lets be honest, we're not winning the big ten this year and it sure seems like Weber isn't capable of leading us to that...I'm not saying he's a horrible QB but for where everyone on here wants to go, it doesn't look like weber can take us to that place...

 

[thailleagle]

During the Illinois game one of the announcers mentioned Juice having a down year and stated that Zook had too much talent on the bench behind Juice to let the season get out of hand........

 

[Monty519]

You can't completely pull Weber and just start Gray, that's waaaaaay to much. At best, you start to split some series, give Gray a series to run the offense, that type of thing. You can't do a full on 180 and just take him out. Brewster would lose some respect from the players for a move like that I think, cause he's been behind Weber all this time and then he just suddenly throws him aside and then starts a true freshman in his place? Like I said, I think that's a bit much.

Split series, that's really my vote. Start the game with Weber, don't be afraid to switch it up though and get Gray some more QB time, not just "gimmick" time.

 

[GO4INLALALAND]

I like Brewster, I think we *NEED* Brewster here but I just feel his faith in Weber is going to come back to bite him in the ass eventually.......

I said the same thing during the Syracuse game. I admire Brewster sticking with Weber through the good and bad, but I do think that it will come back to bite him in the end. We need to get Grey in there more so he can get comfortable with the offense before the wheels come off the bus.

 

[GeorgiaGopher]

Weber's decision making and accuracy are terrible. Why not let Gray play more and see what he can do. Weber is not going to declare for the NFL after the year he is having and all Gray is doing is sitting and waiting. True the O line is a problem but not the only problem. You can't judge Gray's throwing ability until Brew takes the shackles off and lets him play a little.

 

[thailleagle]

You can't completely pull Weber and just start Gray, that's waaaaaay to much. At best, you start to split some series, give Gray a series to run the offense, that type of thing. You can't do a full on 180 and just take him out. Brewster would lose some respect from the players for a move like that I think, cause he's been behind Weber all this time and then he just suddenly throws him aside and then starts a true freshman in his place? Like I said, I think that's a bit much.

Split series, that's really my vote. Start the game with Weber, don't be afraid to switch it up though and get Gray some more QB time, not just "gimmick" time.

Right, Gray see's time when we're either running the Wildcat or he's lined up at receiver........

Let them split series and if Gray doesn't show some promise then stick with Weber.......

But by God, give Gray a *CHANCE*.......

 

[Monty519]

Right, Gray see's time when we're either running the Wildcat or he's lined up at receiver........

Let them split series and if Gray doesn't show some promise then stick with Weber.......

But by God, give Gray a *CHANCE*.......

Yep, can definitely get on board with that. But I will say, I'm not going to be too stubborn about seeing Gray more. Perhaps the coaches see things in practice that give them pause in giving him more responsibility on the field. Maybe he's making a lot of mistakes that would prove costly in a real game. I don't know.

 

[Rick Mons]

3 years worth of experience and 5 games into this season I am *OFFICIALLY* done with Weber...

Weber Defenders, please state your case.......

I"m curious, TE -- do you ever attend the games in person or have to watch them on TV? Seems like you initiate every at-home game-day comment thread so I assume you're unable to attend in person and are relying on the televised version ... just don't want to assume too much.

BTW, I'm not advocating we bench Weber or fire Brewster or the O-line coach or anyone except one group. Per this thread, it's clear we need to bench (or fire) the fans and recruit a better set of people who really know their football.

 

[magpie]

If you're going to rebuild, you need to invest. Decker is gone next year, and this season looks to be "typical".

Good time to put Gray in and let him build chemistry and experience with his young WR's and RB's so it pays dividends in a couple years.

 

[thailleagle]

I"m curious, TE -- do you ever attend the games in person or have to watch them on TV? Seems like you initiate every at-home game-day comment thread so I assume you're unable to attend in person and are relying on the televised version ... just don't want to assume too much.

BTW, I'm not advocating we bench Weber or fire Brewster or the O-line coach or anyone except one group. Per this thread, it's clear we need to bench (or fire) the fans and recruit a better set of people who really know their football.

I find it funny that analysts and game announcers can clearly see what our problems are after 1 or 2 games but for some reason after 3 years our fans can't.......

So when I watch it on TV & I see Weber spinning for his life and not throwing the ball away for some reason in person he must not be spinning at all huh?

Let's be realistic, we moved away from Mason because we were tired of being "Mediocre" and now we're accepting it? Terrible.......

 

[cwilson21]

I don't want to hear it about the O-line. Sure they didn't play well, especially at the end. But there were quite a few times where Weber had all day, and usually had a guy open, but made a poor throw. He had Decker on a post and made a bad throw, Decker had to change directions. He had Decker for a TD near the end of the game, but underthrew the ball, which Decker did end up catching for a big gain. He had Decker on a corner if he threw it to the back corner of the end zone, but threw it short. He had Stottimire on a out for a first down but threw it short. None of these were under pressure. And this doesn't count poor decisions and not checking down.

Gray hasn't throw a pass so far, so Weber might be our best option, but I'm partial to Gray. Get him experience so he can do well in a couple years.

You don't like hearing facts?

 

[GopherJJB]

Weber frustrates the heck out of me! There have been worse QBs in these parts but he is as overrated as any player I've ever seen.

How many times does it take before he officially blows the game? Today it was three. The sack close to our end zone was aweful, the interception in their end zone which was brought back was just plain lucky, and the fumble finally sealed it.

Just wait until next year when there is no Decker. The few flashes of good QB play he does show is more attributable to Decker being redonkulous than Weber. Half the time he doesn't even look at the other side.

I aknowledge that he isn't going to be flat-out benched but lets start giving Gray some experience. Let him throw the ball. He's the future (could be as early as next year, I really think Weber will stink even worse without Decker).

 

[Minnfan]

My 2 cents, though it has all been stated. My biggest frustration with Weber is that he won't throw the ball away. His accuracy is not the best either... I get that. However, as stated a million times, our OL sucks so we can't run and our passing suffers due to this. Also, Weber is a captain and a very popular leader with the team. He has a great arm and has led some very key drives (the 4th down pass today to Decker was spot on before he got sacked and fumbled). I'd like to see Gray get a series or 2 per game (like Louisville did with Brohm when he was a frosh) but I really don't think Weber is why we are losing. He is part of the team and thus part of the reason, but it is a bit myopic to think we'd start winning by switching the QB.

 

[Rick Mons]

I'll be the first to acknowledge I'm partial to Adam Weber. I've watched him play all four years in high school and now three years as a Gopher. I know him a bit off the field, know his family and like and respect him both as a football player and as a person. All that obviously colors my opinion.

IMO he's doing a decent job. Some of the folks on this board have unrealistic expectations as do some in the stands whose comments I overhear. But in the end, I'm willing to trust the coach and staff's decision to have Weber taking the snaps rather than Gray, Alipate or whoever else is in the queue.

He's not perfect. He has a fierce competitive streak and level of self-confidence that can cause him to try to make lemonade out of lemons when other QBs might take the sack or try to throw it away. I'm pretty sure he's human and thus he'll make some errors in judgement and will even throw some interceptions. But in the end, I think he's better than any of our alternatives and in retrospect we'll be glad he was QB while playing for the Gophers.

 

[breadtree]

Gray has yet to throw a pass in college. Anyone who is calling for him to take over must be watching a lot of practice. I applaud those people for being such dedicated fans that they go to all the practices and can speak to what a great QB Gray is.

 

[bmbriefs]

I thought the o'line gave him enough time to pass, he seemed really tentative and held on to the ball way too long. There were numerous times I saw him look at an open player and look like he was going to throw but not follow through. They need to work with him to make quick decisons.
He also was incredibly inaccurate.
With that said, he doesn't make a lot of mistakes. I would like to see Gray throw at least one pass before I start calling for him to start. Speaking of which, Gray has not passed all year- why not today? When he's lined up at quarterback the entire defense knows it's a run.

 

[awag777]

I'm all for seeing what Gray can do. I don't think he can do any worse than Weber has so far. See if he can make better decisions under pressure. See if he gets rid of the ball after avoiding to separate rushes. See if he can hit open receivers with a linebacker bearing down. If not, oh well. I really don't feel like we can do any worse with Weber.

 

[NewEngland_Gold]

Here's my take on Weber/Brewster strictly from TV viewing and analyst input:

1. He's damn tough, a solid leader and Brew likes him so much he suggested Clint look elsewhere;

2. He's shown periodic flashes of brilliance over the past three years;

3. Although brilliant at times, he's been erratic and inconsistent to the consternation of even the most casual fans for obvious, repetitive, almost "mechanical" reasons which have not been "fixed" by Brew's coaching...yet;

4. Superstar Deck has been more than consistent in the Weber drama, bailed Weber out repeatedly by circus catches and will likely continue to do so for the rest of the season unless he gets hurt...if he does...watch out below...as Sid might say, Gray may indeed be another Brady/Vick, but GHs know the OL is what it is;

5. Weber has a few more games grace to show that he's the man next year with Gray on the doorstep...Brew's no bull-headed dummy...he got rid of several coordinators when their schemes didn't produce winning results...he knows Deck won't be around next year to bail out Weber and he'll need a more dynamic, athletic threat to put up points if Weber continues inconsistent;

6. In my very distant view of Brew's options, Weber has a few more games to show the consistency and intelligence that is expected of a three-year starter in the BT. If he does, everyone associated with the Gs will be very pleased and it couldn't happen to a nicer Minny native. However, if Adam doesn't keep Brew's chilli hot and the wins coming...at least for those games Minny should win based on their talent level, I look for Gray to get a lot more PT...even with all the obvious risks that entails...because IMHO Brew is not going to stand around rearranging the chairs on the Titanic waiting for Weber to figure it all out and work it all out. Brew's on a stated mission he's repeated endlessly: the best players are going to be on the field that give the Gs a chance to win...now.

 

[TubbytownUSA]

Everyone keeps saying Weber has a "great arm"....he can't throw the ball deep to save his life. Example being that one long pass to Decker that he had to come back for, yet still caught. A decent throw and he's gone. The same with that 2nd to last drive, first pass to Decker if it wasn't underthrown he was gone. He sucks. Bench him. MARQUEIS!!

 

[awag777]

I will also add that I have been a relentless defender of Brewster, willing to listen to his preaching and defend him when other criticize, and this is the first time in his tenure I've ever felt remotely "eh" about Brewster. I felt like this was a game he had to have.

 

[Troy McClure]

My biggest beef with Weber is that he holds the ball soooo long. When he does decide to go down field the receivers have to stop and wait for it to get to them. If he's throwing to the sideline, which is 80% of the time, the receiver rarely has a chance to cut it up field before going out of bounds. He seemed more aggressive his freshman year. He was reckless too, but now now he's reckless and timid. I'm sure the line hasn't helped. Why he can't throw it away or throw it when he hits his drop the majority of the time puzzles me. His lack of progress is reminiscent of Cupito's stagnation as a starter. That kid was the same quarterback year 1 - 3, until he finally seemed to get it in his last year.

Gray needs to play more. Benching Weber for Gray is a little premature, but he should be able to run a full series here and there. True, he has not throw a pass in an actual game but he'll have to sooner or later. He looked pretty good throwing the ball during the spring game.

 

[tikited]

Gray has yet to throw a pass in college. Anyone who is calling for him to take over must be watching a lot of practice. I applaud those people for being such dedicated fans that they go to all the practices and can speak to what a great QB Gray is.

Word.

In other words: Keep dreaming uneducated fans!

In other words: If you think Webber should be benched, you know very little about football.