Has Gray lost a step?

Donate To GopherHole
Costa Rican Gopher

Costa Rican Gopher

Mind of a Scientist
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
28,601
Reaction score
6,936
Points
113
Gray looked slower & more plodding last night than in years past, has his extra weight caused him to lose a step? I never had the feeling that he could take one to the house last night like I used to.
 

I was also thinking the added weight slowed him down
 


Extra weight definitely... but he did have a run last night where he turned the jets on just as he broke the corner. Hard to tell until he plays a much faster team though...
 

he looks slow cause of his length. Hasn't lost a step and will still beat a man to the endzone from 8 yds out and make it look like he's coasting.
 


He actually looked FASTER/QUICKER to me, honestly. I never thought he was a very fast QB, just had the right mix of power and elusiveness. He DID look like Weber, though (and this is coming from a pro-Web guy).
 

He was caught by a DT in open space. One move could have sprung him for a TD. He appeared noticeably slower then last year.

Perhaps it was the heat.
 


I think it was all the extra water he drank over the past three days. He looked water logged to me.
 



paulser21 said:
He was caught by a DT in open space. One move could have sprung him for a TD. He appeared noticeably slower then last year.

Perhaps it was the heat.
Click to expand...
I'm guessing on the play, but if it is the same play I'm thinking of the DT had an angle on him. Like I said, not sure if we are talking about the same play :)
 

"Has Gray lost a step?"

I don't know where he would have lost it, but I found an extra one on my front porch the other morning.
 

I actually think it was the heat. He didn't look fluid. Maybe he didn't have enough fluids.
No pun intended. I know when I golf in the heat if I don't pound enough water the swing gets sluggish.
 

I made the same point last night. He just was not as quick and I wondered if it was a weight problem (even if the weight is muscle).
 




He did look slower. And angle or not no back should get tackled in the open field by a full speed ahead defensive lineman. Someone make the guy miss.
 

I'm with Formo. Gray didn't look fast against UNLV, but I don't think he's ever been particularly fast. He's powerful, fluid, and agile. I've always been impressed by his ability to be so elusive, especially at his size, but I've never thought he had the breakaway speed and explosion of other running QBs (Vince Young and Troy Smith come to mind). I think he looked a tad bit sluggish overall, but I thought he looked pretty solid on the ground.
 

The play in question where he got tackled by the DT was late in the 4th quarter on a play where he had already scrambled and eluded 2-3 sack attempts. At that point I just think he was gassed. His elusiveness is not in question for me. He avoided a lot of tackles on Thursday.
 

No question he is slower.

He often tries to run like he is a small quick scatback as he wastes a lot of energy trying to dodge tacklers. I would like to see more plant and go.

Barry Sanders; no.
 

Many compared his look to Daunte Cullpepper when they first saw him in camp. That seems fairly accurate to me. But Gray is going to run over people like AP, he was never going to run by them like Chris Johnson.
 

Costa Rican Gopher said:
Gray looked slower & more plodding last night than in years past, has his extra weight caused him to lose a step? I never had the feeling that he could take one to the house last night like I used to.
Click to expand...


I was at the game and I agree that he appeared a tad bit slower...especially on that 3rd and 7 in the 4th quarter when he avoided the sack, scrambled left and only had a lineman to beat to the corner, he then stutter stepped and allowed the guy to catch up and make the tackle. I was pretty upset that he didn't keep running all out to the corner because I think he may have tip-toed his way into the end zone right down the sideline.

If he ran a 4.55 last year, I'd say he's more like 4.68 this year. It looks like he's 10 to 15 lbs heavier and it probably does slow him a little.
 

Moses87 said:
I was at the game and I agree that he appeared a tad bit slower...especially on that 3rd and 7 in the 4th quarter when he avoided the sack, scrambled left and only had a lineman to beat to the corner, he then stutter stepped and allowed the guy to catch up and make the tackle. I was pretty upset that he didn't keep running all out to the corner because I think he may have tip-toed his way into the end zone right down the sideline.

If he ran a 4.55 last year, I'd say he's more like 4.68 this year. It looks like he's 10 to 15 lbs heavier and it probably does slow him a little.
Click to expand...

I didn't think he was visibly SLOW. A few thoughts:
He could be looking for the pass more, I know he scrambled too early quite a bit last year.
It was hot, and late. Let's see what the rest of the season looks like.
He may have put on weight, but some of that will come off as the season progresses, I bet he's bigger than 250, but he may lose 15 by the end of the season.
He's still effective as a scrambler, he was never a burner top begin with.
 

I guess he didn't come off all that slow to me. In hindsight, maybe, but when I was watching, I wasn't sitting there saying "My goodness, he's lost a step this year". I think with the clean pockets he was seeing much of the game, the running aspect just wasn't really a factor as much. He still looked rather elusive to me, so I'm guessing it won't be a problem if he did lose a small percentage of his straight line speed.
 

Monty519 said:
I guess he didn't come off all that slow to me. In hindsight, maybe, but when I was watching, I wasn't sitting there saying "My goodness, he's lost a step this year". I think with the clean pockets he was seeing much of the game, the running aspect just wasn't really a factor as much. He still looked rather elusive to me, so I'm guessing it won't be a problem if he did lose a small percentage of his straight line speed.
Click to expand...

This is where I'm at.
 

He looked fatter. Probably added a few pounds with the kids running around the house.
 

I heard/read somewhere he went from 235-255 lbs.
 




Talk is that he put on 15-20 pounds of "good weight" during the off-season on Kline's conditioning program. If he keeps it up, New England will be drafting him for their tight end position...
 

station19 said:
Definitely slower and less quick.
Click to expand...

I was at the game. Base offense, hot, first game. Is is possible He and every other fbs player weighs 10 lbs. less by 10/1? Heck that's a good night at Anne's bowl movement for these guys. Lighten up. Kirkwood is a beast and when this frosh tback from Texas lines up it will be so fun to watch. He passed the eyeball test, no problem. How did all the D. Robinson, "I can take U. Bolt" speed do vs. Bama?
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom