SB Nation Bay Area Editor's Pick
Golden Spectacles: A Closer Look at Brock Mansion's Passing Debut
by Kodiak on Nov 9, 2010 12:26 AM PST
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PrintAs a famous chemist eloquently put it, the backup QB is everyone's savior until he isn't. (HT carp) Let's take a closer look at the Brock Mansion Party Yacht on its maiden voyage. Was this a proud display of our colors, a three-hour cruise (a three-hour cruise), or was it sad when the great ship went down to the bottom of the sea?
1st Throw: 1st quarter, 14:20 to go, 2nd and 2.
Recap: 1st read (Jarrett Sparks) is covered, quickly checks down to RB (Shane Vereen). Ball is batted down by DE (Long).
Analysis: Quick and decisive. Patting the ball telegraphs the pass. (quibble) Great athletic play by the DE.
2nd Throw: 1st quarter, 14:10 to go, 3rd and 2.
Recap: Quick out to Michael Calvin for the 1st down.
Analysis: Keeps coverage at home by looking downfield first, delivers on time and on the money. Huge completion to prevent a 3 and out on the opening drive.
3rd Throw: 1st quarter, 12:26 to go, 1st and 10
Recap: Fake end-around, play-action fake handoff to weakside rollout. Combo route with Jeremy Ross shallow, Marvin Jones deep, and Anthony Miller dragging across the middle. Throw goes way over Miller's head incomplete.
Analysis: A bit quick on the play-fake. Nice mobility on the rollout. Forced that throw. Jones and Ross were both covered, Miller had one guy shallow, one guy trailing, and a safety deep. Probably a good thing that the throw was uncatchable.
4th Throw: 1st quarter, 12:22 to go, 2nd and 10
Recap: Quick drop, skinny post to Jones. Ball is overthrown. Jones gets one hand on it and tips it...and the ball falls incomplete.
Analysis: Good play call takes advantage of press man and only one deep safety. Perhaps a good pre-snap read, too - he stares Jones down the whole way, so he definitely knew where he wanted to go. Pats the ball again. In real-time, 'thought that Jones could have laid out for that one...On replay, not so sure.
5th "Throw": 1st quarter, 12:20 to go, 3rd and 10
Recap: Shotgun + 3 WR. Makes the right read and is about to throw to Jones who is open for the 1st down. Doesn't get the chance because a Wazzu blitzer comes in untouched for the sack.
Analysis: Three rushers. Three Bears to block. But the RG (Brian Schwenke) turns outside to help w/ the DE and lets the stunting LB run free to the inside. To make matters worse, Vereen also jumps outside to help with the edge rushers. Someone blew an assignment. Good job by Mansion to hold onto the ball.
5th Throw: 1st quarter, 9:18 to go, 1st and 10
Recap: Play-action, deep post to Jones. Ball goes off Jones' hands.
Analysis: Not much of a play fake. Good protection. Well-thrown ball. Jones needs to make that catch.
6th Throw: 1st quarter, 6:23 to go, 1st and 10
Recap: Play-action, Miller runs a skinny post. Ball hits Miller in the hands and he drops it.
Analysis: Good timing - I like how he threw before Miller broke open instead of waiting. Perhaps a tad high, but Miller should have caught it.
7th Throw: 1st quarter, 6:05 to go, 3rd and 8
Recap: Short completion to Miller in the flat. Tackled well short of the 1st Down.
Analysis: Stared down Miller the whole way, but made an accurate throw on a swing pass. (Is that allowed?) Weird play call for 3rd and long. Miller was the only receiving option - Calvin was already getting in position to block downfield. So, you're counting on a TE without great speed to catch a short ball and run 7 yards?
8th Throw: 2nd Quarter, 13:24 to go, 1st and 10
Recap: Offset I, but it's a pass. Over-throws Calvin who looks like he ran a 15 yard hitch.
Analysis: Not sure if he was supposed to play fake, but he didn't. Waited too long on this throw - Calvin was initially open, but the delay let the defender recover. Not sure if the high throw is due to footwork or adrenaline. Ballsy playcall from Ludwig to dial up a pass from our 5 yardline.
*Bonus Coverage*: 2nd Quarter, 13:20 to go, 2nd and 10
Recap: Pistol-like Action!!! Not a throw, but I loved this play. Mansion fakes the handoff to Vereen and takes it outside for 27 yards.
Analysis: Please sir, may I have some more?
9th Throw: 2nd Quarter, 12:43 to go, 1st and 10
Recap: Play-action, rolls out right and hits the TE Spencer Ladner on an underneath route.
Analysis: Might have been an audible at the line? Nice execution and an accurate throw on the run.
10th Throw: 2nd Quarter, 11:30 to go, 1st and 10
Recap: Play-action, deep drop, uncorks a 40 yard bomb and Jones hauls it in at the 5 yard line.
Analysis: Better play fake, good feet, great throw. (Woo!)
11th Throw: 2nd Quarter, 3:40 to go, 3rd and 7
Recap: Throws behind Calvin who was tightly covered. DB knocks it down.
Analysis: Stared down Calvin, poor throw, and got lucky it wasn't picked. Too bad he didn't come off Calvin and look to Jones who was open.
12th Throw: 2nd Quarter, 1:20 to go. 1st and 10
Recap: Throws to Ross on the bubble screen.
Analysis: The throw is high. The delay from jumping for the ball allows the D to recover and limits this play to a short gain.
13th Throw: 2nd Quarter, :50 to go. 2nd and 6.
Recap: Tries to hit Calvin on the sidelines at the 45 yard line. DB reads him all the way, is sitting on the route, and picks it off.
Analysis: Looks hesitant from the beginning. Stares down receiver. Pats the ball. Really bad decision. Unfortunately, this particular throw is not high.
14th Throw: 3rd Quarter, 11:53 to go, 1st and 10
Recap: Playaction pass. Pump fakes and then hits Jones down the middle.
Analysis: Not much of a play fake. Overthrows Jones badly, but Jones makes up for his earlier drop with a spectacular one-handed catch.
15th Throw: 3rd Quarter, 4:22 to go, 2nd and 11
Recap: Vereen splits out wide as a receiver. Mansion underthrows him on the fade route and it gets picked off instead.
Analysis: Stares him down the whole way. The DB has Vereen blanketed. He has plenty of time - it's just a poor throw. *Edit - per Hydro, this was a mis-communication between QB and RB. Mansion was throwing back shoulder, Vereen was expecting a deep fade. Interesting.* Dear Mr. Ludwig, At this point, everyone knows you're throwing it to Vereen when you split him out wide as a receiver. This is no longer a clever mis-match. Thank you.
16th Throw: 4th Quarter, 14:26 to go, 1st and 10
Recap: Play-action roll out right. Hesitates and throws wide of Jones out of bounds.
Analysis: He had Ross open underneath, held the ball too long and missed Jones. At least this was a safe throw where no one else was going to get it.
(Technical difficulties prevented a screen pic. Can you imagine a missed pass? I thought you could.)
17th Throw: 4th Quarter, 13:10 to go, 3rd and 16 (After a delay of game penalty on the QB)
Recap: Quick, short underneath throw to Calvin for a 4-yd gain.
Analysis: Looked like that was a check down. Miller and Ross were well-covered downfield. Unfortunately, he had Vereen open to the left, but I think the clock in his head said "throw!" Accurate throw.
18th Throw: 4th Quarter, 9:53 to go, 2nd and 9
Recap: Quick drop, surveys, delivers a strike to Ross for an 18 yard gain
Analysis: Really nice play. He reads Jones 1st on the outside, sees he's covered, then comes back and hits Ross in stride. Accurate throw, great timing, slips it between two defenders. Looked very poised and composed.
19th Throw: 4th Quarter, 8:44 to go, 2nd and 20 (just took a sack - CB blitz not picked up)
Recap: Quick drop, one hops it to Calvin
Analysis: Ugly looking throw. Might have been tipped? I like that he threw it before Calvin made his break.
20th Throw: 4th Quarter, 8:34 to go, 3rd and 20
Recap: Quick set-up, throws a slip screen to Ross who Beast Modes for the 1st down.
Analysis: Nice execution. Good touch throw over a leaping defender. Made it look easy.
21th Throw: 4th Quarter, 7:21 to go, 2nd and 9
Recap: Quick set-up, delivers to Jones on the sidelines for the 1st down.
Analysis: Nice read. He comes off Calvin(covered) down the seam and finds Jones open. Throw is on the money and lets Jones run the last few yards to move the chains.
22nd Throw: 4th Quarter, 6:47 to go, 1st and 10
Recap: Bubble screen to Vereen for a short gain
Analysis: Quick throw. On target.
23rd Throw: 4th Quarter, 3:43 to go, 2nd and 15
Recap: Play action with roll-out to the right. Hits Jones for a nice gain.
Analysis: Odd-looking play fake, but a nice, accurate throw on the run. Good decision.
24th Throw: 4th Quarter, 2:50 to go, 3rd and 5.
Recap: Starts to throw, pulls it down, ends up throwing it away.
Analysis: Ross hadn't turned his head around yet on the arrow route which is why he had to pull it down. Ran out of time from the pass rush and made a good decision to throw it away.
Final Stats: 12/24 for 171, 2 picks.
The Bad:
One delay of game penalty
One false start with a fumbled snap
Two sacks (Neither of them his fault)
The Ugly:
Two interceptions (one bad decision and one bad throw)
The Good:
One long bomb to Jones completed and another that should have been.
TD pass to Miller was dropped.
QB Keeper runs for 28 and 11 yards.
Nice strikes to Ross & Jones on key drives in the 4th.
Overall: The stats don't look great, but this wasn't a horrible debut. (See Ayoob, Joe) He did a pretty good job running the offense and generally looked poised. It helped that the Cougars played pretty vanilla on defense and rarely brought pressure. His short throws were all on the money and he really does throw a nice deep ball. Considering how well he runs with the ball (And how inept Wazzu was at defending it), I'm surprised that Ludwig didn't dial up more zone-read plays. Reading coverages is clearly going to be a work in progress - however, he seemed to get better at not locking on and staring down his primary receiver as the game went on. What I liked is that he shook off the early drops and his mid-game struggles. (high throws + interceptions) When we needed to move the ball in the 4th, he came through with some of his best throws. There's plenty of room for improvement, but he showed enough glimpses here and there to offer some semblance of hope. I hope he's a fast learner - the training wheels officially come off next week.
The opinions expressed in a FanPost are, in every way, reflective of the opinions of every California Golden Blogs Marshawnthusiast. Moreover, they are reflective of every employee of SBNation, including Tyler "Blez" Bleszinski.
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nice work
Break-downs like this are worth the hours you put in for the rest of us stiffs. Many thanks. This week, a good O-line outing and any early scoring successes can help him with proper progressions and avoiding giveaway tics like patting the ball. His prep and psychology will also play roles against teams with momentum and talent. We’ll see.
by crackpipe on Nov 9, 2010 4:09 AM PST via mobile reply actions
good quote
the training wheels officially come off next week
I like that, but it’s more like the training wheels are blown off this week with Oregon coming to town. I look at this game as an extended practice for the Big Game.
Thsi was my impression as well
The criticism seems unfounded. Frankly, had he come out and blown the doors off, we all would bitching about why Riley was starting.
by ArtVandelet on Nov 9, 2010 8:01 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
I gotta say
The one thing really holding Brock back in his development is that he has demonstrated no ability or even proclivity for purloining laptops. He could be a real Heisman contender otherwise.
by atomsareenough on Nov 9, 2010 9:14 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
Nice work, rec'd
Although it seems he looked off at times, this gave me a bit more confidence going into the final three games… Hopefully both Tedford and Ludwig are stepping in to help with his development and help him make better decisions.
"Remember the Maine! TO HELL WITH STANFORD!"
Throw #8
If memory serves (you never know at my advanced age) this was the play with the flag that was then waived-off, presumably cuz the ball was “uncatchable.” I’d argue (and I did, vociferously, with my television to no avail) that without the defender checking Calvin in the back, the ball was, and I’m choosing my words carefully here, NOT “uncatchable.” You gotta give guys the chance to make great, if unlikely, plays.
Great analysis !!!!
I'd like to smell the Roses before I die.
Ummm...
…. is it just me or is there a wide open receiver here (to the left) that Mansion missed?
In other words, Go Bears!
As Kodiak noted:
…he had Vereen open to the left…
"Roll on, you goddamn Bears. Roll on." - Charlton Heston
by Ploppity Drown on Nov 9, 2010 1:04 PM PST up reply actions
Looks like Vereen is open after the fact. Mansion has already thrown the ball.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
Correct – although it looks a little closer in real-time. He had more time than he thought, though. Hard to argue with the decision since Calvin is clearly open. I wouldn’t expect a QB making his first start to look back to his left after two checks to the right.
Also, he had just thrown an incompletion on the previous play after holding it too long…and the throw before that was an int. I’m completely okay with getting rid of it early instead of trying to to do much.
Old Toothwrangler
so in the future you will upload youtube clips of each play, slacker…..
Then, I’ll make a big ruckus, because I am a hypocritical asshole.
-TwistNHook
Yes. I will also have personalized, embossed folders sent to your residence and/or place of work containing laminated notes w/ color diagrams, graphs, illustrations, and charts as well as a DVD with Power Points breaking each break-down down.
A specialized trained hostess will deliver said folders and will remain to answer any questions you might have.
All materials are fully organic, recyclable, edible, and contain 100% of your daily recommended allowance of all essential vitamins, and nutrients. Alternatively, the notes can be mixed with water to create a paste which re-grows hair or as an antibiotic which cures most major illnesses.
The folder contains instructions which allow it to be converted into a trendy, yet simple origami crane…that shoots lasers and flies.
Old Toothwrangler
wait until they get their mitts on my NSFW All-Conference Team FanPost.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
it’s still in rough-draft form; not ready for publication.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Well if you need any rough draft editorial suggestions, I’m here for you
"Remember the Maine! TO HELL WITH STANFORD!"
by CruzinBears on Nov 10, 2010 10:14 AM PST up reply actions
7th Throw
So, you’re counting on a TE without great speed to catch a short ball and run 7 yards?
Yup. Miller is tough to bring down. In all his previous catches he’s easily gotten at least five yards of yac. I’m totally fine with this decision.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
Bonus Coverage: 2nd Quarter, 13:20 to go, 2nd and 10
Recap: Pistol-like Action!!! Not a throw, but I loved this play. Mansion fakes the handoff to Vereen and takes it outside for 27 yards.
Analysis: Please sir, may I have some more?
Not a pistol play, but a good play. We’ve been running this one ever since 2006 when Dunbar brought the spread to Cal.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
I’ve noticed that some people have started calling any sort of option plays Pistol. I have no idea why. For example, I think CSN is advertising the Oregon-Cal game as watching Oregon’s Pistol offense. Very strange.
CSN is advertising the Oregon-Cal game as watching Oregon’s Pistol offense
Is that because they want to confuse people with what they’ll be watching on Versus?
"Remember the Maine! TO HELL WITH STANFORD!"
13th Throw: 2nd Quarter, :50 to go. 2nd and 6.
Recap: Tries to hit Calvin on the sidelines at the 45 yard line. DB reads him all the way, is sitting on the route, and picks it off.
Analysis: Looks hesitant from the beginning. Stares down receiver. Pats the ball. Really bad decision. Unfortunately, this particular throw is not high.
The replay after the INT has a great shot from behind the offense showing Mansion reading down the center of the field before coming off to Calvin. He definitely wasn’t staring Calvin down all the way.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
I agree. He wasn’t staring down Calvin. He didn’t read the coverage.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Nov 9, 2010 9:34 PM PST up reply actions
I think, really, that he didn’t see the defender because his jersey blended in perfectly w the rest of the team on the sideline.
CGB: Quality is our Dignity; Service is our Lift.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Nov 10, 2010 12:01 AM PST up reply actions
Its easy to not see that person there for some reason, maybe a lineman’s helmet was blocking that angle or something. Happens to me from time to time playing hockey, I think I have an open pass and then someone on the other team suddenly has a breakaway….
Then, I’ll make a big ruckus, because I am a hypocritical asshole.
-TwistNHook
You might be on to something about Mansion throwing the ball before WRs breaking on their routes. This is something I haven’t noticed but I’ll keep an eye out for it. It’s been a while since we’ve had a QB with anticipation. The last QB with anticipation was Longshore.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
That’s only 1 QB ago. It’s felt like eons, but that’s really just Riley (and maybe post-injury Longshore, I’m not sure).
I noticed the nice timely throws from Mansion too. However, I do wonder if it was less anticipation and more blind guessing that they’d be open. The interceptions might indicate the latter, or of course they could indicate that he just happened to miss the reads on those 2 plays. We’ll find out soon enough.
It might have something to do with what you mentioned regarding how Mansion is just playing ball right now.
He hasn’t had enough bad experiences yet to become hesitant, shell-shocked, or afraid of making mistakes. It seems like our last two QB’s would hold the ball and try to be too careful when they struggled.
Or it could be that Mansion is just mentally tough and doesn’t let the previous plays affect him as much.
Old Toothwrangler
Yeah, I mean, not to toot my own horn, but I think there is something very positive about being a green, unexperienced, naive, starter. You just don’t have the experience to start second-guessing yourself and what you see. You just get out there and play. Your thoughts are more streamlined because since you know less there is less to think about. Or maybe I’m just over thinking things.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
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