Evaluating Kevin Riley’s Quarterback Mechanics
by Avinash Kunnath on Aug 4, 2010 3:00 AM PDT
in California Golden Bears Football
Email
Print
Kevin Riley has not been an easy quarterback to diagnose compared to previous Cal quarterbacks. He’s had too many factors working against him, like a bad offensive line, inexperienced and young receivers, and three offensive coordinators in three years. How can a QB get any stability from that situation?
So based off The Rivalry, Esq.’s criteria for evaluating quarterbacks, here’s my grade on Riley’s 2009 season in terms of things he could control--namely, himself.
Snap:
Security/ball placement (C): In general he holds the ball close to his body, a little bit higher than the numbers. He’s been pretty good in grabbing the snap and securing it at chest height.
As to security, anyone remember the Arizona State game when Riley put the ball on the ground three times? When he’s on the move, Riley kind of hangs the ball out there, so if a defender catches up to him he’s prone to getting stripped. That’s not too bad though; this is a habit most quarterbacks have since they’re always trying to wind up on the move to throw before deciding to take off downfield. What is bad is that he often keeps the ball hanging out when he’s shuffling in a collapsing pocket and trying to find a new read. That has led to multiple fumbles.
Funny thing: Riley had better retreat speed in 2007. He’s a little bit slower and more deliberate in his movements now, probably as he tries to evolve his footwork.
The Fake (B-): Didn’t show it much last season. He’s decent, although I felt he could’ve been better. It’s possible that the offensive scheme was a little too predictable at times, so when he did show the fake defenses were able to key in on his second or third reads. Hard to say if that shows how good Riley is at the fake or how bad Pac-10 defenses were at biting on it (Pac-10 pass defense took a sound beating last season).
Adaptation (A): The strongest part of Riley’s game in the pocket is his ability to adapt to the pass rush and improvise on the run. In fact I’d argue he throws better against the blitz than he does against normal coverage, because when the coverage is picked up that gives him one-on-one matchups that he’s able to exploit, or guys on the run that are moving away from coverage. He’s less comfortable throwing it into a crowd.
Release
Survey (B-): Progressively getting better. He struggled with his progressions early through the season. Sometimes he’d just lock in too early or just lose his grasp of the defense when the pocket began breaking down. Eventually he got more comfortable when he got the pass protection he needed.
Stance (C-): Ugh. I don’t know whether it’s just a mental block that keeps Kevin from improving his stance in the pocket. Riley’s stance is often way wider than it should be in the pocket. Either his back foot is too strong on a five step drop, or he plants his front foot too far forward when aiming to the sides. What makes it even stranger is how the feet are turned inward rather than running parallel to each other and aiming toward the ball.
Hopefully he finds enough in his arm to shorten that base in 2010.
Step (B): Riley’s step is pretty good. Good leg kick and action with the ball. It’s usually a wide, explosive motion that allows him to put more velocity in the ball. It’d be nicer if he could control things a little more, but for now it doesn’t seem to be a huge detriment to his overall capabilities.
Wrist/Throw (B+): There’s no denying Riley has a great release. The action on that ball is super impressive and when the ball leaves his hand it has some obvious snap to it. After holding the ball above the numbers, he’ll cock the ball back and release it with great power and intensity. This can sometimes be a detriment, but it has made it difficult for defenders to intercept his passes.
Defenders always have trouble intercepting Riley’s ball because of how hard he throws it, although because of the other mechanical issues it isn’t as accurate as it should be. Since he has trouble with both his stance or his upper body movements, the ball sails well on deep routes but needs help settling in short and intermediate routes.
How the Offense Affects Mechanics (B)
I don’t really know. Riley has been in three different offenses in three different years: Tedford, Cignetti, now Ludwig. That means adapting to new signals, new playcalls, new rhythms. There were times Riley looked very good in Ludwig’s offense. There were other times where Riley couldn’t throw a football into a soccer net. And there were other times you couldn’t tell anything, because the receivers couldn’t separate and the offensive line couldn’t block.
So you just have to hope Riley can retool that raw offense he had as a freshman and adapt that into offensive play. This’ll be his first year having the same offensive coordinator two straight seasons, so we should get our definitive read on Riley’s capabilities in a month or two.
Overall grade: B-
Give your own grade of Riley based on these criteria.
62 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
"Riley's pass intended for..."
I don’t know how to evaluate Riley’s mechanics. I do know how to watch where Riley’s throws end up and they are, by and large, not on the money. Of course, that can be do to a lot of factors like pass rush and receivers running the right routes. A good chunk, tho, falls on Riley. I have noticed that when Riley gets sacked 3 or more times, he gets a little rattled (as if he knows he’s going to get hit again) which might cause him to get rid of the ball prematurely.
Here’s hoping he’s worked all that out and we’re primed for a solid season out of #13.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Love seeing an objective breakdown of Riley. We all remember the flashes of brilliance he displayed throughout the years (Armed Forces Bowl comes into my mind, although he DID have Desean). I’m really pulling for him, because Cal fans have proved to be exceedingly harsh on our QBs. I regret the way we treated Ayoob and Longshore—even though they left a lot to be desired, I’m not sure it was entirely their fault.
Samuels said. "That last-minute shot at halftime sums it up. Shooting off one leg? C'mon, man."
Ayoob – definitely entirely his fault.
Longshore is a little more debatable (obviously), but I think that most of his issues were injured-related. He definitely wasn’t the same after he got injured in 2007.
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team owned by a Russian oligarch.
do you think Ayoob was ready to start? sure, he was the one making the bad throws, but do we really expect all new players (frosh or JC) to come in and contribute right away? the QB position, imo, is definitely one where you rarely find someone that can have an immediate impact.
i kinda get what you’re saying though…some of his mistakes were basic QB snafus
Samuels said. "That last-minute shot at halftime sums it up. Shooting off one leg? C'mon, man."
I felt awful when I found out Ayoob was dyslexic and was having a bit of trouble with the difficult playbook. So no, I don’t think he was ready to start, and I think the fanbase gave Ayoob too much crap.
So, I don’t think it was entirely his fault.
Member of the Lost Tribe of Mooch
He was really, really bad, though, and even if he wasn’t really “ready to start”, I still expect a college QB to be able to throw the ball farther than 20 yards. Ayoob was throwing ducks all around. I don’t feel bad about giving Ayoob crap, I do feel bad about Longshore’s experience.
by Missing Barry on Aug 5, 2010 7:11 AM PDT up reply actions
I gotta hand it to you for having the minerals to try and do this. Whenever I find myself pondering Riley’s mechanics and ability (my nights can sometimes be lonely, you see) I just end up giving up, because I simply can’t get past the horrible OL play and the fact that his receivers seem hell-bent on betraying him.
Hopefully – oh god, hopefully – this year we’ll see not only a strong OL giving Riley some time, but also a group of receivers who can [gasp!] catch the ball! If so, I think we see the same Riley we saw during the Big Game: poised, accurate, confident, and just lethal to opposing defenses.
Careful, man. There's a beverage here!
I gave him an A.
You just watch, he’ll make a believer out of the rest of you this year, too. Offensive line, receivers, tight ends,and running backs will all be solid for the first time in his career this year, leading you to change your assessments. No way he has as many of those issues if he had all of those things in the past 3 years.
Also, I’m not sure when it happened, but when did Tedford stop teaching the really high release point? I know that was something that Rodgers had to unlearn when he got to the NFL, but I don’t remember Longshore doing it after he took over the starting job either. First time I’ve thought about it in a while.
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team owned by a Russian oligarch.
When was the last time Tedford coached the QBs? This simple answer gets overlooked way too much and would answer a lot of questions people have about our QBs over the past 4 yeras.
This. He’s no longer the QB coach.
Also I think Longshore just had his own stance and he stuck with it
In other words, Go Bears!
My feeling is that Tedford should go back to coaching the QBs directly. He had the most offensive success when he was doing this.
I agree he is one of the best in the biz. It’s sort of a shame to have one of the greatest QB coaches in the nation not doing more one on one instruction with his QBs, however I think it’s a sacrifice that Tedford had to make in order to concentrate on the entire team and being a head coach.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
do you think if Cignetti becomes the OC we hold on to for awhile, that he could back to it?
I feel like with the turnstyle of OCs we’ve had as of late, Tedford needed to concentrate on the offense as a whole, to make sure the new guy doesn’t get too off-base from what Tedford wants
"Remember the Maine! TO HELL WITH STANFORD!"
I think you meant Ludwig.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Aug 4, 2010 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions
And I do believe Tedford is still very much involved with the offense and setting up the gameplan for Saturday. He just doesn’t call the plays.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Aug 4, 2010 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions
I think it’s a sacrifice that Tedford had to make in order to concentrate on the entire team and being a head coach.
I get this in theory, however given the most recent results, I’m not sure if he’s really putting the team in best position to win by giving up QB coaching. If JT is a great quarterback coach, then perhaps he should just coach quarterbacks, and delegate responsibility for the other units to his assistants. That doesn’t mean JT has to run the whole offense and call plays too, just work with the QBs on their mechanics in addition to being the head coach.
I do of course realize that we are dealing with a relatively small sample size, and that other factors can contribute to declining QB play (particularly the injuries during Longshore’s career). But I think if there was ever a QB who could benefit from more hands-on instruction, it’s Riley.
Some of what has been noted here I can agree with, but I also don’t agree with a lot of what has been stated here.
The Fake (B-): Didn’t show it much last season. He’s decent, although I felt he could’ve been better.
Didn’t show it much last season? What happens during play action? What happens during option runs?
How could his fake have been better? Please explain.
It’s possible that the offensive scheme was a little too predictable at times, so when he did show the fake defenses were able to key in on his second or third reads.
What about the primary target, the first read? Isn’t that where the ball should be thrown to?
Hard to say if that shows how good Riley is at the fake or how bad Pac-10 defenses were at biting on it (Pac-10 pass defense took a sound beating last season).
Unclear what the point trying to be made is.
Professor, the dog ate my midterm!
o=========<| BBBBBBEARZZZZZZ
by Thoroughbred on Aug 4, 2010 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions
The fake: Sometimes he withdraws his hands too early. Sometimes he puts the ball out in the zone read, then withdraws it before the running back takes the handoff. Sometimes he’s already starting to look downfield before the handoff has been made.
Again, my sample size is small, so I’m not going to be stupid and say my account is definitive. Just my read from the 20 to 30 minutes of gametape I reviewed.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Aug 4, 2010 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Sometimes he hands off to no one...
"Some people watch adult videos on their computer - I go to YouTube and watch Jahvid Best highlight clips. That’s what gets me going."- Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions head coach
Actually he is faking to Jahvid, but JB is moving so fast that that the video didn’t capture him.
GOLD OUT MOZAMBIQUE!
by OskiMonsta on Aug 5, 2010 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Adaptation (A): The strongest part of Riley’s game in the pocket is his ability to adapt to the pass rush and improvise on the run.
Don’t know if that is the strongest part of Riley’s game but it is hard to argue that he is good at improvising when flushed from the pocket.
In fact I’d argue he throws better against the blitz than he does against normal coverage, because when the coverage is picked up that gives him one-on-one matchups that he’s able to exploit, , or guys on the run that are moving away from coverage.
I’m very interested in seeing that argument with a comprehensive list of examples from a number of different games.
He’s less comfortable throwing it into a crowd.
As he should be.
I can go on if other posters want me to but I don’t have any more interest to do so.
I’m not trying to put down the effort put into making this original story. There are good observations but there are a number of things that don’t add up. There is no clear cut rubric as to how Riley was assigned these letter grades nor was there any mention of what games the gradings were based on. I’m a stickler for details. If an assessment (even though it is clearly stated as an opinion) is going to be put out there of this level about our starting QB, there really needs to be solid data and evidence to back up the statements. “I don’t really know” answers does not instill confidence in me with what I am reading.
I drew most of my observations from the video evidence at the bottom of this post.
I might be writing up a more comprehensive analysis of Riley, but it probably won’t be ready for a few more weeks.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Aug 4, 2010 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions
That explains things. It was not sure what tape nor scope this story was looking at Riley’s mechanics from so it makes a bit more sense now to me.
I also drew upon his Cal-USC game for the severe downside, but I didn’t link to it here for fear of causing violent illness.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Aug 4, 2010 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree with this comment in principle, but some of it is just plain wrong.
by Oski4Heisman on Aug 4, 2010 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
I'm hoping to see less of this during 2010
O-line breaks down, Riley is about to get sacked, and he just keeps looking for somewhere to throw it instead of tossing it out of bounds.
"Some people watch adult videos on their computer - I go to YouTube and watch Jahvid Best highlight clips. That’s what gets me going."- Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions head coach
Or just pull it down, tuck it away and start running; he’s not too shabby running (for a QB).
Am I known as Cugel the Clever for nothing?
My friend who was at the women’s huddle said he has definitively lost his beer gut and is acting as confident as she’s seen him (she’s talked to him every year he’s been at the women’s huddle).
o=========<| BBBBBBEARZZZZZZ
by Thoroughbred on Aug 4, 2010 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions
HE SURE CAN DANCE!
Samuels said. "That last-minute shot at halftime sums it up. Shooting off one leg? C'mon, man."
GORGEOUS deep ball
I think Riley has the most beautiful deep ball in the Pac-10. He started the season last year with a few beautiful long throws, but we seemed to go away from it as the season progressed (probably due to lack of O-line protection and receivers not getting separation).
I talked to Brian Van Meter on the bus the other day (3rd string QB back in 06-07) and he said Riley has an incredible long ball. The sad thing he also told me is that Riley is a little bit of boozie and hates to work out/lift weights. But Brian did confirm that he has the most naturally gifted throwing ability he has ever seen.
I think he will bust out this year and lead us to 10-3 (losses to USC, Oregon and Oregon St).
"I thought it was a completely classless how Coach Mack Brown was begging for votes after the Texas A&M game," Aaron Rodgers said. "I think a team’s record and the way you play should speak for itself, and you shouldn’t have to complain about the BCS system. Coach Tedford isn’t going to, although he’s frustrated just like we are. I think we’re a bigger team, classier than that."
by Another Failed Tedford QB on Aug 4, 2010 10:21 AM PDT reply actions
I corrected the first para for you.
I think Riley has the most beautiful deep ball in the Pac-10. He started the season last year with a few beautiful long throws, but we seemed to go away from it as the season progressed (probably due to lack of O-line protection and receivers notgetting separationbeing able to catch).
Careful, man. There's a beverage here!
His beer gut was crazy in 2008. It was downright hilarious. He seems like a really nice guy though.
The pop he gets off his throw has astounded me since his HS tape. Pretty amazing for a guy who’s only 6’0. He is broad and… sturdy though.
o=========<| BBBBBBEARZZZZZZ
by Thoroughbred on Aug 4, 2010 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Subjectively......
The maddening part for me is how bad some of his misses are. It seems that too many of his misses are either way off the mark or were easy, short throws to open receivers. This would tell me that his problems are more mental that physical. Hopefully, his added comfort level, experience and confidence will cure these.
possible bad route by the wideout?
Samuels said. "That last-minute shot at halftime sums it up. Shooting off one leg? C'mon, man."
Not some of them. He’s great on the long seam route, and most of those drops were on the receiver. But it was those wide open, nobody near, throws to the flats – sideline area that gave me fits. Example: the throw to Vereen in the U$C game, way over his head. Possible TD wasted. That part strikes me as mental, almost as if, because the target is sooooo open, Riley thinks too much, and then just over throws it.
Anyway, I hope he puts it all together this season, he certainly could, and its happened before to other Pac-10 QBs in the past.
Am I known as Cugel the Clever for nothing?
Riley’s mechanics when he throws to the flats are very peculiar. From some of the plays I’ve seen (including Vereen), he seems to twist his body up, the throwing shoulder is brought up, and he then releases the ball super high, which leads to either an overthrow or a dangling ball in the air. I’d like to see him shift his feet to the side and move his shoulders so that he’s facing the receiver better and can get the ball to him quicker.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Aug 4, 2010 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions
agreed, the checkdown or lob to the flats is the single most apparent flaw in Riley’s repertoire. Someone accurately observed that Riley is fine throwing to receivers going north-south, but somehow cannot lead his receivers correctly going east-west, especially at or behind the line of scrimmage.
He can put it all together this season, no doubt. He’ll miss some passes, but I like hearing that he has more maturity and confidence—hopefully he’ll bounce back quicker.
Haha, actually the picture in this post is a perfect illustration of Riley’s mechanical issues throwing side to side.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Aug 4, 2010 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
GoldenBlogs' FAQ and Community Guidelines
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
About Us
• About the Golden Bloggers
• Our previous site @ Blogsome
• Avinash @ Bears Necessity
• Best of the Golden Blogs
• Golden Blogs Interviews
• HydroTech's Cal Football Analyses
• Ron Fimrite's Anatomy Of A Miracle
• CGB Weekly Guides
• GoldenBlogs' Community Guidelines
• GoldenBlogs' FAQ
• CGB GIF Army
Learn More About The California Golden Blogs Clothing Store
Pac-12 On SBN
Pacific Takes (Pac-12) NORTH AddictedToQuack: (Oregon)
UW Dawg Pound: (Washington)
CougCenter: (Washington State)
BuildingTheDam: (Oregon State)
Rule Of Tree: (Stanford)
CaliforniaGoldenBlogs: (Cal)
SOUTH
BruinsNation: (UCLA)
ConquestChronicles: (USC)
HouseOfSparky: (ASU)
Arizona Desert Swarm: (Arizona)
TheRalphieReport: (Colorado)
Block U: (Utah)
Golden Bears Football Schedule
| Fresno St. | Sat 09/03 | W 36 - 21 |
@
Colorado
|
Sat 09/10 | W 36 - 33 |
| Presbyterian | Sat 09/17 | W 63 - 12 |
|
@
Washington
|
Sat 09/24 | L 23 - 31 |
|
@
Oregon
|
Thu 10/06 | L 15 - 43 |
|
USC
|
Thu 10/13 | L 9 - 30 |
|
Utah
|
Sat 10/22 | W 34 - 10 |
|
@
UCLA
|
Sat 10/29 | L 14 - 31 |
|
Washington St.
|
Sat 11/05 | W 30 - 7 |
|
Oregon St.
|
Sat 11/12 | W 23 - 6 |
|
@
Stanford
|
Sat 11/19 | L 28 - 31 |
|
@
Arizona St.
|
Fri 11/25 | W 47 - 38 |
|
@
Texas
|
Wed 12/28 | L 10 - 21 |
Pacific-12 Conference Standings
(updated 1.2.2012 at 11:12 PM PST)
| North | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
|
Oregon Ducks
|
8 | 1 | 12 | 2 |
|
Stanford Cardinal
|
8 | 1 | 11 | 2 |
|
Washington Huskies
|
5 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
|
California Golden Bears
|
4 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
|
Oregon St. Beavers
|
3 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
|
Washington St. Cougars
|
2 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
| South | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
|
USC Trojans
|
7 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
|
UCLA Bruins
|
5 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
|
Utah Utes
|
4 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
|
Arizona St. Sun Devils
|
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|
Arizona Wildcats
|
2 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
|
Colorado Buffaloes
|
2 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
