O'Connell?

[MiChargers]

I was unable to see your game tonight, but was interested in knowing how my boy O'Connell did. Input?

 

[Richter]

I was unable to see your game tonight, but was interested in knowing how my boy O'Connell did. Input?

Good. Would have been even better if C.J. Jones had bothered to catch the rocket thrown to him instead of clanging it off his hands to a defender.

 

[Kdo5]

He did well. Escaped the pass rush very well and was very mobile. He led his offense well and made a couple really nice throws, especially the one on the sidelines to Ventrone.

He was making a comeback for us when CJ Jones choked twice.

 

[Bertil]

...but Ventrone really showed up last night. He helped his QB, and therefore himself on several occasions. That Catch from O'Connell was really an NFL-Ready play.

 

[PatsFan37]

O'Connell looked best with his ability to move around in the pocket to buy time for himself, while looking downfield and finding the open man. He had several advantages over Cassel:
1. He wasn't forced to follow a script that had him throwing to a receiver in tight coverage. He was probably given looser instructions. Cassel was probably told 'you WILL throw to Chad Jackson.'
2. His OLine wasn't playing against the Ravens #1 D, so he had a little more time. OTOH, when he got the rush, he looked terrific moving around and keeping the play alive.

That said (just to shut up the knee-jerk posters who want to cut anyone who looks bad in the first preseason game and send anyone who looks good to the HOF), I thought O'Connell had a terrific night. From what I've heard, he was probably under less pressure last night than on his best day in San Diego.

He was very cool throwing out of his own end zone.

Let's see what happens when he's using the regular playbook, faces a better defense, and his receivers are covered by top CBs. Remember how good Cassel looked playing against Miami in a regular season game. And now everyone thinks he's a chump.

It's never as good as you hope, or as bad as you fear.

(Sorry, michargers, as you might have guessed that wasn't directed at you, but at some of the overhyped posters on the board)

 

[bbabin]

One of KO'Cs most impressive plays was the third and long from his own endzone when he moved around and bought time to zip a perfect pass to an open CJ Jones for the first down. Unfortunately he didn't catch it. It was pretty impressive QB play, though.

 

[Rob0729]

He had a good first game. Still has a long way to go before he can be considered ready to be The GUY behind Brady. A nice step in the right direction though.

 

[marty]

He did well for first NFL experience, abet facing 2nd/3rd stringers. He seemed confident and poised. I liked my first look at him!

 

[dhamz]

He had several advantages over Cassel:
1. He wasn't forced to follow a script that had him throwing to a receiver in tight coverage. He was probably given looser instructions. Cassel was probably told 'you WILL throw to Chad Jackson.

Now this is over defending Cassel. Football doesn't work like this. QBs have reads on pass plays (with the exception of screens), not directives to throw the ball to one player no matter what.

 

[PatsFan37]

Now this is over defending Cassel. Football doesn't work like this. QBs have reads on pass plays (with the exception of screens), not directives to throw the ball to one player no matter what.

You're right. Knee-jerk reaction to the knee-jerk posters calling for his execution.

 

[xmarkd400x]

Now this is over defending Cassel. Football doesn't work like this. QBs have reads on pass plays (with the exception of screens), not directives to throw the ball to one player no matter what.

Except in preseason, where who knows what happens.

When BB was HC of the NYG and in a preseason game, Pepper Johnson was a linebacker. BB kept calling poor run-defense plays while the opposing team kept running down the throats of the NYG. When the Giants finally stopped the other team, Pepper Johnson came off expecting to be praised for stopping the offense out of a bad defensive set. He was met with about four minutes of "NOBODY RUNS ON THE [Expletive deleted] NEW YORK GIANTS".

Conclusion: Anything can and will happen in the preseason.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Now this is over defending Cassel. Football doesn't work like this. QBs have reads on pass plays (with the exception of screens), not directives to throw the ball to one player no matter what.

In the regular season, yes. In the preseason, not necessarily.

Someone (Reiss?) made the observation that, for example, when CJ Jones fielded a punt inside the 5, it might have been because Belichick specifically wanted to set up a poor field position as an evaluation tool. [No such excuse on his fumble, though. ]

 

[MiChargers]

O'Connell looked best with his ability to move around in the pocket to buy time for himself, while looking downfield and finding the open man. He had several advantages over Cassel:
1. He wasn't forced to follow a script that had him throwing to a receiver in tight coverage. He was probably given looser instructions. Cassel was probably told 'you WILL throw to Chad Jackson.'
2. His OLine wasn't playing against the Ravens #1 D, so he had a little more time. OTOH, when he got the rush, he looked terrific moving around and keeping the play alive.

That said (just to shut up the knee-jerk posters who want to cut anyone who looks bad in the first preseason game and send anyone who looks good to the HOF), I thought O'Connell had a terrific night. From what I've heard, he was probably under less pressure last night than on his best day in San Diego.
He was very cool throwing out of his own end zone.

Let's see what happens when he's using the regular playbook, faces a better defense, and his receivers are covered by top CBs. Remember how good Cassel looked playing against Miami in a regular season game. And now everyone thinks he's a chump.

It's never as good as you hope, or as bad as you fear.

(Sorry, michargers, as you might have guessed that wasn't directed at you, but at some of the overhyped posters on the board)

Thanks! Based on your guys' impressions, what you saw of O'Connell last night is spot on of what he will give you. He is excellent on the run...very mobile. A great run and pass QB (dare I say Favre-esque). His biggest weakness is if he gets touched and/or wrapped up. Instead of just going down and taking a sack, he will often toss up a duck. Enough to make you sick when you watch it. If he can get past that, you guys will find he's a solid, mobile, backup QB.

Oh, and you're right about his time at SDSU, he was always running for his life. That's how he became a good run and shoot guy.

 

[PatsFan37]

His biggest weakness is if he gets touched and/or wrapped up. Instead of just going down and taking a sack, he will often toss up a duck. Enough to make you sick when you watch it. If he can get past that, you guys will find he's a solid, mobile, backup QB.

They should be able to teach him that. One of Cassel's problems has been protecting the football when he's sacked, and NFL defenders are a whole lot better at going for the ball when they sack the QB. Cassel has gotten a little better at that. I didn't like that he slipped on the field, but I liked his instinct to curl around the ball, anticipating the hit.

 

[PullaRandyMoss81]

i thought he looked great for a rookie quarterback in his first nfl game. what impressed me the most was his ability to throw good passes while on the run and his ability to escape several pass rushers to get the first down. he seemed to lead his team well in pressure situations...(4th down, last shot to take a lead) he threw a perfact pass to c.j. jones but he just dropped it. also had great accuracy on a throw to ray ventrone for a sideline toe tap for a completion. i felt safe with him at quarterback where as i didnt for cassel and gutierrez. he looks great!