I was a little down this morning; going to a funeral later this morning. So I went to YouTube and pulled up the 1986 WSU/USC game, which I have never watched in its entirety. The WSU archives show the bulk of the game, and it was good for me to watch. While listening to Bob Rob and Paul call the game, it occurred to me that both Ed Blount and Rodney Peete were the sort of mobile, throwing QB's that some of the offenses are moving back toward today. That actually led me to two questions...
1.) What would Chip Kelly do today with a Rodney Peete?
2.) And is a combination running/throwing QB actually less likely to be injured in an (for want of a better term) option/passing offense (such as the Cougs were running in 1986) than in a pistol or deep snap type offense? SC had a very good defense in 1986, yet I saw very few high velocity, head on collisions between Blount and the SC defenders. Is that because the typical down the line and roll out angles for a QB in that offense makes him less likely to get big hits than with Chip's version of the QB run/throw from a shotgun or similar deep snap position? And I'm talking about the 1986 offense, which regularly utilized 3 wides and even the occasional 4 wides empty backfield (our "Idaho" formation, with a nod to Dennis Ericson), not the 1981 strictly rump turn option version.
I respect Chip's football brain. And a good brain in any field is capable of evolution if given a reason to do so. If Chip had Rodney, would he do more under center stuff within his existing playbook? I can't imagine a better QB for Chip's Oregon offense than Peete...But a guy that strong and fast could probably make it work from under center. And if there is less likelihood of QB injury...always Chip's biggest offensive problem...would he do it?
1.) What would Chip Kelly do today with a Rodney Peete?
2.) And is a combination running/throwing QB actually less likely to be injured in an (for want of a better term) option/passing offense (such as the Cougs were running in 1986) than in a pistol or deep snap type offense? SC had a very good defense in 1986, yet I saw very few high velocity, head on collisions between Blount and the SC defenders. Is that because the typical down the line and roll out angles for a QB in that offense makes him less likely to get big hits than with Chip's version of the QB run/throw from a shotgun or similar deep snap position? And I'm talking about the 1986 offense, which regularly utilized 3 wides and even the occasional 4 wides empty backfield (our "Idaho" formation, with a nod to Dennis Ericson), not the 1981 strictly rump turn option version.
I respect Chip's football brain. And a good brain in any field is capable of evolution if given a reason to do so. If Chip had Rodney, would he do more under center stuff within his existing playbook? I can't imagine a better QB for Chip's Oregon offense than Peete...But a guy that strong and fast could probably make it work from under center. And if there is less likelihood of QB injury...always Chip's biggest offensive problem...would he do it?
