My $.02 re: Mr.Falk

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Falk got spoiled by 2 receivers that could make themselves look wide open and he's forgotten how to find the little seams that you need to be able to find and throw to in this offense.

I saw guys wide open in crossing routes last night and he just wasn't seeing it. The crossing route was a bread and butter pass for us the past 2 seasons. Perhaps the WRs aren't getting as good of a rub as the previous guys, but I still saw kids get open. A lot.

Helinski comes in and these are the WRs he's used to passing to; he has their timing down a little better.I didn't see him do anything that Falk hasn't done as far as accuracy and arm strength; he simply wasn't in his own head.

That being said, I expect Falk to start next week and set the world on fire. It's pretty much his m.o. at this point to crap the bed then come back like he's the Heisman front runner.

 

[Coug90]

He thinks too much. I agree if he's healthy he starts but Leach is gonna have a quick hook on him. Last night was unacceptable. Falk needs to quit thinking so much and let it rip. I think the early pick messed with his head and he went into a shell. Falk has all the talent but he seems to be not very tough mentally.

 

[dgibbons]

Falk got spoiled by 2 receivers that could make themselves look wide open and he's forgotten how to find the little seams that you need to be able to find and throw to in this offense.

I saw guys wide open in crossing routes last night and he just wasn't seeing it. The crossing route was a bread and butter pass for us the past 2 seasons. Perhaps the WRs aren't getting as good of a rub and the previous guys, but I still saw kids get open. A lot.

Helinski comes in and these are the WRs he's used to passing to; he has their timing down a little better.I didn't see him do anything that Falk hasn't done as far as accuracy and arm strength; he simply wasn't in his own head.

That being said, I expect Falk to start next week and set the world on fire. It's pretty much his m.o. at this point to crap the bed then come back like he's the Heisman front runner.

Hikinski clearly has a stronger arm.

I agree wit your post. Falk just won't fire the ball right now.

 

[Loyal Coug]

Hikinski clearly has a stronger arm.

I agree wit your post. Falk just won't fire the ball right now.

After reading all the posts and other reports, the comments about Falks many head injuries and lackluster performances for 5 games now really make me think that he has been injured to the point of reduced effectiveness. Very sad if true.

That said, any talk of him going to or succeeding at the next level is really pretty misplaced, head injuries or not. His arm is not that strong, he is pretty fragile for a guy his size, and is not very mobile (and is subject to injury when he does move). If he gets drafted, I think all that will quickly become clear. I just hope he doesn't get hurt worse in the meantime.

I hate to see our all-time passing leader "retire" during his final season, and I very much hope he snaps out of his apparent funk and leads us to 10+ wins. The next two games will answer all the questions IMHO.........

 

[Coug90]

After reading all the posts and other reports, the comments about Falks many head injuries and lackluster performances for 5 games now really make me think that he has been injured to the point of reduced effectiveness. Very sad if true.

That said, any talk of him going to or succeeding at the next level is really pretty misplaced, head injuries or not. His arm is not that strong, he is pretty fragile for a guy his size, and is not very mobile (and is subject to injury when he does move). If he gets drafted, I think all that will quickly become clear. I just hope he doesn't get hurt worse in the meantime.

I hate to see our all-time passing leader "retire" during his final season, and I very much hope he snaps out of his apparent funk and leads us to 10+ wins. The next two games will answer all the questions IMHO.........

Yes thankfully a couple of games that we should be capable of sorting this out before things get real. Either Falk needs to figure it out or Hillinski needs a couple of weeks of crash course.

I don't see Falk leading this team to more than 8 wins from what I've seen end of last year/start of this year. Im not naive enough to think Hillinski carries team to the Rose Bowl, but certainly reasonable to think he can give you 8 wins too with the added benefit of preparing for the future. Who knows, he may also be Sam Darnold 2.0...never know.

 

[95coug]

He thinks too much. I agree if he's healthy he starts but Leach is gonna have a quick hook on him. Last night was unacceptable. Falk needs to quit thinking so much and let it rip. I think the early pick messed with his head and he went into a shell. Falk has all the talent but he seems to be not very tough mentally.

This. Falk seems to have a tendency to overthink. Every season, he takes a couple games to get out of his own head and start playing well. Seems like he's looking too much for a particular receiver wide open (and neither of those receivers are here anymore). He's playing to not make mistakes, and that eliminates options.

Hilinski is almost the other side of that coin. He's confident, and doesn't have the experience to avoid some mistakes. In other words, he's a sophomore. But, if he can play like he did once he settled in last night, we'll be ok at QB after Falk leaves.

 

[YakiCoug]

Yes thankfully a couple of games that we should be capable of sorting this out before things get real. Either Falk needs to figure it out or Hillinski needs a couple of weeks of crash course.

I don't see Falk leading this team to more than 8 wins from what I've seen end of last year/start of this year. Im not naive enough to think Hillinski carries team to the Rose Bowl, but certainly reasonable to think he can give you 8 wins too with the added benefit of preparing for the future. Who knows, he may also be Sam Darnold 2.0...never know.

Not sure there's another Darnold in the Pac-12. That dude is good.

 

[jarvis1981]

He thinks too much. I agree if he's healthy he starts but Leach is gonna have a quick hook on him. Last night was unacceptable. Falk needs to quit thinking so much and let it rip. I think the early pick messed with his head and he went into a shell. Falk has all the talent but he seems to be not very tough mentally.

Well I have to admit that I kept watching the game but mostly to see how the backup would do at QB. The experience Hilinski last night is a big step for him and his future. It was against a good team and in adverse conditions.
I still think, if Healthy, Falk will start but just with a shorter leash.

As for thinking too much. Maybe Luke needs to take advice from Anthony Quinn from this 1960s film.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

I'm thinking that Leach's "constipated" comment was directly at Falk.

 

[CougPatrol]

I'm not giving up on Falk yet. It's not all that unusual for players to hit a rough patch where they're not seeing the field clearly. I don't think it has anything to do with concussions or head trauma either. He just hasn't played well or played fast enough yet. I agree with Leach in that he seems to be overthinking things and trying to be perfect. A brief stint on the bench may have been just what the doctor ordered.

So far, this season couldn't have gotten off to a better start. We've won both games without the offense clicking, we've gotten a lot of meaningful reps for Hilinski, we have 2 more home games against beatable opponents.

We can't take the Beavs or Nevada lightly, but I'm comfortable with Hilinski starting against both of them if we need him to.

 

[Observer11]

Falk' not playing in the league - the common denominator between the Coug NFL QBs that actually logged time is a cannon right arm. Thompson, Rypien, Rosenbach, Bledsoe and Leaf all had guns and could throw cheese.

Falk is a junkball pitcher and that's fine in the minors. But you have to be able to throw all the pitches in the big leagues.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Well I have to admit that I kept watching the game but mostly to see how the backup would do at QB. The experience Hilinski last night is a big step for him and his future. It was against a good team and in adverse conditions.
I still think, if Healthy, Falk will start but just with a shorter leash.

As for thinking too much. Maybe Luke needs to take advice from Anthony Quinn from this 1960s film.

View embedded media

Clever people and grocers weigh everything. Thanks, Jarvis. I've never seen that one. Actually, I'd essay to say that it is rather profound! (sorry...I couldn't resist!)

 

[dgibbons]

Falk' not playing in the league - the common denominator between the Coug NFL QBs that actually logged time is a cannon right arm. Thompson, Rypien, Rosenbach, Bledsoe and Leaf all had guns and could throw cheese.

Falk is a junkball pitcher and that's fine in the minors. But you have to be able to throw all the pitches in the big leagues.

Brink was drafted. Just saying.

 

[CougPatrol]

Brink was drafted. Just saying.

Hey, Brink had a cannon arm, AND he looked great with his shirt off.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Hey, Brink had a cannon arm, AND he looked great with his shirt off.

You misspelled "Noodle".

 

[Observer11]

Brink was drafted. Just saying.

Thank you for provIng the point. Brink didn't play in the league either.

 

[random soul]

Falk' not playing in the league - the common denominator between the Coug NFL QBs that actually logged time is a cannon right arm. Thompson, Rypien, Rosenbach, Bledsoe and Leaf all had guns and could throw cheese.

Falk is a junkball pitcher and that's fine in the minors. But you have to be able to throw all the pitches in the big leagues.

Not necessarily. Guys like Steve Walsh and Andy Dalton end up in the pros. But they also have anticipation. Falk only develops that with pet receivers he can lock onto, almost all of which are now gone. Martin is the only guy still eligible and healthy that he has any rapport with at all, and I don't think it's a coincidence that he's the only one making more than one catch a game at the receiver position while Falk is playing. He either doesn't trust the newbies, or doesn't trust himself throwing to them.

 

[random soul]

Thank you for provIng the point. Brink didn't play in the league either.

I actually think Brink would be more effective with this supporting cast if he knew the offense. Say what you will about his arm, but he was more decisive than Luke and far better at avoiding bad sacks. He made our line look better than it was the last two years he was eligible. Brink's problem was an eroding run game, God-awful defenses that he had to try to carry without the full toolset to really do so (himself and his line and post-Harrison backs, his receivers were very good), and probably Rosenseller as the offensive coordinators. The erosion up front and on defense hurt our winning percentage more than Brink did though, noodle arm or not.

I'm not usually big on benching quarterbacks, but Leach made the right call, and if Luke finds himself on a shorter leash or in competition for the starting spot, I'm ok with that. This is not Menkebaum or Swoggebrink. This is Gessekegel. Both guys can play. Let the hot hand make use of what Leach has assembled.

 

[CougPatrol]

Ancient football proverb: Beware the infatuation with the backup QB.

 

[longtimecoug]

Ancient football proverb: Beware the infatuation with the backup QB.

falk has earned a spot on the bench, he hasn't been effective since craycraft was hauled off the field

 

[CougPatrol]

falk has earned a spot on the bench, he hasn't been effective since craycraft was hauled off the field

Maybe, maybe not. I don't think he deserves to be benched yet. In fact, I think our schedule works out perfectly now that we escaped Boise State with a win.

Falk is undefeated and has played his best football against the Beavers. We've got Oregon State and Nevada at home to get Falk and our offense clicking, and I think we need to stick with Luke and see if he can right the ship.

Benching a highly regarded senior QB who passed up the NFL draft after just 2 weeks (and after getting clocked) isn't as easy as it sounds. There's a political element at play that needs to be recognized.

The way I see it, Leach is in a good situation here. If Falk is injured, Hilinski can play against the Beavs and Nevada if necessary. If Tyler shines, then Falk can resume his starting role, but if Luke struggles, then the decision to bench him would go over a lot better with the team. If Luke is cleared to play vs. Oregon State, you start him and see if he can break out of his funk. If he struggles the next two weeks, the decision to bench him will be easier to make.

 

[Coug95man2]

Maybe, maybe not. I don't think he deserves to be benched yet. In fact, I think our schedule works out perfectly now that we escaped Boise State with a win.

Falk is undefeated and has played his best football against the Beavers. We've got Oregon State and Nevada at home to get Falk and our offense clicking, and I think we need to stick with Luke and see if he can right the ship.

Benching a highly regarded senior QB who passed up the NFL draft after just 2 weeks (and after getting clocked) isn't as easy as it sounds. There's a political element at play that needs to be recognized.

The way I see it, Leach is in a good situation here. If Falk is injured, Hilinski can play against the Beavs and Nevada if necessary. If Tyler shines, then Falk can resume his starting role, but if Luke struggles, then the decision to bench him would go over a lot better with the team. If Luke is cleared to play vs. Oregon State, you start him and see if he can break out of his funk. If he struggles the next two weeks, the decision to bench him will be easier to make.

Agreed. And might I add, the schedule being what it is (5 home games and how we've all been bitching about it) is what's going to allow CML to have some room for both QB's to grow in this situation. While I'm not happy about 5 home games in a row, this will work out well for our QB situation.

 

[Fab5Coug]

Ironically, I think the guy who could maybe help Falk the most, is the guy we couldn't wait to see Falk replace.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

Ironically, I think the guy who could maybe help Falk the most, is the guy we couldn't wait to see Falk replace.

Who's that? Am I the only one who didn't get your point?

 

[Coug95man2]

Who's that? Am I the only one who didn't get your point?

I think he was referencing Halliday... Falk needs to have a pinch of "gunslinger" in him. Too cautious.

 

[Coug95man2]

According to ESPN, Falk is starting against OSU...

 

[StormyCOUG42]

Falk has been playing like an absolute turd since what?... the second half of the Colorado game maybe? I dont count the MSU game because they are terrible and putting up 31 on them isnt all that impressive. Fact is, Falk just isnt making the right decisions with the football. You cant hesitate and then dump off to the RBs every play. It isnt going to work against a quality defense. If he is struggling to put up points against a horrible OSU team, he needs to get benched. If he fixes his issues and plays solid, then on to Nevada. He better light them up too... I'm not willing to lose to either of those teams because some folks feel Falk has "earned" the right to struggle in games. This is about winning. We have an easy path to 4-0 and potentially a big time matchup with USC. Lets not screw this up. FWIW, I think TH has a better arm, better mobility, and RIGHT NOW is making better decisions with his throws. He's young and he'll make some bad throws but thats just part of the process. He still playing fairly smart football... people are calling him a gunslinger like CH... I think that's a bad comparison. Just because he takes a few shots, unlike our current QB who wont throw more than 5 yards downfield, doesnt mean he is reckless. He needs to avoid the sacks. Other than that, I thought he played really well. Even the shovel pass that was picked off wasnt the worst play. It got tipped. I could see what he was trying to do with it.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

Coug95man2 post....I think he was referencing Halliday...



Never heard of the guy.

 

[dgibbons]

Ironically, I think the guy who could maybe help Falk the most, is the guy we couldn't wait to see Falk replace.

I'm curious about how/if Graham Harrell's departure from the staff has affected Falk.

 

[M-I-Coug]

Anyone know why Graham Harrell bolted for the University of North Texas? I understand he was their first hire, (2 years ago), but why would he leave? Seems like a step down, unless he wanted to move back to the state of Texas.

Anyone know?

 

[CougPatrol]

For the record, I don't think Falk played badly against UW. They were an elite defense, and we were down 28-3 before the National Anthem ended.

He barelymissed on some passes vs Colorado that could have swung that game. They were a good defense too.

 

[dgibbons]

Anyone know why Graham Harrell bolted for the University of North Texas? I understand he was their first hire, (2 years ago), but why would he leave? Seems like a step down, unless he wanted to move back to the state of Texas.

Anyone know?

He was hired as the OC and QB coach.

 

[CougEd]

Anyone know why Graham Harrell bolted for the University of North Texas? I understand he was their first hire, (2 years ago), but why would he leave? Seems like a step down, unless he wanted to move back to the state of Texas.

Anyone know?

Because he was never going to coach QB's or ever become the OC. He went to N Texas to expand on his resume.

 

[Coug90]

Falk has been playing like an absolute turd since what?... the second half of the Colorado game maybe? I dont count the MSU game because they are terrible and putting up 31 on them isnt all that impressive. Fact is, Falk just isnt making the right decisions with the football. You cant hesitate and then dump off to the RBs every play. It isnt going to work against a quality defense. If he is struggling to put up points against a horrible OSU team, he needs to get benched. If he fixes his issues and plays solid, then on to Nevada. He better light them up too... I'm not willing to lose to either of those teams because some folks feel Falk has "earned" the right to struggle in games. This is about winning. We have an easy path to 4-0 and potentially a big time matchup with USC. Lets not screw this up. FWIW, I think TH has a better arm, better mobility, and RIGHT NOW is making better decisions with his throws. He's young and he'll make some bad throws but thats just part of the process. He still playing fairly smart football... people are calling him a gunslinger like CH... I think that's a bad comparison. Just because he takes a few shots, unlike our current QB who wont throw more than 5 yards downfield, doesnt mean he is reckless. He needs to avoid the sacks. Other than that, I thought he played really well. Even the shovel pass that was picked off wasnt the worst play. It got tipped. I could see what he was trying to do with it.

I agree completely. Coaching/GM jobs in the NFL are lost for rewarding guys for what they once did. We don't typically see this in college because guys usually don't regress...it's an odd situation. But if he doesn't figure it out these next two weeks he will be benched and will deserve it considering what we've seen so far from Hillinski. It's about winning not someone's feelings.

 

[brettcraycraft51]

interesting point about harrell... that hadn't occured to me, but if they had a really good mentor-type relationship, that could be a factor. honestly though, this really seems like an occam's razor situation. given the timing and trajectory of his regression, the simplest explanation is the one the most here are saying: he's had his melon beat around a few too many times, and it's just thrown him off. it's not hard to imagine that taking the kind of punishment he has would cause the kinds of results (slow, seemingly confused, hesitant, etc) we've seen from him. at the end of the day, none of us really knows what's up, but this is the most likely explanation.

a semi-related note on the "gunslinger" trope: i rewatched every offensive series on youtube because i wanted to check out the claim someone was making during the game that the 5 wide sets are ineffective (it's always worth running down the data to answer an interesting question like that). anyway, i wasn't specifically keeping track anything else, but watching helinski's performance (after the 20-yard sack/backhanded int abortion), what stands out is that he didn't come in "gunslinging" any more than falk. he wasn't attempting low percentage/high upside passes. he was just far more effective at making reads and getting the ball out. almost every pass he threw was short yardage. in other words, when he was successful, it's because he was taking what the defense was giving and moving the chains.

one other observation: again, no specific numbers, but anecdotally, our wide receivers actually seem pretty good in the yards after catch category. i'm not talking spectacular, take a 5 yard pass and turn it into a 55 yard touchdown stuff, but i noticed receiver after receiver catching a 0-3 yard pass and turning the right direction or slipping the first tackler and turning it into a 6-8 yard play--with the occasional longer gain. again, it's not going to light the world on fire, but it's a positive takeaway (after a game that made me really look hard for those).

i guess what i'm saying is that if whoever the qb is makes good decisions and gets the ball out quickly, this has a chance to be an efficient but not spectacular offense, which is exactly what it was last season. and if the defense can build on their success, the combo could make for a better season than last year.

you can tell i'm really trying hard to be positive...

 

[Jiff76]

Re, "any talk of him going to or succeeding at the next level is really pretty misplaced, head injuries or not. His arm is not that strong, he is pretty fragile for a guy his size, and is not very mobile (and is subject to injury when he does move)."

Agreed. The TV guys on Saturday were saying Falk would be a high pick and an NFL starter. I don't think so. The NFL is going for more QB mobility lately and I don't see his arm and height as making up for his lack thereof. I don't place his NFL potential any higher than Tuel and Brink, both of whom are shorter, but just as good passers and had better mobility. Yeah, Falk is a record setter, look where that got Marks.

Leach pretty much has to start Falk against OSU, but I wouldn't mind seeing more of Hilinski. He looked pretty darn good, and he'd be getting experience for next season.

 

[dgibbons]

interesting point about harrell... that hadn't occured to me, but if they had a really good mentor-type relationship, that could be a factor. honestly though, this really seems like an occam's razor situation. given the timing and trajectory of his regression, the simplest explanation is the one the most here are saying: he's had his melon beat around a few too many times, and it's just thrown him off. it's not hard to imagine that taking the kind of punishment he has would cause the kinds of results (slow, seemingly confused, hesitant, etc) we've seen from him. at the end of the day, none of us really knows what's up, but this is the most likely explanation.

a semi-related note on the "gunslinger" trope: i rewatched every offensive series on youtube because i wanted to check out the claim someone was making during the game that the 5 wide sets are ineffective (it's always worth running down the data to answer an interesting question like that). anyway, i wasn't specifically keeping track anything else, but watching helinski's performance (after the 20-yard sack/backhanded int abortion), what stands out is that he didn't come in "gunslinging" any more than falk. he wasn't attempting low percentage/high upside passes. he was just far more effective at making reads and getting the ball out. almost every pass he threw was short yardage. in other words, when he was successful, it's because he was taking what the defense was giving and moving the chains.

one other observation: again, no specific numbers, but anecdotally, our wide receivers actually seem pretty good in the yards after catch category. i'm not talking spectacular, take a 5 yard pass and turn it into a 55 yard touchdown stuff, but i noticed receiver after receiver catching a 0-3 yard pass and turning the right direction or slipping the first tackler and turning it into a 6-8 yard play--with the occasional longer gain. again, it's not going to light the world on fire, but it's a positive takeaway (after a game that made me really look hard for those).

i guess what i'm saying is that if whoever the qb is makes good decisions and gets the ball out quickly, this has a chance to be an efficient but not spectacular offense, which is exactly what it was last season. and if the defense can build on their success, the combo could make for a better season than last year.

you can tell i'm really trying hard to be positive...

Hilinski was dropping some balls over top of the LBs, to a receiver on the sideline. He dropped a dime to Sweet as an example. Some might call that "gunslinger" but it was also the kind of pass Falk used to throw.

 

[CougPatrol]

Hilinski was dropping some balls over top of the LBs, to a receiver on the sideline. He dropped a dime to Sweet as an example. Some might call that "gunslinger" but it was also the kind of pass Falk used to throw.

My .02c on Falk, as I stated in another thread, is that we've seen this from him throughout his career. Mediocre performances against Portland State, Wyoming, Cal, UW, and Miami, Fla. in 2015. Last year not performing great to start the Oregon State game, against UCLA, Colorado, UW, and Minnesota.

This will upset some people, but I've always considered him a very good system QB, but not an elite QB. When the scheme is working, he's as good of a game manager as we've had. When the offense struggles, Luke struggles.

My opinion of Luke is not entirely different than that of my all time favorite QB, Tom Brady (I'm originally from Boston). Great game manager, but the real credit goes to the coach and the system.

 

[brettcraycraft51]

Hilinski was dropping some balls over top of the LBs, to a receiver on the sideline. He dropped a dime to Sweet as an example. Some might call that "gunslinger" but it was also the kind of pass Falk used to throw.

for sure. my point wasn't that he was exclusively throwing short, but that he wasn't going out there and taking a bunch of undue risks. he was more or less taking the same chances as falk (recall that falk also attempted some of these types of passes on saturday). hilinski just did it better.

i'm just saying that hilinski's performance wasn't some kind of proof that falk needed to be more of a gunslinger (which some people seem to be saying), just that hilinski was more effective than falk at basically doing the same thing.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Hilinski was dropping some balls over top of the LBs, to a receiver on the sideline. He dropped a dime to Sweet as an example. Some might call that "gunslinger" but it was also the kind of pass Falk used to throw.

Precisely.

Falk's kryptonite right now is the LB; if they are anywhere in his sight window the pass won't be made.