How much of an improvement in the passing game do we see?

[UFGATORFAN]

With a years experience for driskel and 4 of 5 offensive lineman returning how much of an improvement in the passing game are we going to see?

I know we lose 2 of our top 3 receivers from last year in Reed and Hammond but I still expect improvements.

Robinson, Fullwood, and Bailey are going to be big playmakers for us. Dunbar will most likely be the go to receiver. If debose can get back to where he was at his sophomore season he can be a big deep threat. Kent Taylor and Colin Thompson will be big time tight ends.

I also expect to see big improvements from driskel.

Not to compare him, but the improvements quarterbacks like Andrew luck, aj McCarron, matthew Stafford, and others made from their first to second year starting were huge.

I don't expect driskel to jump up any draft boards, but I do expect him to make some big improvements in the passing game

I would like to see driskel move to around 2500 passing yards with around 20 TD's through the air. improvements like that would really open up our offense.

[gatorspook]

Well not to answer a question with a question, but JD's biggest problem is he can't check secondary receivers. Is is kind of a point and shoot player. Can he change plays at the line, grasp the coverages, and check down his progressions? Answer that and you'll have the answer to your question.

[Mus_champ11]

I was thinking about that today. The difference will night and day. Coach Pease has to be estatic. Dunbar will look tons better just because the other
receivers have to be accounted for. We will miss Gilly for sure (i.e. that touch down run he had against A&M where he tip toed the sideline and the nifty move prior to that). However, we will have a running game that defense's have to worry about also.

Muschamp said in his post game presser after the UGA loss that UGA loaded the
box and forced Driskell and Florida to beat thru the air.
UGA will not have that luxury come October. Plus , we have a bye week before the dogs. The last 2 years, Goergia has not beaten us. We've beaten ourselves.
Before this years game, I said to dont turn the ball over within our own 20 yard line and we will win. But we did just that on the 1st series of the game. the year prior we fumbled the ball 2 times inside our own 20 yard line before the half. sorry for getting off topic BUT the UGA game is the game I have marked on
my calendar!

[floridagator]

Well not to answer a question with a question, but JD's biggest problem is he can't check secondary receivers. Is is kind of a point and shoot player. Can he change plays at the line, grasp the coverages, and check down his progressions? Answer that and you'll have the answer to your question.

Tebow did the same thing. They arranged drag routes or bombs then an improv if he had to, the difference is we had the receivers to be a threat as well as a good OL.

To answer the question, I think he will be pretty good this next year

[Mr. Eko]

Well not to answer a question with a question, but JD's biggest problem is he can't check secondary receivers. Is is kind of a point and shoot player. Can he change plays at the line, grasp the coverages, and check down his progressions? Answer that and you'll have the answer to your question.

Actually, JD does all those things....he just doesn't do them frequently enough. The things you talked about will be part of his learning process in the spring. My guess is he is already breaking down his film from this year and continuing his learning process right now.

[gatorspook]

Well not to answer a question with a question, but JD's biggest problem is he can't check secondary receivers. Is is kind of a point and shoot player. Can he change plays at the line, grasp the coverages, and check down his progressions? Answer that and you'll have the answer to your question.

Actually, JD does all those things....he just doesn't do them frequently enough. The things you talked about will be part of his learning process in the spring. My guess is he is already breaking down his film from this year and continuing his learning process right now.

Film study has always been a problem with him.

[Mus_champ11]

Well not to answer a question with a question, but JD's biggest problem is he can't check secondary receivers. Is is kind of a point and shoot player. Can he change plays at the line, grasp the coverages, and check down his progressions? Answer that and you'll have the answer to your question.

I heard in an interview with Pease that Driskell was told NOT to audible at the
LOS. i swear i heard it. However, that will no longer be the case, Pease will coach
him in the spring on what to audible etc. Pease said this offense is complicated.

[Gator Fever]

The problem with Driskel is he seemed to make zero progress in the passing game as the season went on. I would have thought it impossible for us to almost literally have the worst passing game in the FBS even worse than some option teams. Crazy stuff.

[Coach9]

Sometime during the middle of last season I heard an interview with Gary Danielson. It came shortly after watching our practice as he was preparing to broadcast our game. He indicated that our receivers were not capable of running 3 man route combos that required adjustments depending on the defense. Hopefully with a new crop of receivers and new receivers coach we will be able to add some sophistication to our passing game.
I'm not sure what our staff teaches : progression reads or coverage reads. Or maybe the combination where your coverage keys dictate your progression which is best. The good passing offenses make it look easy. Just receivers running to open grass and the QB throwing it to open grass.

[Ancient Reptile]

The problem with Driskel is he seemed to make zero progress in the passing game as the season went on. I would have thought it impossible for us to almost literally have the worst passing game in the FBS even worse than some option teams. Crazy stuff.

So! There is another QB pessimist on the board. I am a fatalist with QBs--either they got it or they don't. I fear any improvement in passing will depend largely on the OL and receivers.

[Gator Fever]

The problem with Driskel is he seemed to make zero progress in the passing game as the season went on. I would have thought it impossible for us to almost literally have the worst passing game in the FBS even worse than some option teams. Crazy stuff.

So! There is another QB pessimist on the board. I am a fatalist with QBs--either they got it or they don't. I fear any improvement in passing will depend largely on the OL and receivers.

Not saying he wont - I hope he will but he didnt improve as the season went on this year and there were many times where he got tunnel vision with wide open guys down the field. The non sugar coated reality is our passing game was pathetic but we were bailed out by defense, ST and a running game that wore teams down usually if our defense held their offense in check early.

[#1GATOR FAN]

Can't get much worse that's for sure

But JD has all the tools just needs to get the mental/smart part of his game down an he will be fine

[rogdochar]

Can't get much worse that's for sure

But JD has all the tools just needs to get the mental/smart part of his game down an he will be fine

Yeah, get it down. His long-legged Vandy runs sure looked Kaepernikish.

[Gatorious]

If having a Gator passing game below the first 50 in college football is a crime, having the 100th something rank is a crime against nature.

It is hard to overstate the awfulness.

[TN G8tr]

I think alot of it comes with Maturity in the position. It was kinda a tale of two offensive lines. I don't think anyone would have felt comfortable behind them. Mix that in the factor and it had an effect on how little he checked down. Give him some comfort and that will allow confidence to build. Given a year of experience behind him, should yield benefits.

[scmike]

Our passing game will improve only if the coaching of the QBs and receivers improve. I believe Joker will do a great job with the receivers, but I am not sold on Pease as a QB coach because he was terrible at it this year compared to other SEC QB coaches.

[ncargat1]

I heard in an interview with Pease that Driskell was told NOT to audible at the LOS. i swear i heard it.

You did, and it was written about in a few places. JD could not figure out enough of the offense for the coaches to feel comfortable with him changing plays.

As for the rest of it, one thing was painfully clear to everyone. Driskel does read the defense pre-snap, but decides right then and there where he is going to throw it.

Every book I have ever read about football says the same thing. The biggest improvement in a player, especially a QB comes between his first year as a starter and his second.

So, Driskel is on the clock. Hopefully Skylar Mornhinweg is going to get good reps this year and threaten for the job. Maybe that will push Driskel to actually get in the film room and improve. Or, maybe he will lose his job to a better QB. Either way, this is a pretty important off season for his development, especially knowing that offense will HAVE to win some games next year.

[mrgator]

I think Driskel will improve. I just don't know what his ceiling is going to be. Sometimes you get a great player like Manziel who exceeds expectations but most kids need a year in the system to fully develop.

I'm not sure about our WR position yet. I think it drips of over-flowing "potential" but unless one of the freshen WRs shines from day one and/or Debose gets his head on straight, then I think our passing game will improve but still be a liability in 2013.

[law98gator]

My prediction for next year is more of this:

[WobbleGator]

None. We will see no improvement. We will lose more than we win. We are screwed.