To all those that think we're better off without Stafford

I always thought UF was better off with a Chris Leak type.

/sarcasm

Seriously, I think I get what you’re saying. But I don’t see why someone who isn’t a “stat monster” should be better suited for our team. Game managers are great, but being a game manager and an impact player aren’t mutually exclusive.

While we certainly won’t be better off without Stafford by any stretch of the imagination, we’ll certainly be in a better position in 2009 than we were in 2006. Joe Cox isn’t going to put up Stafford numbers, but he should be able to at least preform the managerial function skigator describes. And I can’t fathom the coaches putting in Logan Gray at punt returner this year and yet not being willing to put him in as a change of pace QB at least occasionally if Cox gets the starting nod.

Also, AuditDawg, the flipside of your argument about the O-line is that it will certainly see improvement next year (unless Providence sees fit to smite two starting left tackles in a row for the second consecutive year . . . in that case I might start thinking about following a team whom God less obviously has it in for). So while we will certainly lose production from behind center, increased production on the line will give our less talented QBs chances to make plays. Likewise, better O-line performance means a more consistent run game and less times when the QB will have to throw us out of bad situations (yes, losing KM will hurt our run production as well, but even he wasn’t able to make much headway against Bama or UF, which dumped everything on Staff).

On the whole, though, I do agree. Rag on him all you want, he’s a DGD in my book.

. . . “Stat monsters” tend to drag their team down when carrying the team on their shoulders, but when surrounded by a a competent defense, a solid running game and momentum-shifting special teams, they thrive?

’Cause, I mean, I would agree with that.

If Stafford came back and had even two of those three next year (only our run game preformed with any consistency this season, mostly on the shoulders of KRM, and when the o-line couldn’t run-block even he couldn’t make much headway), we’d be looking at an SEC championship run.

No, seriously. I mean, for real this time. Really. Yeah . . .

Next year, Stafford’s numbers may be the same or less. If our defense improves as much from 2008 to 2009 as Florida’s did from 2007 to 2008, similar results could happen (i.e. increase in victories). I just hate that people are trying to lay blame at Stafford’s feet this year when the losses other than Florida weren’t the offense’s fault. The defense and ST’s sucked it up big time this year. I just don’t buy the stats going down automatically equals wins. You said it yourself “Last year we had a horrendous defense (mainly because of youth – which I think is much of UGA’s problem this year).” If Tebow’s stats were similar to last year then Florida would be beating teams by 50 points instead of 30. Just because his “unworldly” stats went down didn’t equal victories for the Gators. A very good defense with a very good offense did.

I agree with the Rex comparison. I never felt comfortable with him slinging it around back there.
He would throw a pick and appear to not even be phased….come right back in and throw 2 more picks!

I think stat monsters can help the right team – see Colt McCoy. He doesn’t have a lot of talent around him, so he has to do it all himself.

I think John Parker Wilson is a good comparison to David Green. He isn’t going to beat you himself, but he is consistently solid, manages the game and when he has to throw – he knows to toss it in the direction of Julio. He also has the other aspects around him that wwcmrd mentions above, therefore resulting in great success for Alabama this season.

I think next season, UGA will have the support around their new QB (assuming Stafford is “thrown to the Lions” so to speak). The OL will benefit next season from this year’s terrible string of injuries – you will have tons of guys with experience. Also, the defense will improve – youngsters grow up and get better with good coaching. We know you will have a spectacular receiver and whether or not Knowshon returns (I think he will), UGA is still tailback U. and will someone solid to tote the rock. In my opinion, a decent QB who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes will result in a very good season for the Dawgs in ’09.

He did lead the SEC in rushing at 1,338 yards which comes out to 111.5/game. That is good enough for 17th best in the country. He also rushed for 16 TD’s this year. I think that punches a hole in your argument about utilizing Knowshon more, because he seems to be doing just fine despite having a Stafford versus a Joe Cox in the backfield with him. Knowshon averaged 18.92 carries per game which is a good number, IMO.

On the other hand, Stafford averaged 29.3 attempts per game and led the SEC in passing at 267.4/game. That’s good enough to place him 15th in the country without playing in one of those offenses where you’re going to throw the ball 55 times a game (cough *Texas Tech cough).

The biggest thing to me is looking at the games he’s won by himself versus the games he’s lost by himself. I suppose you could pin his three picks for the reason the loss to Florida happened. I’m willing to give the kid a pass for one game. That’s the only I can remember where his efforts might have been the biggest culprit to the loss. Quote South Carolina in 2007 to me if you want, but as someone posted above, Tripp Chandler dropped some key passes and Tony Wilson got hit in the chest on a perfect pass that would have scored the game-winning TD. Without Stafford this year, we don’t win at Kentucky and we lose by 30 points to GA Tech.

I guess in the end it comes down to personal preference, but I think you can’t replace a Matt Stafford. As I said in my post, if anything the offense is going to regress next year. I really want to emphasize my point that maybe Stafford’s boneheaded throws have something to do with a less than stellar line. I honestly believe if he were playing behind Oklahoma’s line, he’d be throwing for 400 yards a game, because nobody would touch him. Many of his bad throws are hurried and on the run because of a breakdown of protection.

…was Stafford really that bad before this season, or did he just have a sub-par receiving corps? He might be responsible for the less-than-spectacular TD-to-INT ratio, but there’s a reason everyone in Dawg Nation is raving about Mo Massaquoi this year: our receivers weren’t exactly sparkling the last two seasons.

The only time I cringed when Stafford was on the field this year was whenever he threw the bomb. I don’t know the reasons, and I don’t know the percentages, but if he connected on more than two this year, I’d be surprised. It seemed like he could throw 30-yard darts and hit ’em every time, but when he threw the bomb, nothing good was going to happen.

That is a heck of a lot of money to turn down, but look what it’s done to several promising QB’s. I’d argue Joey Harrington and David Carr wouldn’t have turned out to be the colossal busts they were if they’d played on half decent teams. You get sacked as many times as Carr did his first few years and after a while you just become gunshy and more concerned about getting hit rather than just playing the game. Once again, that’s a lot of money to turn down though.

But if Detroit takes a high profile QB- something they need- then they are less likely to do it again next year. I don’t keep up with the NFL, especially now since I am in Asia, but isn’t Palmer still with Cincy?
Yes, he is likely to end up with a bad team either way, but it is one thing to end up on a bad team and another to end up in a bad program that has shown almost no ability to rescue itself.