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Tequilla Thoughts - Cyler Miles
Tequilla
Member Posts: 19,815
After a long weekend in the Valley of the Sun (ILTCIT), I've had a number of thoughts that I've wanted to get off of my chest and onto the board but haven't had time since we all know that the first few days back in the office after vacation are normally painful.
I've been one of the more critical people of Cyler Miles throughout the season. And yes, I do think that at least in the Stanford game that if we would have got better QB play, we would have won the game. But at the same time, it's also ridiculous to not note that there has been some improvement in Cyler over the last month or so. So here's my thoughts on what we are seeing from Cyler at the moment, what still stick out as weaknesses, what we're seeing from him at the QB position as it pertains to conference success, and the QB position for next season:
1) Cyler's strength as a QB is his ability to run the football. While I wouldn't say that he's particularly fast at the QB position, he tends to make good decisions when he's focused on running the ball. I thought Smith has done a good job as of late, and in particular the Arizona game, of using the jet sweep action to create running lanes for Miles to pick up an easy 3-5 yards at a time and first downs.
2) @RoadDawg55 has made a number of remarks to me this year citing Trevone Boykin of TCU as it pertains to Miles and you can see that there are some instances where we're getting similar to comparable play. Boykin has a far better arm and release than Miles, so from a passing standpoint there really isn't a strong comparison. However, where I am seeing the comparison though is that Miles is being put more into a situation where his reads are being simplified and it's a 1 or 2 read and go situation - that IS very comparable to what TCU is doing with Boykin. The number of carries that Miles is getting per game has gone up not only from designed run calls, but also from Miles just taking off when his reads aren't open compared to earlier in the season where he became paralyzed in comparable situations.
3) Miles' inability to go through progressions down the field is a HUGE long-term problem for him at the position. He's not particularly good at reading defenses and coverages (which is a requirement pre-snap if you're going to run an offense designed off of your QB looking at half of the field and then taking off to run). While you'd rather Miles take off and get 3 yards than trying to either force a pass that isn't there for a turnover or be paralyzed in taking a sack, the reality is that often the biggest play an offense makes is either because the QB is able to manipulate the defense or make it pay by extending a play in a scramble situation while keeping the eyes down the field. Miles is doing a good job right now of getting the offense to methodically work it's way down the field ... however, the explosive plays that we're seeing right now typically have very little to do with what he's directly doing.
4) There's been sufficient talk in the past about how Miles struggles to make tight throws over the middle in the passing game by utilizing the TE, etc. The area that we haven't talked about where this kills Miles is that this is a massive limiting aspect once the Huskies get inside the red zone. When you think of the types of passes that you throw inside the red zone, most of them are going to be timing routes that require crisp, accurate, and on time throws to beat the defense. As a passer, those are the 3 areas that Miles struggles with the most. As a result, we either have to rely on the running game (which the defense is often stacked up to defend against), trick plays, or some really strong design calls (think Hartvigson's catch against Arizona) that catch the defense completely off stride. Even some of the easier pass calls that we've called in recent weeks, the TE on the goal line to the back corner of the end zone, a sprint out pass to a WR at the front pylon, and throws to the RB out in the flat have been massive struggles.
5) Of all the things about Cyler at the QB position, #4 above is the one that strikes me as the most worrisome on a go-forward basis. The implications to that tell me that we're going to rely on FGs more than TDs in a conference where scoring for most games will at minimum get into the 20s and more often than not get into the 30s. Converting scoring opportunities on offense into TDs and holding teams to FGs to me is right up there with turnovers as the most important indicators in the PAC as to whether you are going to win or lose football games.
6) I worry less about Cyler's ball security issues in the long-term as I'm sure that that will be a focus for him in the offseason, spring drills, etc. Going through a full offseason with spring practice will help in him picking up some of the nuances of playing the position.
7) At this point, it's hard for me to look at Miles as having a ceiling that is greater than that of a mid-tier QB in the conference. And generally speaking, teams that win the PAC rarely do so with mid-tier QB play. If you do win with mid-tier QB play, then you normally are having dominant line play and a strong running game (see Stanford). But even then, the mid-tier QB play has to be good enough to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. Miles may have the ability to do this - but I don't think it's a given at this point. I can see Miles being a QB that can get you into the 24-31 point range on most weeks. But as we know in the PAC, there's going to be a week here and there where you're going to need to get into the 40s to win.
8) Going back a month ago, the QB position looked like a full-on dumpster fire. Now it's beginning to look like there's a QB on the roster that you can at least be mediocre (read 5-4 in conference) with. To me this is a positive because to beat him out of the position, you need to have the ability to push towards the elite level of QB play in the conference - which ultimately is what you need to compete at the upper end of the conference. I still wouldn't be shocked if Browning starts next year, but to do so, he will have to earn it with his play on the field instead of being the least bad of the options. Same with Williams.
9) If you really want to go back and look at the ups and downs of the program over the last 14 years, the QB position is a great place to start and end the conversation. Dating back to Don James taking over the program in 1975 and extending through the 2000 Conference Champions, the UW starting QB played in the NFL for at least a 5 year period (Moon, Flick, Pelluer, Millen, Chandler, Conklin, Brunell, Hobert, Huard, Huard, and Tui). Since then, while you can discuss the merits of Pickett, Locker, and Price, only Locker had much of a look in the NFL. And between Paus, Stanback, and Fouch, it was an absolute dreckfest. What was once known as one of the great QB schools in the country has seen a 15 year downturn at the position. Once we find the next UW QB (which I think Locker would have been if surrounded by the right cast around him), I think that that will be when we find ourselves back at the top of the conference.
TL, DR Summary: Miles is improving but his ceiling doesn't show to be much more than a mid-tier PAC QB.
I've been one of the more critical people of Cyler Miles throughout the season. And yes, I do think that at least in the Stanford game that if we would have got better QB play, we would have won the game. But at the same time, it's also ridiculous to not note that there has been some improvement in Cyler over the last month or so. So here's my thoughts on what we are seeing from Cyler at the moment, what still stick out as weaknesses, what we're seeing from him at the QB position as it pertains to conference success, and the QB position for next season:
1) Cyler's strength as a QB is his ability to run the football. While I wouldn't say that he's particularly fast at the QB position, he tends to make good decisions when he's focused on running the ball. I thought Smith has done a good job as of late, and in particular the Arizona game, of using the jet sweep action to create running lanes for Miles to pick up an easy 3-5 yards at a time and first downs.
2) @RoadDawg55 has made a number of remarks to me this year citing Trevone Boykin of TCU as it pertains to Miles and you can see that there are some instances where we're getting similar to comparable play. Boykin has a far better arm and release than Miles, so from a passing standpoint there really isn't a strong comparison. However, where I am seeing the comparison though is that Miles is being put more into a situation where his reads are being simplified and it's a 1 or 2 read and go situation - that IS very comparable to what TCU is doing with Boykin. The number of carries that Miles is getting per game has gone up not only from designed run calls, but also from Miles just taking off when his reads aren't open compared to earlier in the season where he became paralyzed in comparable situations.
3) Miles' inability to go through progressions down the field is a HUGE long-term problem for him at the position. He's not particularly good at reading defenses and coverages (which is a requirement pre-snap if you're going to run an offense designed off of your QB looking at half of the field and then taking off to run). While you'd rather Miles take off and get 3 yards than trying to either force a pass that isn't there for a turnover or be paralyzed in taking a sack, the reality is that often the biggest play an offense makes is either because the QB is able to manipulate the defense or make it pay by extending a play in a scramble situation while keeping the eyes down the field. Miles is doing a good job right now of getting the offense to methodically work it's way down the field ... however, the explosive plays that we're seeing right now typically have very little to do with what he's directly doing.
4) There's been sufficient talk in the past about how Miles struggles to make tight throws over the middle in the passing game by utilizing the TE, etc. The area that we haven't talked about where this kills Miles is that this is a massive limiting aspect once the Huskies get inside the red zone. When you think of the types of passes that you throw inside the red zone, most of them are going to be timing routes that require crisp, accurate, and on time throws to beat the defense. As a passer, those are the 3 areas that Miles struggles with the most. As a result, we either have to rely on the running game (which the defense is often stacked up to defend against), trick plays, or some really strong design calls (think Hartvigson's catch against Arizona) that catch the defense completely off stride. Even some of the easier pass calls that we've called in recent weeks, the TE on the goal line to the back corner of the end zone, a sprint out pass to a WR at the front pylon, and throws to the RB out in the flat have been massive struggles.
5) Of all the things about Cyler at the QB position, #4 above is the one that strikes me as the most worrisome on a go-forward basis. The implications to that tell me that we're going to rely on FGs more than TDs in a conference where scoring for most games will at minimum get into the 20s and more often than not get into the 30s. Converting scoring opportunities on offense into TDs and holding teams to FGs to me is right up there with turnovers as the most important indicators in the PAC as to whether you are going to win or lose football games.
6) I worry less about Cyler's ball security issues in the long-term as I'm sure that that will be a focus for him in the offseason, spring drills, etc. Going through a full offseason with spring practice will help in him picking up some of the nuances of playing the position.
7) At this point, it's hard for me to look at Miles as having a ceiling that is greater than that of a mid-tier QB in the conference. And generally speaking, teams that win the PAC rarely do so with mid-tier QB play. If you do win with mid-tier QB play, then you normally are having dominant line play and a strong running game (see Stanford). But even then, the mid-tier QB play has to be good enough to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. Miles may have the ability to do this - but I don't think it's a given at this point. I can see Miles being a QB that can get you into the 24-31 point range on most weeks. But as we know in the PAC, there's going to be a week here and there where you're going to need to get into the 40s to win.
8) Going back a month ago, the QB position looked like a full-on dumpster fire. Now it's beginning to look like there's a QB on the roster that you can at least be mediocre (read 5-4 in conference) with. To me this is a positive because to beat him out of the position, you need to have the ability to push towards the elite level of QB play in the conference - which ultimately is what you need to compete at the upper end of the conference. I still wouldn't be shocked if Browning starts next year, but to do so, he will have to earn it with his play on the field instead of being the least bad of the options. Same with Williams.
9) If you really want to go back and look at the ups and downs of the program over the last 14 years, the QB position is a great place to start and end the conversation. Dating back to Don James taking over the program in 1975 and extending through the 2000 Conference Champions, the UW starting QB played in the NFL for at least a 5 year period (Moon, Flick, Pelluer, Millen, Chandler, Conklin, Brunell, Hobert, Huard, Huard, and Tui). Since then, while you can discuss the merits of Pickett, Locker, and Price, only Locker had much of a look in the NFL. And between Paus, Stanback, and Fouch, it was an absolute dreckfest. What was once known as one of the great QB schools in the country has seen a 15 year downturn at the position. Once we find the next UW QB (which I think Locker would have been if surrounded by the right cast around him), I think that that will be when we find ourselves back at the top of the conference.
TL, DR Summary: Miles is improving but his ceiling doesn't show to be much more than a mid-tier PAC QB.
Comments
Tá mé ar cheann de na daoine níos criticiúla de Cyler Miles i rith an tséasúir. Agus tá, dóigh liom go bhfuil, ar a laghad sa chluiche Stanford go má ba mhaith linn a fuair spraoi QB níos fearr, ba mhaith linn a bhuaigh an cluiche. Ach ag an am céanna, tá sé ridiculous freisin nár deara go raibh feabhas éigin ar Cyler thar na míosa seo caite nó mar sin. Mar sin, tá anseo mo smaointe ar an méid a táimid ag feiceáil ón Cyler i láthair na huaire, cad a bata fós amach mar laigí, cad táimid ag feiceáil uaidh ag seasamh QB mar a bhaineann sé rath a comhdhála, agus an seasamh QB don séasúr seo chugainn:
1) Tá neart Cyler mar QB a chumas a reáchtáil na peile. Cé nach ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil sé go tapa go háirithe ag an staid QB, bíonn sé chun cinntí a dhéanamh go maith nuair atá sé dírithe ar reáchtáil an liathróid. Shíl mé Smith déanta post maith mar de déanach, agus go háirithe an gcluiche Arizona, úsáid a bhaint as an ngníomh sweep scaird a chruthú lánaí ag rith le haghaidh Miles a phiocadh suas éasca 3-5 slat ag an am agus an chéad downs.
2) @ RoadDawg55 déanta ar roinnt de na ráitis dom i mbliana ag lua Trevone BOYKIN de TCU mar a bhaineann sé le Miles agus is féidir leat a fheiceáil go bhfuil roinnt cásanna nuair a bhfuil muid ag dul cosúil le spraoi inchomparáide. BOYKIN Tá lámh i bhfad níos fearr agus a scaoileadh ná Miles, agus mar sin ón taobh a rith nach bhfuil i ndáiríre comparáid láidir. Mar sin féin, i gcás ina bhfuil mé ag féachaint ar an chomparáid is cé go bhfuil Miles á chur níos mó i staid ina léann sé á shimpliú agus tá sé ina 1 nó 2 a léamh, agus téigh go staid - go IS an-inchomparáide leis an méid atá á dhéanamh TCU le BOYKIN. Déanann líon na go bhfuil Miles dul in aghaidh an bhfuil an cluiche imithe suas, ní hamháin ó glaonna reáchtáil a ceapadh, ach freisin as Miles díreach ag cur as nuair a léann sé nach bhfuil rochtain air i gcomparáid le níos luaithe sa séasúr nuair a tháinig sé chun pairilis i gcásanna inchomparáide.
3) Tá míchumas Miles 'chun dul tríd progressions síos an réimse fadhb fadtéarmach ollmhór dó ag an suíomh. Níl sé go maith go háirithe ag cosaintí agus coverages léamh (a bhfuil ceanglas réamh-Léim má tá tú ag dul a reáchtáil le cion a ceapadh thalamh do QB ag féachaint ar leath na páirce agus ansin ag cur as a rith). Cé gur mhaith leat in áit Miles éirí de thalamh agus a fháil ar 3 slat ná ag iarraidh a ceachtar bhfeidhm le pas nach bhfuil ann ar feadh láimhdeachas nó a pairilis i gcur sac, is é fírinne an scéil go minic an dráma is mó a dhéanann cion é ceachtar mar gheall ar an Is QB ann a ionramháil na cosanta nó é a dhéanamh íocaíocht a dhéanamh dráma a leathnú i staid scramble agus a choinneáil ar na súile síos ar an réimse. Miles ag déanamh jab maith ceart anois ag dul ar an gcion a bheith ag obair methodically é a mbealach síos an réimse ... áfach, tá na drámaí pléascach go bhfuil muid ag feiceáil anois de ghnáth an-beag a dhéanamh leis an méid atá á dhéanamh aige go díreach.
Caint leordhóthanach 4) Tharla san am atá caite faoi conas streachailt Miles a dhéanamh daingean throws thar an lár sa chluiche a rith trí úsáid a bhaint as an TE, is é an limistéar sin nach mór dúinn Labhair faoi nuair a mharaíonn sé seo Miles etc go bhfuil an ollmhór a theorannú gné nuair a fhaigheann an Huskies taobh istigh den chrios dearg. Nuair a cheapann tú de na cineálacha pasanna a caith tú taobh istigh den chrios dearg, chuid is mó acu ag dul a bheith uainiúcháin bealaí a éilíonn crisp, cruinn, agus ar an am throws chun buille an gcosaint. Mar passer, iad sin na 3 réimsí a streachailt Miles leis an chuid is mó. Mar thoradh air sin, ní mór dúinn ceachtar a bheith ag brath ar an cluiche ag rith (a bhfuil an chosaint Cruachta go minic suas a chosaint i gcoinne), drámaí trick, nó roinnt glaonna a dhearadh i ndáiríre láidir (smaoineamh ghabháil Hartvigson gcoinne Arizona) a ghabháil leis an chosaint go hiomlán as carranna. Fiú roinnt de na pas níos éasca glaonna go atá againn ar a dtugtar i seachtainí beaga anuas, an Te ar an líne sprioc chun an choirnéal chúl an crios deiridh, sprint amach pas a WR ag an phiolóin tosaigh, agus throws don RB amach i an árasán a bheith struggles ollmhór.
5) As na rudaí mar gheall Cyler ag an suíomh QB, tá # 4 thuas an ceann a bhuaileann dom mar an chuid is mó worrisome ar bhonn dul-chun tosaigh. Tá na himpleachtaí sin a insint dom go bhfuil muid ag dul a bheith ag brath ar FGS níos mó ná Teachtaí Dála i gcomhdháil áit a mbeidh scórála don chuid is mó cluichí ar a laghad dul isteach ar an 20s agus níos minice ná a mhalairt dul isteach ar na 30í. Athrú deiseanna scórála ar cion san Teachtaí Dála agus a bhfuil foirne do FGS dom go bhfuil an ceart suas ann le láimhdeachais mar na táscairí is tábhachtaí sa CCP maidir le cibé an bhfuil tú ag dul a bhuachan nó a chailleadh cluichí peile.
6) imní orm níos lú faoi cheisteanna slándála liathróid Cyler sa fad-téarma mar tá mé cinnte go mbeidh a bheith ina fhócas dó sa offseason, druileanna earraigh, etc Ag dul trí offseason iomlán le cleachtas earraigh cabhrú i piocadh air suas cuid de na nuances ag seinm ar an staid.
7) Ag an bpointe seo, tá sé deacair dom chun breathnú ar Miles mar a bhfuil uasteorainn go bhfuil níos mó ná sin ar QB lár chiseal sa chomhdháil. Agus ag labhairt go ginearálta, foirne a bhuaigh an CCP a dhéanamh annamh amhlaidh le spraoi QB lár-chiseal. Má dhéanann tú bua le spraoi QB lár-chiseal, ansin tú de ghnáth ag a bhfuil spraoi ar líne ceannasach agus cluiche ag rith láidir (féach Stanford). Ach fiú ansin, tá an dráma QB lár-chiseal a bheith go maith go leor chun leas a bhaint as na deiseanna a thagann chun cinn. Is féidir Miles bhfuil an cumas chun é seo a - ach ní dóigh liom go bhfuil sé ar a tugadh ag an bpointe seo. Is féidir liom a fheiceáil Miles bheith ina QB féidir go bhfaigheann tú isteach ar an raon 24-31 pointe ar an chuid is mó seachtaine. Ach mar a fhios againn ar an CCP, tá dul chun bheith in aghaidh na seachtaine anseo agus tá áit a bhfuil tú ag dul go mór chun dul isteach ar na 40s a bhuachan.
8) Ag dul ar ais sa mhí ó shin, d'fhéach an seasamh QB cosúil le tine dumpster lán-ar. Anois, tá sé ag tosú chun breathnú cosúil le níl a QB ar an uainchlár gur féidir leat ar a laghad a bheith mediocre (léigh 5-4 i gcomhdháil) le. Chun liom é seo dearfach mar gheall ar a buille dó amach as an staid, is gá duit a bhfuil an cumas a bhrú i dtreo an leibhéal mionlach de QB imirt sa chomhdháil - a bhfuil deireadh an méid is gá duit dul san iomaíocht ag an deireadh uachtair na comhdhála. Ní ba mhaith liom a bheith shocked go fóill má thosaíonn Browning an bhliain seo chugainn, ach é sin a dhéanamh, beidh sé a thuilleamh sé lena imirt ar an réimse in ionad a bheith ar an olc a laghad de na roghanna. Céanna leis an Williams.
9) Más mian leat dul ar ais agus féachaint ar an ups agus downs ar an gclár thar na 14 bliain anuas, is é an seasamh QB áit iontach chun tús agus deireadh an chomhrá. Ag dul ar ais go dtí Don James cur thar an gclár i 1975 agus a leathnú tríd an 2000 Seaimpíní Chomhdháil, bhí an UW QB ag tosú sa NFL ar feadh ar a laghad ar feadh tréimhse 5 bliana (Moon, Flick, Pelluer, Millen, Chandler, Conklin, Brunell, Hobert , Huard, Huard, agus TUI). Ó shin i leith, agus is féidir leat plé a dhéanamh ar na buntáistí a Pickett, KRunner, agus Praghas, ach go raibh go leor den Féach sa NFL KRunner. Agus idir Paus, STANBACK, agus Fouch, bhí sé ina dreckfest glan. Cad a bhí ar a dtugtar uair amháin mar cheann de na scoileanna QB mór sa tír Tá feicthe cor chun donais 15 bliain ag an suíomh. Chomh luath agus a fháil againn ar an chéad UW QB (a sílim go mbeadh KRunner dá mba rud é timpeallaithe ag an ceart a caitheadh timpeall air), is dóigh liom go mbeidh a bheith nuair a aimsiú muid féin ar ais ag barr na comhdhála.
TL, DR Achoimre: Miles é a fheabhsú ach ní a uasteorainn a thaispeáint chun bheith i bhfad níos mó ná lár-chiseal PAC QB.
When you get a TL, DR post like I threw out today, it's normally because there are a lot of things on my mind and it's more of a "data dump."
Abundance comment of the day.