For years when I heard the term “Game Manager,” I thought of double switches and calls to the bullpen. The term gets thrown around so freely on blogs, on ESPN, college football and the NFL that I almost don’t really know what it means anymore. Many people use the term, but how many actually know the definition? How many have their own definition entirely? I guess, I tend to fall into the latter category.
The common assumption of a quarterback who is a game manager is not asked to make big plays, not asked to do much, and nothing fancy. He is expected to put long drives together, eat some game clock, complete short passes, not turn the ball over, score enough to keep it competitive but don’t lose the game for the team. Trent Dilfer is a name that comes up often. He was the quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, which was famous for their punishing defense, during their Super Bowl winning season of 2000. Dilfer put together long drives, relied on defense, scored enough points, and didn’t turn the ball over.
Do we have that at Nebraska? What about Taylor Martinez fits that “game manager” term? So many people say he improved as a game manager in 2011 and I guess I am confused on the meaning of the term or I’m not seeing it.
I view a game manager as a coach on the field that has strong leadership abilities. He is patient, relaxed and doesn’t make mistakes. I don’t really think big plays (or lack thereof) have anything to do with it.
Many Husker fans want Martinez to pop off 40 plus yard runs rather than manage the game.
Managing the game is about running the offense. It’s about distributing the ball to the right guy, making the right reads, getting the offense in the right play for how the defense is lined up, maintaining tempo or managing the huddle, and generally just getting his teammates in the best position for them to make plays. Whether the play adds up to four yards or 40 yards is immaterial.
Game managers also know their limitations and play “within” the system. This doesn’t mean that he can’t or won’t take chances once in a while because a game manager can also have game breaking plays. As much as Martinez improved in this area last season, he will need to continue to get better.
I have defended Martinez more than a good segment of Husker fans in this space but not to the extent that I refuse to recognize his faults. With that said, the best case scenario is that once Martinez is completely in tuned with the game manager role (whatever that means), he will be more relaxed and will be able to just play and not think as much. In turn, he may move from a game manager to a game changer, which is a label that many have already given him.
When it comes down to “what kind of quarterback do I want at Nebraska,” I want someone that the defense has to account for at all times. Someone that can get his teammates involved and still be a threat himself. Someone that if the defense puts a spy on, or two spies, it will free another playmaker up on the field somewhere, and it’s essentially a pick your poison of what you want to stop.
Just look at all the game-breaking quarterbacks we had in the past that defenses had to account for: Jamaal Lord, Eric Crouch, Scott Frost, Tommie Frazier, and Turner Gill. Those are the types of quarterback we need. Granted, Lord was a terrible passer and so too were Frazier and Frost, but they were outstanding athletes. In fact, Lord had to make due with less talent around him than the others.
While defense may keep an eye on Martinez, he didn’t have many game-breaking plays as I thought he would. His acceleration going north & south is amazing, but laterally, I don’t think he has that same speed or awareness/acceleration. I would like to see him make plays with his feet on 3rd and 8 if no one is open. I want to see him scramble and get those yards, and get tough yards when needed. There were times he could have taken off and got the first down, instead of throwing a dangerous pass. I think he needs to work on his “open field” moves and making the first guy miss and I don't think that gets talked about enough.
Martinez may have been told not to scramble as much because of the depth issue at quarterback but he doesn’t look comfortable when no one is open and tries to find the first down with his legs, but rather, he forces passes.
On the option game he seems hesitant, but I will give him some slack there, he probably hasn't run a whole lot of option before. I think he needs to be more aggressive taking it up-field, and make the defense commit to one or the other. But again that takes a ton of practice and experience, especially for someone that is very new to the option game, more so than anything else.
When it comes to the zone read, and he keeps it up the middle, he is absolutely a magician, and I think one of the very best to hold the ball in the belly of the running back before pulling it out. A prime example of that is the Ohio State game last season, and what he did in 2010. He showed flashes of it in 2011, but no real long touchdown runs.
Which is why running a shotgun-spread style Florida or Oregon offense would be best suited to run, with I-Formation and Diamond sets mixed in. I hope we are headed that direction.
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