Anyone Still Want to Defend Clausen?

[CRA]

Wait a minute.

You're telling me that it is completely and totally acceptable for the ground game, which is the backbone of this offense, to come on late while the QB, whom the offense is not designed around at all, has to play lights out from the start? Even when they're a rookie? That's asinine.

The Bears are airing the ball out. Mike Marz. Enough said, and they STILL have found the endzone more than us. If anything, that makes an even stronger case against the rushing attack here.

Clausen Cause in full effect I see. You're going to excuse the rushing attack for the FIRST EIGHT GAMES OF THE SEASON where we went 1-7? Yet, Jimmy, who hasn't even started in the 8 games that he has played this season (he started 5), is an instant bust and needs to be kicked to the curb because he hasn't shown much promise when the coaching staff only wants him throwing the ball in long yardage situations? Get out of here with that garbage. Having a difference of an opinion is fine and dandy, but when you're going to put unreasonable expectations on a rookie QB and not hold accountable the bread and butter of this offense, that's not even a matter of forming an opinion. That's a chicken with its head cut off (which JC does look like when he's trying to get his ass back in the pocket to avoid anybody that didn't get blocked this time).

all I am saying is the run game has consistantly started slow the past 2 seasons in Carolina. Bulk of the production came in the last half of those seasons. Can't argue that.

I know that the past 4 games (3rd quarter of the season), Carolina has had a top ground game in the NFL during that window.

So, going into the 3rd quarter of the season Clausen should finally know the offense and is given a top ground attack during that window........and he STILL is horrible.

the ground attack was slow getting starting....and a host of other things have been bad this year. HOWEVER, that isn't an excuse for how horrific Clausen has been.

[CRA]

ok, and how is he making the pressure effective when Kalil ignores the linebacker blitzing up the middle or stunting in?

Clausen sucks, but let's be honest: so does our pass blocking.

I mean goddamn, what is wrong with our playcalling? our routes take forEVER to develop. grah.

again, Kalil is taking too much crap. Good OL play is all about conistancy and communication. Look at his OGs that have rotated in this season. We never had our RT. OL hasn't played great.....talent isn't the problem. I think they will be fine next year w/ a couple moves in FA next year.

again, the Texans OL complained about the bad rep they got during the Carr era. They had a point. Sure, they were far from good. Carr's play made them horrible. Clausen is doing that this year.

[CRA]

LMAO Arnold Swartzeneggar wouldnt stand strong in that pocket behind our OL. You get drilled to the ground a few times and see if your trust in that oline dissolves quickly.

you put a good QB behind that OL and everyone looks better. Good/bad QB play has proven to make a huge difference in how an OL appears to perform. There are countless examples that support that.

[Chimera]

again, Kalil is taking too much crap. Good OL play is all about conistancy and communication. Look at his OGs that have rotated in this season. We never had our RT. OL hasn't played great.....talent isn't the problem. I think they will be fine next year w/ a couple moves in FA next year.

again, the Texans OL complained about the bad rep they got during the Carr era. They had a point. Sure, they were far from good. Carr's play made them horrible. Clausen is doing that this year.

You forget that we have a reference point. Look how well Moore played behind a solid O-line last season. Now compare that to how terrible he played behind this excuse for a line this season.

This line has ruined Moore and Clausen. Both are scared to stand in the pocket. We've seen how good they both can be when they show confidence. But this season meant they are/were running for their lives.

Our O-line is comically bad.

[House]

you put a good QB behind that OL and everyone looks better. Good/bad QB play has proven to make a huge difference in how an OL appears to perform. There are countless examples that support that.

You are probably right, I didn't even think of this. WOW.

I mean, it is obviously the problem because Matt Moore, who played so well behind that OL last year while he was getting good blocking didn't struggle at all and wasn't getting pounded into the turf every single play this year.

Also, once again, Jay Cutler who was an up and coming QB at Denver with a ton of upside didn't just turn into a steaming pile of poo behind a horrible Bears OL.

Also Matt Schaub, who played well in limited time at Atlanta didn't look like a busted FA until the Texans fixed thier OL blocking problems.

Then there is Matt Hassleback, who was a really good QB when Seattle had one of the best OL's in football, surely he didn't fall off the face of the earth when Hutch left and Womack got old and the OL started plying poorly.

I think I remember a guy named Kurt Warner, he was a great QB in St. Louis then fell apart, not because the OL couldn't protect him, he just sucked all of a sudden. He went to NYG and he still sucked ass because he was so bad that he made the OL look bad. Then he went to AZ and started lighting it up behind an OL that could block for him, surely though, it wasn't the fact that he once again had time in the pocket that caused his resurgence.

Yes, of course, our OL sucks because the QB is shitty. It happens all of the time.

[CRA]

You forget that we have a reference point. Look how well Moore played behind a solid O-line last season. Now compare that to how terrible he played behind this excuse for a line this season.

This line has ruined Moore and Clausen. Both are scared to stand in the pocket. We've seen how good they both can be when they show confidence. But this season meant they are/were running for their lives.

Our O-line is comically bad.

Moore also did a lot of really bad things that had little to do w/ OL play. He made poor decisions and made poor throws to open guys. Also, you aren't taking into account what defenses did differently this year......early in the season Fox even admitted it was pointless watching film on opponents b/c they weren't operating the same when they played Carolina and everyone was playing Carolina the same.

Moore was never scared to stay in the pocket. He stood in the pocket and would step up into the pocket. He have the team a chance. He made a lot of poor decisions and throws.

There are good QBs making plays that have seen similar pressure to what Clasuen has seen this year. They react to it differently.

[CRA]

You are probably right, I didn't even think of this. WOW.

I mean, it is obviously the problem because Matt Moore, who played so well behind that OL last year while he was getting good blocking didn't struggle at all and wasn't getting pounded into the turf every single play this year.

Also, once again, Jay Cutler who was an up and coming QB at Denver with a ton of upside didn't just turn into a steaming pile of poo behind a horrible Bears OL.

Also Matt Schaub, who played well in limited time at Atlanta didn't look like a busted FA until the Texans fixed thier OL blocking problems.

Then there is Matt Hassleback, who was a really good QB when Seattle had one of the best OL's in football, surely he didn't fall off the face of the earth when Hutch left and Womack got old and the OL started plying poorly.

I think I remember a guy named Kurt Warner, he was a great QB in St. Louis then fell apart, not because the OL couldn't protect him, he just sucked all of a sudden. He went to NYG and he still sucked ass because he was so bad that he made the OL look bad. Then he went to AZ and started lighting it up behind an OL that could block for him, surely though, it wasn't the fact that he once again had time in the pocket that caused his resurgence.

Yes, of course, our OL sucks because the QB is shitty. It happens all of the time.

Bears don't have a good OL now. It IS crap. They are worse than Carolina. - Bears are what 9-3? Cutler has had the poo kicked out of him this year but is making plays. Cutler has the 11th highest QB rating behind a horrible OL and garbage WRs.

Getting Carr out of Houston solved a large portion of the "protection issues".

Philly's OL was garbage this season. In fact that is the main reason the fanbase was behind the move to Vick as they thought he he could scramble and survive longer when they collpased....funny how that all changed once Vick stepped on the field. Now they are percieved to be much better.

Clausen sucks. Other problems on the team don't excuse how horrific he is playing. It is comical the excuses people are making for this kid. He is bad. That is it.

[Chimera]

Moore also did a lot of really bad things that had little to do w/ OL play. He made poor decisions and made poor throws to open guys. Also, you aren't taking into account what defenses did differently this year......early in the season Fox even admitted it was pointless watching film on opponents b/c they weren't operating the same when they played Carolina and everyone was playing Carolina the same.

Moore was never scared to stay in the pocket. He stood in the pocket and would step up into the pocket. He have the team a chance. He made a lot of poor decisions and throws.

There are good QBs making plays that have seen similar pressure to what Clasuen has seen this year. They react to it differently.

Moore started the season against the Giants letting plays develop and taking shots downfield. His first pick was on Barnidge, IMO, but yes, he made some bad throws.

But then halftime came and the Giants stepped up the pressure. After that, Moore was on the ground every play, picking grass out of his face mask. He regressed during his stint as starter.

He doesn't have a great arm, but he made good decisions when he had some sort of pocket presence. He atleast tried to hit the open man in stride. Compare that to the instant check-down or throw away that we have now.

[D34Williams]

LMAO Arnold Swartzeneggar wouldnt stand strong in that pocket behind our OL. You get drilled to the ground a few times and see if your trust in that oline dissolves quickly.

You're right, there's no way Arnold would stand strong in the pocket. Dude's flabby and saggy and old and nasty now.

[fjblair]

Clausen is a stinker and I knew that before he was drafted but I will not throw him under the Fox bus. I think Clausen is better than he looks but not good enough to be a starting QB in the NFL. Fox is cancerous to this team and it's young players in particular.

[Fiz]

how bad was clausen on third down?

Clausen actually converted his first pass on third down, getting 14 yards on a throw to Brandon LaFell. The subsequent 10 chances resulted in a pick-six, an aborted snap, two sacks, five incompletions, and a four-yard checkdown to Dante Rosario on third-and-17.

[Chimera]

the aborted snap was a time-out.

[Urrymonster]

the aborted snap was a time-out.

No it wasn't it was talking of the shotgun play where he dropped it and it went 5 yards back before he dived on it.

[ElkinPanthersFan]

Clausen has also thrown more TD's to opponents than his own team.

He hasn't thrown a TD in more than 5 games and 1 td in 200 attempts. Keep on slurpin the Fox koolaid.