This entire article is an excuse for me to use this photo.
I swear, I think everyone’s favorite player is the backup quarterback.
The thing about team sports, is that in the game of football, the Quarterback gets all the credit, all the good, and almost all of the bad as well.
However, I do subscribe to the NabNoPa (best NCAA ’10 coach to ever live) rule of thought, “If you aren’t good enough to play, you don’t deserve to be on the field.” Is Cyler Miles good enough to play? I would say yes, he is in the program, but he isn’t good enough to start now. Otherwise he would have won the starting job in camp. This is Keith’s team – so buckle up and get ready for the ride.
This season has been a rollercoaster ride thus far. With 4 big wins to start the season to get everyone ready for Washington’s next national title, and then going up against the big boys for 3 very tough games to bring Dawg fans back to reality.
Stanford was there for the taking, but special teams gaffes buried them just deep enough to not be able to get out. Keith played his guts literally out, and given one questionable call on a 4th down on a final drive…well, hindsight is 20/20.
Oregon is the best college football team in the country and you are insane if you think they won’t be in the hunt for the national title come December. The only QB that could have saved UW in that game was Cody Pickett, because he could have played special teams. I am not sure how that really saves the game, but wouldn’t that have been awesome?
Arizona State, no way around it – that was a stinker. Watching that first drive, many thought it was time to break out the steamroller and watch this Huskies offense move down the field. However, in probably one of the worst showings by the offensive and defensive line on record after that fact. UW was literally run straight out of the stadium by a team that doesn’t run or stop the run at all, mind you.
In the Stanford game, Cyler Miles would not have put them in a position to win. In the Oregon game, Cyler Miles wouldn’t have made one difference. In the Arizona State game, the only difference he would have made is that the QB would have been healthy for a bit to watch the ASU defense completely shut down the line of scrimmage. If anything, a redshirt freshman might have made that outcome even worse.
Taped thumb, constantly under pressure, no running game. All ingredients for a bad day for everyone, including your quarterback (who guess what, requires a line to block people so he can throw footballs). I don’t know how much I can pin on Keith. Granted, there were some overthrows, but let’s be honest – people aren’t calling for Cyler now because he can put the ball on a dime. The dude can run, and throwing is weapon grade B.
Cal stinks. Let’s call a spade a spade. This is a game that Washington should win rather easily, and a game that deserves the best quarterback for the team to be on the field to get back into rythym. Would Cal be a soft landing for a guy like Cyler? Sure. However, I would rather see one of the most prolific playmakers in recent Washington history use that game as a bounceback to get this team set back straight.
No more let downs. No more crappy line play. No more missed tackles.
Keith, I got your back, and #GoDawgs.
