Spotlight #1 Stanford QB Andrew Luck

Spotlight #2 Arizona QB Nick Foles 

1^st quarter

14:50: Andrew Luck overthrows a guy deep.

14:00: Luck over the middle to his tight end.

12:02: Luck has a pass dropped.

11:47: Foles passes to a covered back in the backfield. Bad check down decision.

11:07: Foles good decision on an intermediate route. Quick, smooth release, 12 yard completion.

10:25: Foles takes the under center snap, decent footwork, but his offensive line doesn’t pick him up on a play action. He didn’t have much of a chance to avoid that sack.

8:52: Luck scrambles away from the rush and able to get the ball to an open guy.

7:16: Luck puts it in the perfect place for his trusty tight end Coby Fleener. Luck has no fear throwing into coverage and he does it well. He throws guys open.

6:20: Luck just overthrows the fade route in the end zone. Better to overthrow that ball than under throw it.

6:15: Luck throws into tight one-on-one coverage on the goal line. He puts it in the right place, but the defensive back makes an amazing play and almost picks it off (originally called a pick, but overturned on the replay). He shouldn’t have made that throw. Luck 3 of 7 for 52 yards and a drop through 2 drives. He’ll need to collect himself and get better.

4:51: Foles on 3^rd and 7 makes the poor decision to make a short throw to a guy with 2 guys between him and the first down. Way too conservative there. 2^nd 3 and out by Arizona tonight.

4:01: I like Luck’s scrambling ability. He didn’t have to do a lot of that last year because of how good Stanford’s line was, but he’s made two nice throws on the run tonight. Here’s the 2^nd, a 39 yard completion to Chris Owusu. Deep throw over the middle, Owusu with a nice run after catch.

1:47: Foles with the smooth deep ball for a 38 yard completion. Perfectly thrown.

0:57: Foles threads the needle deep with a man in his face. 28 yard completion.

0:32: Foles under pressure, able to run out for a small gain. Dangerous slide though. He could get hurt that way.

0:00: Foles throws on the flat, but a minimal gain because the receiver slips.

2^nd quarter

14:30: Foles with another conservative throw on 3^rd and long. I don’t get it.

13:39: Luck with the completion on a play action rollout. He can move a little.

12:15: Pocket breaks down, Luck scrambles for about 5 or 6 yard gain.

10:03: Luck a 3^rd down throw short of the sticks and the receiver can’t get the first. This wasn’t a terrible decision, because it was his best option and there was a possibility of getting the first, plus it get them into better field goal position.

9:33: Foles was a statue on that play and gets sacked.

9:14: Foles finds his trusty receiver Juron Criner over the middle.

8:46: Foles leaves one too high, but his receiver is able to bring it down. That’s how receivers get bruised ribs.

8:35: Foles checks down and it goes for a first on a nice run by the ball carrier.

7:43: Foles complete. He’s now a perfect 11 for 11, another shorter throw however, but he is moving the ball.

7:18: Another completion by Foles. His footwork is weak, however, but that’s nothing new for college quarterbacks.

7:04: Foles dumps it off once again, this time on 1^st down. He’s extremely accurate and he has the ability to throw it deep when necessary. He’s 13 for 13 now.

6:46: Foles threading the needle for a 14 yard completion. Extremely impressive.

5:57: Foles throws into coverage, but it’s an amazing throw and an amazing catch by his top receiver Juron Criner, touchdown. Criner, by the way, is a day 2 pick projected.

5:03: Luck with the type of play that makes you say “WOW.” Excellent awareness by Luck, almost sacked by 2 different guys, but he’s able to get it out and complete it against a cornerback blitz. Phenomenal pocket presence.

4:17: More pocket presence by Luck, he’s pressured and sees open field in front of him and runs for the first down and more. 16 yard run.

3:46: Luck throwing it around to everyone. Another completion here long. Great footwork as well and only throwing to the open guys, for the most part, completing passes already to 7 receivers.

2:44: Everyone likes to compare Luck to Peyton Manning. Right now he looks like him with his pocket presence, holding the ball as long as possible, and completing passes against the blitz. He’s been pressured all night, but he hasn’t taken a sack. Furthermore, some of these near sacks have turned into positive completions.

2:11: Luck goes towards the end zone, targeting one-on-one coverage, but it’s just knocking away by the defensive back. Would have been 6.

1:27: Luck pressured again and gets it out, but it’s inaccurate this time. Stanford will have to settle for a field goal.

1:11: Another short completion by Foles. He needs to get things moving. Not a lot of time left on the clock.

1:04: Short throw again, this time for a first down after the run after catch, receiver makes a mistake not getting out of bounds.

0:33: Foles airs it out, incomplete, not that inaccurate, but the receiver can’t get to it.

0:29: Back to back incompletions to Foles with a throw behind. Bad communication and timing with the receiver.

0:23: This one’s compete on 3^rd down for 15 yards over the middle. Really rooting for Foles here. I need to see him show some leadership in this two minute drill.

0:16: Foles fumbles. Just drops it. Luck wouldn’t have done that. Luck is way more poised than Foles. Foles might be extremely accurate, but poise is a problem. Takes sacks, poor footwork, quiet in the huddle, and now this fumble. Fumble recovered so one last chance here for Foles to redeem himself this have.

0:07: Foles throws at least 10 yards away from any receiver deep. Bad throw. Defensive back was way closer to catching it than Foles.

0:00: Foles had a touchdown to Criner, but pass interference will make the receiver drop it. Arizona will have one last chance with an untimed down. They’ll go for 3 and miss it. It should have been a touchdown.

 

3^rd quarter

12:47: Foles has a touchdown dropped in the end zone. It would have been a tough catch, but Foles did a good job of putting it where only his guy could get it.

12:38: Foles barely able to get it out before taking the sack, incomplete. Big frame, doesn’t go down easily.

11:49: Luck throws to an open guy with no one in front of him. He’s able to get the first.

9:58: Luck throws into one on one, solid throw by Luck, but it’s deflected by the defensive back.

9:45: Foles on the run to Criner, just short incomplete. Inaccurate on an open pass. 1 for his last 7.

9:03: Foles on the run, avoids the rush, great strength off his back foot and almost completes it. Just a little long. Receiver is only able to get one hand on it.

7:59: Luck on 2^nd down, short over the middle, close to a first down, 3^rd and 1.

7:23: Throw on 3^rd and down, got excited when he saw a receiver open deep, threw off his back foot to get it out before the receiver got covered, but he still is able to complete it off his back foot deep. Excellent throw.

6:52: Luck runs for a first down on 1^st and 10. He does it all. 15 yard run.

5:29: Bad throw by luck. There have been a few of these. Almost picked, but dropped. Great play by the defensive back before the drop.

5:22: Luck makes up for it. Touchdown. Not a particularly hard throw, however. The receiver had solid separation to begin with.

5:10: Foles finds a guy open over the middle for a first down.

4:16: Foles passing on 2^nd down, throws it short to make it 3^rd and 2.

3:36: Foles takes a 3^rd down sack. He takes too many sacks.

2:50: Luck throws incomplete.

1:59: Luck throws incomplete again, this time on 3^rd down. It was physical coverage. There could have been PI there, but it wasn’t called. Drive kept alive on offsides on the punt.

0:45: Luck complete for 1^st down on 3^rd and 3 this time. Cool and calm in the pocket even with the pressure coming. That’s the biggest thing I love about him.

4^th quarter

14:54: Completely blown coverage. Stanford had two guys behind every one on the defense and Luck finds the deepest one for an easy touchdown.

14:45: Foles has to get it out quick with the rush coming and throws the wide receiver screen to Juron Criner.

13:50: Foles completes short for 4 yards. Now it’s 2^nd and 6. He checks down a lot, but that’s not the reason their drives haven’t gone anywhere. They’ve had some bad luck and some bad running and some poor kicks by their kickers. They’ve missed 2 field goals. He’s not doing a bad job in decision making. However, he’s taken some unnecessary sacks that have killed drives.

13:33: Another short throw by Foles. Now it’s 3^rd and 2. Methodical, but he’ll have to pick it up at some point. I’m excited to see how he handles it.

13:07: Dump off again.

12:19: Foles with a very deep, accurate throw, but Criner isn’t able to bring it in. Nice release, nice touch on the deep ball. There’s definitely room for improvement here, but there’s definitely upside.

12:14: Foles nowhere close on the deep ball out of bounds.

11:41: Foles holds it way too long on 3^rd and 10 to make it 4^th and 19. I don’t know why he didn’t get it away earlier. He had to have seen the rush coming. He stood there like a deer in the headlights. This is part of the project that is Nick Foles.

10:09: Stanford is really pounding the rock tonight and most of those runs have been to the side of left guard David DeCastro. DeCastro is a hell of a run blocker. He might be the best guard in this draft class. He reminds me of Logan Mankins. I’ll spotlight him at a later date.

8:58: Luck incomplete on 2^nd down.

8:53: Luck under pressure, throws short off his back foot, but accurate for a first down. Nice job of seeing the play develop.

6:59: Luck finds the wide open back out of the backfield on 3^rd down and short for a first down and then some. Luck saw the play develop, but nice run after catch by the fullback.

4:20: On 1^st and 15 after a penalty, Foles throws an intermediate throw for an open guy who has room for the first on the run. As much as he dumps off, he needs to do this more, dumping off to someone who has room to get the first.

3:32: Another first on a pass for Foles. These are all considered garbage teams yards, however, with Arizona down 37-10.

3:06: Foles throws to a covered receiver in the flat. The receiver is able to catch it and beat his man for the first.

2:32: Foles sacked. Again.

2:12: Foles pass batted down at the line of scrimmage.

2:03: Foles’ dump off goes for some yards, but not nearly enough on a 3^rd and very long. Now it’s 4^th and 8.

1:54: Arizona goes for it on 4^th down. Foles throws inaccurate to the sideline.

0:00: There is nothing spectacular about Andrew Luck. In a way, that’s what’s so spectacular about him. You look at the stat sheet and you aren’t blown away by anything. 20 for 31 for 325 yards and 2 touchdowns. That’s solid. He was beyond solid tonight. He very rarely makes any mistakes. He’s got the arm to make every throw. He gets the ball out right at the right time. He can run. He’s so methodical, it’s almost robotic.

His leadership is robotic as well and I don’t mean that in a bad way. This Stanford team has taken on his identity. He’s a very no frills, hard working, smart, quiet, humble leader type guy and it works. Guys gravitate to this guy even if it’s for unconventional reasons. He shouldn’t be charismatic, but he is. He’s very, very like Peyton Manning. It’s kind of eerie. I’m not making the direct comparison, but at the very least he’s a poor man’s Peyton Manning.

Keep in mind the kind of supporting cast he’s doing this with. He has a new Head Coach, 3 new starters on the offensive line, he completed passes to 7 different receivers, his leading receiver in terms of receptions was his fullback. His leading receiver in terms of yards was a tight end and not just a tight end, a backup tight end who came up when Coby Fleener went down. His 3^rd leading receiver was another backup tight end. His 2 touchdowns were to tight ends. He just takes what’s given to him, but he’s not a game manager, because he can carry a team by himself.

As for Nick Foles, his line looked good, 24 for 33 for 239 yards and 1 touchdown. However, he’s so in love with checking down it’s creepy. He has the arm to go downfield and he has decent deep accuracy, but he loves checking down, sometimes just for checking downs’ sake. He also gets the Jay Cutler’s deer in the headlights type thing when the pass rush comes. He’s big and sturdy and can break some tackles and doesn’t go down easily, but he holds the ball way too long. I’d say he’s Joe Flacco, but his arm isn’t as good. His arm is good, all the physical tools are there, but he’s a project. He’s got the upside, but I’d say he’s a 2^nd rounder.