Alex Smith: Is It Time To Redefine 'Game Manager'?
by David Fucillo on Oct 13, 2011 9:05 AM PDT
in 49ers QB 2011
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Over the past five weeks, as Alex Smith has begun to emerge from the shadows of the last six years, there has been a ton of debate over his performances thus far and what it all means. We hear comments about Alex playing within himself, doing less, being in the right system, having the right coach, and of course being a solid "game manager."
I would argue the way we define different terms leads to as many of the spats over Alex Smith as anything else. The term game manager strikes me as the worst of such terms, not because it is a bad way to describe him, but because it really can cover so many types of QB play. We began the discussion in this solid FanPost and I wanted to bring the discussion onto the front page.
When I mentioned the phrase "game manager", how many people immediately though of Trent Dilfer? His Super Bowl season with the Ravens is held up as Exhibit 1 of being a solid game manager. He had one of the greatest defenses of all time behind him and so his role was basically to avoid stupid mistakes. He was managing the game in a fairly simplified sense.
In reality, if you wanted to take the phrase a little more literally, couldn't you argue that Peyton Manning or Drew Brees or many great quarterbacks is a great game manager? I don't think this is an all-inclusive list. In looking at the more literal use of the term, I would say a QB like Brett Favre in his prime was not a guy who managed the game particularly well. He was a great gun-slinger type of quarterback, but not a guy I would put in the Manning or Brees area.
Using the term in that sense, I think Alex Smith falls under the category of game manager. He is not at Manning or Brees' level, but he does what is asked of him and this season has had a good deal of success because of that. That is managing the game. I think he has more upside than 2000 Trent Dilfer (although at that point Dilfer was only a year older than Smith) but I think both can be labeled as game managers without it meaning they are the same.
Given that it has only been five games it might be too early to label Smith anything. For now though, how do you define a "game manager" quarterback?
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I agree, Alex has all but arrived…but he needs that signature game & Detroit is it…well, probably Baltimore too but that’s later.
Should also give credit to the coaching staff and more importantly the O-line for giving Alex time to throw the ball.
W/out blocking up front, the offense is dead in the water.
speaking of which, any word on Iupati yet?
by Doni S on Oct 13, 2011 9:46 AM PDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Per MM:
Iupati is likely to play because if the knee isn’t good enough to go, the player is generally inside facility receiving treatment. Iupati has been on the field, so it’s likely he is a go.
Side note, he reminds everyone that Suh will be lining up over the RG, so Snyder is more important to us right now than Iupati, who will be blocking Fairley.
by 9thevolution on Oct 13, 2011 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions
would it be advisable to double up on Suh, say Goodwin~Snyder? That’s what Chicago was doing…
Iupati didn’t practice, that’s why I asked…makes me wonder if the coaching staff isn’t playing mind games w/the Schwartz
by Doni S on Oct 13, 2011 11:07 AM PDT via iPhone app up reply actions
I think they'll scheme their blocking assignments to negate the effect of the DTs
Their options are to allow the pressure up the middle and get Alex out of the pocket on passing plays, or they can force everything outside to give Alex room to step up in the pocket. We’ll likely see a lot of Miller blocking in the backfield too.
by 9thevolution on Oct 13, 2011 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions
I actually think the Lions pass rush is only slightly above average
The have 12 sacks which is the same number of sacks the 49ers have and if you look at the % of pass plays they turn into a sack it’s 6.3% which ranks only 15th in the NFL. Even if you include interceptions which often come from QB pressure, they rank only 13th at 10%, while the 49ers have turned 10.4% of other teams pass plays into a sack or an interception.
In the world of the blind the one-eyed man is king.
You bring up some good points
But I think the one at the end takes it- still too early to tell. We MIGHT have a new Alex on our hands, but that will have to be demonstrated over a longer period of time. As Mar says though, if the guy who played in Tampa Bay last week shows up against the Lions, I’ll start being convinced…
"Football combines the two worst things about America: It is violence punctuated by committee meetings" -George Will
I look at a QB who is a game manager as one....
Who may not have terrific stats, as far as passing yards and completions are concerned, but has the ability to move the team when necessary, plays conservative and makes good decisions. Also a game manager limits mistakes and gives the team the opportunity to win.
I totally agree with that.
To me a game manager isn’t necessarily an elite QB, but one who can distribute the ball to his playmakers and keep the team moving with good decision making and ball control
by djs9989 on Oct 13, 2011 10:41 AM PDT via iPhone app up reply actions
That's Aaron Rodgers though...
and he’s definitely elite and puts up gaudy stats. It’s all up to perception, but the point was that the “game manager” moniker also fits a QB like Rodgers, Brees and Brady
by 9thevolution on Oct 13, 2011 12:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Game Manager...
Perhaps the most loaded term in all of football… I would have to say a manager is someone who doesn’t make mistakes and only squeaks by with enough to let the defense and special teams win…
We should start a new term “Game Controller”… The Controller is one who can call plays, read the defense, kill the play to a run, audible out of bad matchups, and then throw the TD pass… Makes few mistakes because he already knows what’s going to happen, not because he’s afraid of them… They throw as many times as necessary for that particular team to win… Brees, Manning, and Brady are in this category…
Alex Smith has been one of these rare breeds for the last 6 quarters… He was a manager for the 14 before it…
Everyone else are just quarterbacks… Guys who throw the ball…
I dont agree
I see a game manager as someone who does everything to make sure you dont lose..which yes that is what Alex is doing. But i would argue that Alex has actually made the big plays and he has won us those games. Trent Dilfer never won games for the Ravens he just never lost them. Alex Smith is winning games. Which is why i dont see him as a game manager. Nor do I see Peyton and Brees in that roll either. Right now a good game manager is someone like Dalton or even Jason Campbell. They arent winning or losing games but their team has won them games. Raiders from the run and defense and Bengals the same thing acctually
Score one for Colin B....
Of opinions thus far, this is more in line with my view all across the board, with emphasis on the mention of Dalton and Campbell. An article elsewhere featuring Steve Young has him suggesting that Alex now step out and take charge – and I do not buy that at all. People seem to forget, from his college days up to the Harbaugh era, Alex had an industrial size problem “playing a play out in his head” before executing. You don’t overcome all those years of ineffectiveness just like that. Keep doing what he’s doing and growing. Everything else will come with time.
Is it Alex Smith or is it the gameplan?
We’ve seen that pass down the seam before, but the difference was this time it was targeted at Walker instead of Davis. Walker lined up against a LB, Alex Smith still had to make a perfect throw because two DBs over the top were converging on the ball once it was released from Smith’s hand.
VD vs Ronde Barber with no safety help? That’s just a gimme kind of TD.
VD wide open in the middle of the field? Well, we’ll take that too.
How I see the Tampa game is that Tampa gave us two touchdowns and Alex Smith made a pass we’ve seen before on the other. He’s identifying mismatches and finding wide open receivers. We’re still being fairly conservative with him. Two INTs were dropped in this game and Crabtree made a couple of nice adjustments on some high throws from Smith.
Smith’s 1st half vs the Cowboys and 2nd half vs the Eagles were the best I’ve seen him in his entire career, which bodes well for this 2011 49er team. But this TB game should not be considered Smith’s best effort despite his season-highs in TDs, passer rating, and QBR.
Why is it that
A high throw to Crabs who is pefectly able to catch those is a bad throw, but a high throw by Stafford to Johnson (who can also catch it) is a great throw?
As for the missed INT’s, at least one was a route miscommunication. I would go with Smith on the end-zone miss to Crabs. Throwing to the sideline is thr safer throw and limits the ability of other defenders from being able to assist. Not really sure about the other one offhand.
by ColoradoNiner on Oct 13, 2011 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions
There's no defense for the near picks
The one to Crabs there was no safety over the top and the DB was right under him so no purpose going for the back shoulder fade.
The other I believe was to Kyle Williams, the ball was just underthrown.
As for the high passes, they’ve been plaguing Smith his entire career and we’ve paid for his inaccuracy. You’re not going to convince me because we played little more than a quarter of a season that suddenly his high passes are now smart throws.
There are times high is good and times it is bad
If you are running down the sidelines, just ahead of a receiver, high is good, your guy has a shot and theirs does not. In the endzone, when you know your guy has a great verticle and great hands, that is also god. Those are the typical high throws to Megatron. For Alex, it seems most of his throws to Crabs (and oddly, primarily with Crabs) seem high directly over his head on slant, post or curl routes. This means Crabs has to stop forward momentum (or it is already stopped due to route) and just straight up in the air. This gives the defenders time to converge on Crabs and clobber him. That means no YAC, huge potential for injury to Crabs and if Crabs can’t quite catch it, very high possibility it is tipped up for an INT.
Either Alex has it out for Crabtree, or he looks much taller on field. But whether a high throw is a bad throw is hugely determined by situation. Endzone over defender, good. Mid-field on a slant, stopping momentum, bad. Alex has improved drastically this year in his accuracy, but he has to keep doing it.
As is said above...
Smith’s high passes have been a problem for a long time. His are simply getting away from him for one reason or another.
Stafford also has a lot of passes that he purposely throws up for Johnson to go get, and that’s the intention for him to out jump the receiver. Stafford would not be nearly as successful if not for Johnson, and the Lions would be no where close to 5-0. But, Stafford does have a few here and there that are just too high and Johnson happens to make a play on them; like Crabtree did for Alex last game.
by 9thevolution on Oct 13, 2011 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions
Just a point...
Stafford made at least 5 bad overthrows in that bears game… At least Alex doesn’t miss wide open guys…
The one that sticks out is the one to Titus Young where he was split in between the CB and safety with a 10 yard cushion down the right sideline and Stafford just balked… Saw him miss guys on 3rd down twice… He just isn’t that great at sideline throws…
Hey I'm not giving Stafford a ton of credit...
He’s putting up good stats because he has Johnson, but you have to wonder if it would be the same if he wasn’t. Stafford still has to play a full season to prove to me he isn’t brittle; then we can talk about how good a QB he is.
by 9thevolution on Oct 14, 2011 7:45 AM PDT up reply actions
On the road, load noise, against fierce pass rush, going for 4th consecutive win...
If Alex and the 9ers can beat all those challenges… then this team clearly has arrived.
Side note: And we don’t have our leading WR Morgan either!
They're playing as a team... as to where before, the talent was always there and never gelled together as a team.
I have little doubt that Williams and Ginn will thrive in that “next man up” philosophy. They’ve both shown flashes of being able to get it done. They both have their chance to shine now in the absence of both Edwards and Morgan.
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The Hometown Fan
I think, by and large, that Alex Smith = "game manager"...
..comes from the fact that he is not averaging 300+ yards and 30 – 40 attempts a game. In this age of spread offenses and fantasy football. It seems like everybody is of the opinion that to become a great QB that you need gaudy stats to back it up. If you only average about 200 yards, and 20 – 30 attempts, then you can’t be great… just a “solid game manager”
Case and point… Cam Newton is the “next great thing” and Andy Dalton is a “solid prospect”. Never mind that the Panthers are 1 -4 and the Bengals are 3 – 2.
Here’s a post I put in a prior thread with my thoughts on the issue…
What you see as “game managing” and “protecting Smith”, I see as "being ask to run a variation of a WCO that is very close to the original"…
(and I am not in any way shape or form comparing Alex Smith to Joe Montana… I repeat I am not comparing the Greatest of all time to our current QB… I am also not comparing Walsh to Harbaugh)
Consider this…
Montana’s career Yards Passing Per Game: 211.2 yards
Montana’s career Pass Attempts per Game: 28
Joe Montana… a game manager?
I think not.
Even when Joe Cool was marching the Niner’s offense down during his many comebacks during the 80’s he never relied on the deep ball or the big play to do so. It was always short surgical strikes to his receivers 8 – 10 yards. Big plays (not all but most, since I have seen highlights of Joe during the early years chucking one down the field now and then) were had by Rice (or Taylor, or Jones, or Clark, or Craig) eluding the tackle and running another extra 10 – 20 yards after the catch.
My point is this…
Harbaugh is running a version of a WC system. While some WC coaches have added a deep pass element to the original WC system ran by Walsh, Harbaugh went the other way and added a power running element to the basic WC principles of short/intermediate passes. And it’s not just when he came here to SF, his Standford teams were running this same power element even with a supposedly elite QB. So we really can’t say that Harbaugh is handicapped by Alex’s limitations.
IIRC, Mike McCarthy (another adaptor of the WCO) was the OC they year we drafted Alex Smith. I’m thinking that he saw qualities in Alex that would allow him to be successful under the WCO the same way Harbaugh did when he was wooing Alex Smith during the off season.
It is very easy to say that Alex’s role has been reduced to "game manager" given the career he has had so far. But maybe, just maybe, Smith is fulfilling what McCarthy saw when he drafted him number one. A QB with all the tools to run and execute a WC system successfully.
by NinerFanTucson on Oct 13, 2011 9:55 AM PDT reply actions 7 recs
Game Manager is simply a backhanded compliment
One that means “he’s OK, avoids stupid mistakes, but cannot be counted on to win it for the team if put into a tight spot”.
I would NOT say that Smith falls into that category. He can and has shown that he can carry the load and move the ball and bring the team back from defeat a number of times.
by ColoradoNiner on Oct 13, 2011 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions
Couldn't agree with you more...
I have often told my son (who I have wrangled into loving the ‘Niners over the Broncos), that back in the glory days of the WCO and Joe Montana – the numbers were often scewed. Joe never had a cannon for an arm and would never throw the ball 60 yds downfield. His TE and WR and RB would get a lot of YAC. Bill Walsh thought that Freddie Solomon was going to be a HUGE YAC guy because of his blazing speed on the track field, but this did not come to full fruition. Alex Smith is probably best suited for this scheme because he is inaccurate when he tries to through for huge yards, but his dinking and dunking down the field and “checkdowns” are the biggest part of the WCO. Joe Montana never had “true 400 yard games” IF he ever had those types of numbers it was because the WR had YAC, not Joe’s arm. But, like you say – I am not comparing Alex Smith to Joe Montana, more of an example for everyone to look more into before calling Alex Smith a “Game Manager”.
by Chaotic9erFan on Oct 13, 2011 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Well, Joe also had receivers who beat coverage...
Jerry would have two steps on the guy covering him after 15 – 20 yards and Joe would just lead him perfectly. Alex has never had a receiver like that.
by 9thevolution on Oct 13, 2011 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions
A good point, but in fairness, NO ONE has ever had a receiver like that...
GOAT shoes are hard to fill… Not just at the QB position… We have been spoiled…
Takeo's point is correct...
Jerry Rice was a once in a lifetime receiver and John Taylor was an outstanding #2 that got overshadowed by Jerry at times (would have made a #1 on anybody’s squad back then too). But, Alex Smith has also thrown Dalanie Walker open as well (well, open into the TD he had last week). I think that throwing a receiver open is a teachable skill that Alex Smith can adapt to and is showing signs of learning how to do. I also believe that the receivers can adapt to the timing that is neeeded for that to happen. PATIENCE is always a watch word for me and the ’Niners. They may not be barn burners and they may not be on every headline, but they will eventually right the ship and get back to their winning ways.
by Chaotic9erFan on Oct 14, 2011 4:53 AM PDT up reply actions
Great comment, totally agree
and the fact is, Montana – in my opinion the greatest QB to ever play the game – wasn’t Superman. He was an odd pick when Walsh chose him. He was scrawny, not very impressive to look at, and did not throw a great long ball. Also, while he was good at avoiding the sack he wasn’t a great runner, certainly not as good a runner as Steve Young. What he had was a deadly accurate arm, a thorough grasp of how to maximize the potential in Walsh’s system (he was great at “throwing the receiver open”), and he had a very unique calm confidence that made guys believe in him and want to follow him (Joe Cool). Many have argued that Montana’s success was a result of the system, that Walsh “made” him. I think it’s more accurate to say that each man benefitted from the other – they were a match made in football heaven – the coach with a system that relied on the exact talent’s his QB possessed.
What’s fascinating and hard to ignore is how much of the Walsh/Montana dynamic MIGHT apply to the current scenario. Let me echo you by saying I am in no way saying Harbaugh is Walsh, or Alex is or ever will be Montana. That seems pretty out of the question. But… it’s possible Harbaugh and Smith are as well matched as those two men were, and that Harbaugh knew exactly what he was doing when he asked Smith to stay, despite intense pressure from the fans who had no reason to trust him. Like a lot of people, I’m pretty wowed by the change in Alex so far, and very happy this decent young man is getting some praise for the first time in his pro career. But as I’ve posted elsewhere, I think it’s way premature to declare him anything – bust, game manager, star, superstar – none of it is can be known yet. I think he has a great chance to erase, or at least eclipse, the last six years of failure with his performance this year. But the new Alex can’t be accurately defined/labeled until the full season has been played. I actually expect we’ll see some regression over the next few weeks – it’s a natural part of anyone’s development, two steps forward, one step back – but I also believe he’s tougher than people have given him credit for, he’ll take a few lumps then leap forward again, and that we’re going to see something special from him in the second half of the year. I think there’s a good chance that when it’s all said and done – when the season is over – we’re going to find ourselves hoping this QB that many wanted to chase out of town last year, decides to stay. And he will. Because he knows what he has in Harbaugh, and his system.
Funny that you mention about Montana not being a "physical specimen"
I remember reading a short anecdote in one of the books on the Niners back in the 90s bout when Dwight Clark first saw Montana in a offensive meeting in training camp.
He looks at Montana, walks over to Bill Walsh and says… “Who’s this? The punter?”
Little did he know in a few years Montana would be in the throwing end of the biggest reception of his career.
by NinerFanTucson on Oct 13, 2011 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I aphore that phrase , as well as they finally took the handcuffs off ...
… AleX has the most completions of 20yds or more rite now , high % completions , he’s playing smart football , call it what you want … IMO all Qb’s are game managers …!!
I'm your " Huckelberry "...it's just my game ...Jimmy Raye your no daisy ...!!
I always thought the term “game manager” was stupid. Rather than getting called a good QB, it’s specifically made for ones who don’t put up great numbers but don’t LOSE the game on their own. So dumb.
Anyway I need one full season, or at least most of the season, to call him a game manager. 5 good games in 5.5 years isn’t enough for me to call him a great up and coming QB like a lot of others on this board, and I know I’ll get called a troll for this.
"And thank you to God for making me an Atheist." - Ricky Gervais
by MichaelClutchtree on Oct 13, 2011 9:59 AM PDT reply actions
Alex and Stafford
Alex: 126 att / 83 comp / 65.9 Pct / 965 yds / 7.66 yds per att / 44 long / 7 td / 1 int / 14 sacked
Matt: 187 att /119 comp / 63.6 Pct /1436 yds / 7.68 yds per att /73 long / 13 td /4 int / 6 sacked
Just love some stats . don't you ...!!
I'm your " Huckelberry "...it's just my game ...Jimmy Raye your no daisy ...!!
now compare best and gore's stats
and there you go, reason for less passing attempts other than the 8 sacks
go back into last season
A.Smith is 7-3 in his last 10 games and has 14 TDs and 2 INTs. I think he’s maturing and J.Harbaugh is fostering the growth that was already starting.
by Nicholas Cannelora on Oct 13, 2011 10:12 AM PDT reply actions
Great point
After the Philly game last season Alex was looking a lot better as a QB.
"I hate it! It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air."
Norm Sloan
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."
Weldon Drew
I've always defined game managers by what they can do on the field
without the coaches, can he see the blitz, can he adjust the play or call an audible, can he get the team into field goal position in 50 seconds for the game winner.
Every QB has done it a few times, but the big time guys do it consistently. You expect it out of them. Alex can get there.
by whistlingmountain on Oct 13, 2011 10:13 AM PDT reply actions
Dilfer/Smith Comparison Is Valid, but.......
Neither is a game manager. Both are/were highly controlled by the coordinator calling plays. You can also lump Jim McMahon in with that group of QB’s whose job it was to “not mess up”.
i think smith is a game manager
In the sense that he can put together long drives, win the t.o.p. battle and not have to derive from the gameplan to much during the game…u can tell the are able to do what they set out to do…I have always been a smith fan/defender and clutchtree I think its time u join the winning side of that argument :)
by westxniner on Oct 13, 2011 10:25 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Loved that you used that pic of Alex
If that is the pic of Alex when he rolled out of the pocket, and directed Delanie to go deep in the Bucs game the question would be…Is that what a game manger does? Alex was looking for the homerun on that play. In recent years Alex would of just thrown the ball out of bounds or taken it himself out of bounds.
"I hate it! It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air."
Norm Sloan
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."
Weldon Drew
Excellent point...
Maiocco wrote an article on this earlier today, which I’m sure we’ll see in the Nuggets tomorrow. He said, it was the first and only time in Alex’s career that he has done this. Some great comments from Alex and Delanie in regards to that play too.
Walker comments:
“We were just playing football,” Walker said. "That’s something Alex hasn’t ever done before. It kind of shocked me a little bit. I think that’s why I misjudged the ball. He saw I had the dude beat and nobody was behind me. I came back and he was like, ‘Go! Go deep.’
“That was the first time doing it, so we weren’t on the same page. Now, we’re going to be on the same page. He wanted to put it on my outside shoulder to lead it away from the safety that was playing inside. It was basically playing street football.”
Smith comments:
“When you’re comfortable with what you’re doing, you’re making good decisions and in your head the play slows down,” Smith said. "So when a play breaks down, you stay under control.
“The epitome of that is when I watch Aaron (Rodgers) and the Packers. Everything is under control. All of a sudden, when it’s not there, he remains so fluid and under control and there’s never a breakdown or anxiety. He’s so comfortable and they’re so comfortable, and everything is under control, so they play faster because of it.
“I think there’s a little of that with us. But I think we have a long way to go, and I have a long way to go.”
by 9thevolution on Oct 13, 2011 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions
And here's the article....
Also has quotes from Urban Meyer regarding Smith in ’05.
by 9thevolution on Oct 13, 2011 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
"And in your head the play slows down," Smith said"
That is the key phrase from the whole article.
That is what happens to every successful QB or even player. When the game slows down to the point where you can accurately assess what the defense is presenting you and what your receivers are doing then you can make good decisions and get the ball where it needs to go.
The more time Alex spends in this offense and with this coaching staff the more you will see the game slow down for him
Game manager or not I am loving how he is playing right now and long may it continue! He is going to have games where he throws a pick, or coughs up a fumble. He is a human being. It’s gonna happen. I just hope that the picks/fumbles aren’t costly like they tend to have been in the past. I also hope that the fans stay off his back to an extent and let him atone for the errors he will inevitably make.
I think that the true test of if Alex has turned the corner won’t be if we beat the Lions or not in the next game, it will be how he responds to the mistakes. In the past you kinda saw his shoulders drop and him just deflate from a confidence point of view. If he can shake off the bad plays and come back and make up for the errors, then I think we’ll be able to say that he’s truly improved compared to the last 6 years.
Alex Alex Alex
He, like the 9ers are only getting better each game. The transition from week to week is amazing to behold. I have been saying it all along we are only going to get better as the season goes on, and the play book opens further and further you will see.(watch after the bye for the offense to step up its production, like they were elf’s during Christmas)
Look up and see the sky because that is the limit for number 11 and this franchise.
He is a leader and give him credit because there is NO QUIT in him.
by spirit_of_the_niners on Oct 13, 2011 10:33 AM PDT reply actions
I really don't care
what label people want to give him. As long as he’s helping this team win football games he’s fine by me.
If smith turns into an elite what do think his identity will be?
Like his signature.
he won’t ever be elite. come on.
"And thank you to God for making me an Atheist." - Ricky Gervais
by MichaelClutchtree on Oct 13, 2011 11:28 AM PDT up reply actions
Never...ever...ever
"I hate it! It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air."
Norm Sloan
"We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."
Weldon Drew
come on guys wishful thinking
If he can play like this but put up more yards technically he’d have better stats then rogers and brady.
the way espn and others view a "game manager"
Is not how I view alex smith right now at least. He won us the game in Philly and against Tampa bay with his play. The team rallied around him and he went out and crushed it the last 6 quarters. I think he deserves more credit than the espn version of game manager. Let’s see if it sticks
by Clark_Kent on Oct 13, 2011 11:23 AM PDT via iPhone app reply actions
Alex Smith has gone beyond a game manager
A game manger does not make risky throws or improvise on broken plays. Alex is beginning to make plays on broken plays (the pass to Hunter in Q3 against the Eagles, the incomplete to Delanie against Bucs). As he masters Harbaugh’s offense, he should bechange plays at the LoS just like Luck did (and is doing this season).
At some point, perhaps we will cease this endless conditional judgement on Alex ("He will have arrived IF he wins against the Lions, or “IF he wins against the Ravens”, etc etc). It time for a thumbs up or thumbs down and going out on a limb like this call back in July :)
Game Manager Not a Static Role
When I think of a Game Manager QB, like most of you I think of the QB that doesn’t make mistakes and makes the throws to move the team forward. But the Game Manager isn’t the focal point/the primary reason why a offense moves down the field.
Also, like Fooch mentions in his article the most extreme and I would say STATIC example of a Game Manager is Trent Dilfer. Basically at no point as the Raven’s QB did the offensive game plan go through Dilfer.
But let’s look at a couple of HoF QB’s in Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman. Bradshaw’s job during his first couple of Super Bowls was to hand the ball off to his running backs and let the defense win the game (very Dilfer like). In his last couple of Super Bowls, Bradshaw was a pretty good passer that spearheaded an offense that featured Stallworth and Swann. Sure the Steelers still leaned on their defense but Bradshaw as asked to become a more dynamic part of the offense and was no longer a Game Manager IMO. Everyone knew that the 90’s Cowboy’s offense went through their mammoth offensive line and Emmitt Smith. Troy Aikman never lead the league in any passing statistic. However, when an opponent was able to game plan a way to shut down the run, Aikman was quite capable of taking over a game with Irvin and Novachek. Even Tom Brady, early in his career was pretty much a Game Manager early in his career. The Patriots during their first couple Super Bowls were mostly a defensive team with a rather pedestrian Offense. It was only in the 4th Quarter that of some games that Brady left his Game Manager role and drove the offense. Now of course he’s the engine that drive’s the Patriot’s offense.
Guys like Montana and Young were working within a system that featured a QB. And while the WCO was a relatively safe system, they still had to make opportunistic plays when the situation called for it. And at the other extreme was Farve who holds the anti-Game Manager role of “Gun Slinger”…lots of high risk high reward type of play. Elway is an example of a Gun Slinger that worked his way back to Game Manager when he teamed with Shanahan and Terrell Davis. The Broncos finally had a running game to lean on so Elway no longer had to sling it down field to make plays. However he was still quite able and willing to take over a game and let it rip if the situation called for it.
As for Smith, there were a few glimpses of him coming out of his shell during the last couple of games. Some of that as some have mentioned was improvisation others were where he confidently made a decision to force the ball down field instead of taking the safe underneath throw. Harbaugh showed more confidence in Alex during the opening drive of the Tampa game, calling mostly passes. But unlike previous games where the plays were safe short screens or little dump offs, these plays and Alex’s decisions were higher risk higher reward types of plays which moves him further from a Game Manager role IMO. He still has more improvement and growing to do as a QB to come out of a Game Manager role but I think he’s moving from a Trent Dilfer extreme to more of an intermediate QB that can at times take over a game or at least make a string of opportunistic plays.
by allforfunnplay on Oct 13, 2011 12:13 PM PDT reply actions
Game Manager
is what you call a QB on a winning team, that wins by running the ball and playing good defense.
So, not Payton Manning or late-Elway, or Brees. You call those guys “great QBs”. Aikman and Bradshaw were not great passers, but they were more than just “Game Managers” – they were leaders, field generals.
“Game Manager” is what you say about a QB when you want to give him credit for his teams wins, but frankly he didn’t do much except hand off and not turn the ball over.
I think Alex Smith ASPIRES to be called a Game Manager – because at least his team would be winning. Until the last 6 quarters – “Game Manager” was kind of Alex Smiths’ UPSIDE. An average QB who won’t kill you.
Every dog has his day (or 6 quarters… 4 really since he didn’t do squat in the 2nd half v. TB — not that he needed to), BUT maybe there is a good QB in there… I would be surprised if he turned into a MVP quality QB… but he could be an Aikman/Bradshaw or to use a modern analogy, Eli Manning or Roethlisberger (flawed passers — never all-pro — but top quartile and SB winning).
Brian Sabean: Sing His Praises To The Heavens!
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game that seems to have resurrected itself in my absence...
I disagree that Roethlisberger is a game manager
The Steelers are a pass heavy team. They haven’t been a power running team since before their first Super Bowl win last decade. In the late 90’s and early 00’s Bettis was their primary running back and they leaned on the ground game as their primary offense. By the time Roethlisberger took over they were a mix of power running and fast play running and dump offs to Willie Parker along with big plays to Burress and Ward. A couple years after Roethlisberger took over the QB position the Steeler became an almost predominant passing offense. In fact their OC Bruce Arians has taken much heat for it. With Mendenhall…but it still hasn’t stuck and they’re still mostly a passing team.
by allforfunnplay on Oct 13, 2011 1:27 PM PDT up reply actions
I didn't call him a Game Manager
I called him a good-but-not-elite QB. I guess he doesn’t have much in common with Aikman/Bradshaw/Manning-the-lessor. But so few offenses these days are run-first…
Brian Sabean: Sing His Praises To The Heavens!
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game that seems to have resurrected itself in my absence...
I agree with this except for not being good field generals
I think a good game manager can also be a leader on the field. In fact, IMO a good game manager is also a leader. It’s just that if they were on a team with less talent they probably wouldn’t have won as much. Bradshaw I think is a good example of this. He was a leader on the field but if he played with just an average team he probably never would have won a SB. For his career he completed only 51.9% of his passes and finished with 212 TDs and 210 interceptions. While without Manning we can see what’s happening with the Colts or what happened to the 49ers once they lost Steve Young. Super star QBs can elevate a mediocre team to the next level.
Mark Sanchez would be my idea of a good game manager today. His numbers are average but with a great defense and running game he was able to take the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games. Now that their defense and running game has taken a step back we can see how Sanchez is not able to overcome their team’s weaknesses by himself even if his numbers are slightly better this year than they were last season. Although, Sanchez does seem to elevate his play in the playoffs.
In the world of the blind the one-eyed man is king.
you are making a distinction between
game manager == someone who manages game
and
Game Manager == someone who QBs a good team (i.e, “just wins”) that has a mediocre passing game.
Brian Sabean: Sing His Praises To The Heavens!
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PARPG- Indy post-apocalyptic roleplaying game that seems to have resurrected itself in my absence...
I feel he is becoming a perfect game manager
He seems to be moving the chains steadily and not making too many risky throws. While this is true i also see him starting to put the games away easier by scheme alone the next best thing we can expect from him is to be put in a position to win a game on the finale drive of the game. If he does this lets say against detroit or a baltimore calibar defensive team is when I say he is Better than a Game manager. I’m anxious and excited to watch him play now. Thank you 49ers for making my year better.
by Zintzun22niner on Oct 13, 2011 1:52 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
A game manager plays according to the game circumstances
If the defense is playing great, he plays low risk and relies on them. If the running game is working he audibles runs. If he’s behind by 20, he throws the bombs.
It’s all about adjusting the style of play to the circumstances at the time.
Tony Romo was a horrible game manager against the Lions. He didn’t change the way he played after he got the 20 point lead. He stayed with the high risk plays. Because that’s “his game”.
Alex Smith is being an excellent game manager. When the game is close with good defense like in the Cinci game, he protected the ball above all else. In the Eagles game he needed to sling it about and he did.
It’s about being smart and understanding what is going on and adapting.
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