Short Vacation--here for the duration

After a short vacation, we are back in the game. Today, we look at an article from The Blade, where new beat writer Ryan Autullo (no mo MO) got a chance to view practice. Most of his article is a pre-season optimistic thumb sucker about how the receivers know they need to reach the levels of Magner, Sharon, etc--but can they?

There is some news for the football junkie looking to see beneath the easy story.

Most notably, Ryan notes that both Sheehan and Turner looked bad.

Neither Turner nor fellow quarterback Tyler Sheehan looked particularly impressive yesterday as they continued their battle for the starting position. Sheehan got first crack with the first-team offense, but was erratic.

If accurate, this represents an abject disaster for this team. I will do some previews coming up later as we lead up to the Minnesota game, but of this I am sure. If we don't get more quality QB play this season, than Corey Partridge can turn into Braylon Edwards, it isn't going to help. Coach Brandon has said as much in other forums--our attack is QB focused. If our guys can't make the reads and make accurate throws, we cannot move the ball. We will be back to last year's portfolio of counter plays and end runs.

The choice of QBs is interesting. A lot of us foresaw AT bringing back the Josh Harris style runspread--and he might be able to run well enough--but he didn't throw well enough to open up the lanes and make the QB run a real weapon. This mode of spread is sort of the Urban Meyer spread.

From time to time, the Coach has intimated that he prefers someone in the Omar passpread mode. Where he takes off and runs only if there is a completely wide open lane...and its third down. This is clearly the mode Sheehan could fill.

Either one could work, so far as I care. We need a two-dimensional attack, and we must be able to throw this year. And our QB is the single thing standing between us and having that. And if we don't get it (and it doesn't sound good) then we won't have a winning season.

Our offense simply relies that much on the QB.