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Originally Posted by Hogskin
It just seems like there are constantly excuses made for Patrick. At some point he has to stop having excuses and perform.
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Thank you, Hogskin. Those words, -- those two sentences -- sum up better than anything I've read so far regarding the case against Patrick Ramsey. At some point people have to wake up and realize that he may not be the savior we were all hoping for. And I used to be one of them. I've described Ramsey as a 'field general' with a laser cannon for an arm. He hasn't come close to the first description. The second may be accurate, but it doesn't amount for much when those lasers zip right into the hands of opposing defensive backs. Actually, a field general could be accurate if you consider guys like Custer at Little Big Horn, or maybe McClellan at Bull Run. But... I digress.
And can we please dispense with the notion that Steve Spurrier somehow "poisoned his mind" with the Fun-N-Gun? Ramsey had gaffes that no coach, not even Spurrier teaches. With all the preparation he's had with (The Saint) Joe Gibbs, you'd have thought that those are the plays we would never see again from Ramsey. That's telling.
One other thing worth mentioning: on the very last play against the Giants, Ramsey lined up against a 3 man line. Fittingly, the game ended on that play with a fumble that Ramsey recovered as time ran out. It points out a fundamental flaw that he hasn't been able to improve upon no matter who the coach is. I'm talking about pocket presence. He either ignores the heat around him, or doesn't have the ability as a quarterback to detect it. Say what you will about an offensive line that allows pressure from a 3 man defensive line, it's Ramsey's job to escape from that. Not saying he's got to be Steve Young or Randall Cunningham or anything. But for Pete's Sake man, get out of the way! Step up in the pocket! Friggin' Drew Bledsoe has more mobility.
Hopefully Ramsey doesn't turn out to be one of those Hot-Cold type of QBs -- you know, the ones that throw for 300 yards and 4 TDs one week, then turn around and throw 4 picks the next.
But perhaps it's far too early to assume Ramsey's a Hot-Cold QB just yet.
He has to get hot first.