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ALL 22 Mensah vs Clemson

I'm pretty torn on my thoughts thus far RE: the offense as a whole.

From the 30,000 ft view, I never expected the OL to be a perfect product by early October, but also, it's probably worse than I expected it to be at this point. Might be my "mopiest" porst ever, but I feel like if we played ND tomorrow, their defense would beat the **** out of us and we'd have to play our A++ game between Mensah and Dawson to score enough points to beat them, especially now with Buchanan out for a while.

But on the other hand, we are very efficient, we are scoring points, Mensah has looked generally amazing, we have a lot of REALLY good football players on that side, and perhaps Congdon's insertion continues to allow the line to ascend.

I'm incredibly interested to see how this line looks the next 3 weeks, because IMO all 3 of FSU, then Pitt, then UNC all have defensive lines that are probably better than anyone we've played. I know Wake has some hyperactive kids, and I know Clemson has some talent in the front 7, but I don't think either of those teams are ones I'd swap with if I was Norvell, the Nard Dog, or Belichick. Maybe that's wrong, but that's how I feel.

So, the competition is going to continue to increase, culminating with BY FAR the best front we'll see all year on 11/7. We have to improve by leaps and bounds between now and then if we expect to score enough to beat them.

Right now, my thoughts on ND are, assuming Lightfoot, Blount, Lucas, and Antione are back and healthy, take the under. That might be a 17-13 type game up there.
 
Mensah played in a much more simple offense last season. It's Lashlee check with me style of offense. Dawson relies far more on the QB pre/post snap. I am confident Mensah will continue to figure it out. Because of all the blowouts he really hasn't played much and it's been too easy for him TBH. This is going to be a great learning experience, going against some excellent db's. What I really like is he isn't putting the ball in harms way ever, and he is showing the ability to make plays under pressure; leads the NCAA in QB rating vs blitz. If he continues to play efficient ball we don't need him to throw for 500 yards to beat anyone.
 
OBLIVION said:
Cam was more of a renegade where to me, Mensah is more controlling of his actions. Cam would just sling it to the other side of the field without a care in the world.
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Cam was the best at extending plays, then he would sling that ball anywhere he wanted. Pressure didn't phase him nearly as much as Mensah and Beck as he would just spin in circles, roll out, cut back sling it 40 yards to a WR that had exhausted all options for the D. back yard football! This is also why Mensah may end up being the best QB of the 3 in the NFL.
 
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ShadowSpring said:
Mensah played in a much more simple offense last season. It's Lashlee check with me style of offense. Dawson relies far more on the QB pre/post snap. I am confident Mensah will continue to figure it out. Because of all the blowouts he really hasn't played much and it's been too easy for him TBH. This is going to be a great learning experience, going against some excellent db's. What I really like is he isn't putting the ball in harms way ever, and he is showing the ability to make plays under pressure; leads the NCAA in QB rating vs blitz. If he continues to play efficient ball we don't need him to throw for 500 yards to beat anyone.
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Yea Lashlee type offense manufactures layups for the QB, mentioned it before but the play Mali score on that got called back was same concept/play against same coverage that Mensah score on with Duke last year to Q Brown, they checked to it when they got the look they were waiting for..
 
Great post, and honestly another reason the bye couldn't come at a better time. a lot of this stuff feels fixable as opposed to glaring flaws we can't address. I know it went wrong when they tried it vs Central Michigan, but I think moving the pocket early in games would be a nice step to settle the O line and Mensah into the game
 
OrangeBowlMagic said:
I'm pretty torn on my thoughts thus far RE: the offense as a whole.

From the 30,000 ft view, I never expected the OL to be a perfect product by early October, but also, it's probably worse than I expected it to be at this point. Might be my "mopiest" porst ever, but I feel like if we played ND tomorrow, their defense would beat the **** out of us and we'd have to play our A++ game between Mensah and Dawson to score enough points to beat them, especially now with Buchanan out for a while.

But on the other hand, we are very efficient, we are scoring points, Mensah has looked generally amazing, we have a lot of REALLY good football players on that side, and perhaps Congdon's insertion continues to allow the line to ascend.

I'm incredibly interested to see how this line looks the next 3 weeks, because IMO all 3 of FSU, then Pitt, then UNC all have defensive lines that are probably better than anyone we've played. I know Wake has some hyperactive kids, and I know Clemson has some talent in the front 7, but I don't think either of those teams are ones I'd swap with if I was Norvell, the Nard Dog, or Belichick. Maybe that's wrong, but that's how I feel.

So, the competition is going to continue to increase, culminating with BY FAR the best front we'll see all year on 11/7. We have to improve by leaps and bounds between now and then if we expect to score enough to beat them.

Right now, my thoughts on ND are, assuming Lightfoot, Blount, Lucas, and Antione are back and healthy, take the under. That might be a 17-13 type game up there.
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This the best red zone offense we have had in quite some time. That’s a positive. Still don’t like the hits Mensah has been taking since the wake game
 
E1k said:
It seemed like that but it was calculated 90% of the time
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For Cam, I think a lot of it was 100% calculated. The things he did on the field simply couldn't be drawn up, they were just who he was as a player. No disrespect to Mensah, Beck, Dorsey, or any other Miami great, but I would take Cam every single game day. He's not the type of player you can put in a box or restrain from being himself. You have to let Cam be Cam.

Outside of having a terrible OL and not having much to work with at WR in Nashville, I think they've tried to take some of that freedom away from him. When you start limiting what made him special instead of building around it, you're not really getting the same player.
 
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