Even if Healthy

As some of you may recall, I struggled to accept the switch to Riley Nelson last year. "This is a matter of capacity," I said to myself, "not a matter winning games that we would probably win with Dell Schanze under center."



Basically, my concern with Nelson was that he did not have sufficient ability to throw to make defenses adjust and that his decision-making was always suspect. I couldn't see Nelson performing well against good teams and that by committing to him we are probably imposing a ceiling upon ourselves.



I looked for and saw the good in Nelson's play (though the Nelson/Heaps drama tainted my view on his leadership, selflessness, and influence).



Now...playing injured to the detriment of the team (what would Gaskins do?)...he has rendered some of the worst quarterback play in BYU history. Nevertheless, I am still left to wonder what would have happened if healthy.



There has been zero evidence that he would be able to sustain sufficient play to beat two teams with good defenses. I am guessing BYU is 2-2 with a healthy Nelson.



This, to me, points to the three big coaching questions of this season - none of which are the 2 point conversion decision:



(1) Is this the best offensive gameplan we could design according to Nelson's strengths?



(2) Why would we play Nelson when he is clearly injured and it is impacting his performance? (or perhaps better stated, why do we so strongly believe in grit, leadership, and grit?)



(3) How did Bronco and Doman develop such deference to Nelson to allow him to choose how much he would play in spite of blatantly awful production?

1) I'm not sure. Who knows? Who knows how injured Riley is? Im nt sure his history supports honesty n this regard.

But I keep hearing about a "closed playbook" if Hill is in and I just want to call bunk. With an injured Riley, our playbook has to be exactly what it looks--limited if not injured and hampered-pick your descriptor.



2) answer: because doesn't "grit leadership and [more] Grit" define, if not constrain, Broncos playing and coaching career? "Hit it harder it'll fit!!"



3) Because Bronco has leaned on and expected his Sr leaders to lead--throughout his head coaching tenure. This works if the players have smarts and unselfish leadership. Riley is smart, but he is limited because of his "I'm THE man" myopia.

But to your point specifically, Bronco is more invested in teaching leadership (through losses, if necessary) than winning games.



Sorry. I know this sounds harsh. But what else explains Broncos "new clothes"? The whole football nation who watched that game didn't blame Riley for the loss. They blamed Coach Mendenhall. And ship be damned, he'll do it his way or no way at all.

I'm very disappointed in Bronco and Doman if they knew how hurt Riley was, didn't have him practice and then still played him. That's unacceptable. If you're too hurt to practice, you're too hurt to play.

When I was growing up the rule was that if you're too sick to go to school you're too sick to play with your friends.

The INT where Apo was open in the end zone and RN couldn't get the ball over the 2 defenders should have been the key: Reilly just couldn't get enough on the ball to be effective.



I wanted to scream when they put Hill in with the ball on the 1 yard line. I know that's the game plan, but I think they usually prefer the other 1 yard line!



Oh, and Hawk, my sister tested that rule when she was a sophomore and ended up grounded for a month. Hmm, just sayin'.

It comes down to this



They had three alternatives

None of them perceived to be highly likely to succeed

And they chose the one they chose



Riley did not insist that they play him - no threats or innuendo about transferring or leading a mutiny



Riley insisted that he could play through the pain - and he did - still ran hard and lowered the shoulder - pain and all



He just was wrong about being able to make his body throw the ball well with the injury. Way wrong. Coaches should have made a change sooner - even though the remaing two options were unproven and this was in the toughest place to win in the country.



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