The biggest coaching failure this season

You guys all know that I am a big supporter of Brandon Doman. I think he is a great offensive mind and will become a very good Ocoordinator. I also believe that Bronco is grooming him to take over as HC when Bronco decides that he is done. Having said that, the biggest coaching failure this year is Doman not delivering on his promise to try to preserve Riley Nelson's health. It was 2 called QB draws that got him injured. All the talk in the off season was trying to keep him from running so much and taking on defensive players and playing like a linebacker/QB. Well, 2 called QB draws is the difference between 5-0 and 3-2. I submit that a Healthy Riley Nelson (and maybe a better evaluation of our oline talent but that is for a different thread) and we win both of those games.

Bad idea to run nelson sure, but running is what made nelson Nelson. Without the running aspect of Rileys game is is extremely mediocre. So for any to say " here is your starting QB Brandon, by the way his best attributes you can't use"...

Byu did what gave them the best chance to win. Call plays to Riley's strenghts..

stgeorgefan wrote:
Bad idea to run nelson sure, but running is what made nelson Nelson. Without the running aspect of Rileys game is is extremely mediocre. So for any to say " here is your starting QB Brandon, by the way his best attributes you can't use"...

Byu did what gave them the best chance to win. Call plays to Riley's strenghts..

I disagree Riley threw the ball fine when his back wasn't injured. Doman called 2 draws in the Weber game because it didn't look like Rileys "head was in the game" wanted him to get hit to wake him up.

As much as I want to be critical of BD on this, if you go back to the interviews this summer you will find BD almost pleading that RN not run as much. You will also find RN stating emphatically, that he "was not going to change" who he was and how he had played in the past.

And since he audibled out of plays that BD had been called and ran at his own will and discretion, you have to conclude one of two things:

BD was conspiring to get RN hurt by calling qb draws; or,

BD saw everything as fair game (it is after all who BD is at the core--an option qb).

Since I don't favor the conspiracy--BD is not that maniacal, then you have to conclude number two--Riley was going to be Riley, injuries be damned.

Besides, Bronco was ALLOWING Riley to call the "QB Shots", including playing after the back injury. BD said, I think to save himself from being thrown under the bus after the BSU loss, "Riley is hurt REALLY BAD." BD knew RN was playing hurt and ineffective. Whether BD protested to Bronco or not , who knows. Defying Bronco got the last OC fired.

BD is guilty of other mistakes, but not what you accuse. RN should have been replaced at half-time vs Utah and BSU. He had his shot and when failure looked very apparent to any rational fan, or rational coach for that matter, he should have been yanked citing injury or ineffectiveness.

frdbtr wrote:

Bad idea to run nelson sure, but running is what made nelson Nelson. Without the running aspect of Rileys game is is extremely mediocre. So for any to say " here is your starting QB Brandon, by the way his best attributes you can't use"...

Byu did what gave them the best chance to win. Call plays to Riley's strenghts..

I disagree Riley threw the ball fine when his back wasn't injured. Doman called 2 draws in the Weber game because it didn't look like Rileys "head was in the game" wanted him to get hit to wake him up.

Are you saying that Byu's plan was to have Riley be a straight up passer? From all the interviews of Riley in the off season I got the impression that nothing would change. For Riley to change it would take away what made him so special... Ability to scramble and make plays... I believe coaches know that and were hoping for luck more than change of play from Riley

dmcougar wrote:
As much as I want to be critical of BD on this, if you go back to the interviews this summer you will find BD almost pleading that RN not run as much. You will also find RN stating emphatically, that he "was not going to change" who he was and how he had played in the past.

And since he audibled out of plays that BD had been called and ran at his own will and discretion, you have to conclude one of two things:

BD was conspiring to get RN hurt by calling qb draws; or,

BD saw everything as fair game (it is after all who BD is at the core--an option qb).

Since I don't favor the conspiracy--BD is not that maniacal, then you have to conclude number two--Riley was going to be Riley, injuries be damned.

Besides, Bronco was ALLOWING Riley to call the "QB Shots", including playing after the back injury. BD said, I think to save himself from being thrown under the bus after the BSU loss, "Riley is hurt REALLY BAD." BD knew RN was playing hurt and ineffective. Whether BD protested to Bronco or not , who knows. Defying Bronco got the last OC fired.

BD is guilty of other mistakes, but not what you accuse. RN should have been replaced at half-time vs Utah and BSU. He had his shot and when failure looked very apparent to any rational fan, or rational coach for that matter, he should have been yanked citing injury or ineffectiveness.

I'm not accusing him of anything. I certainly don't think he should be fired. Everyone is second guessing this and that. I am simply pointing out that Doman could have done other things to get his starting QB fired up in the Weber game other than calling QB draws that in hindsight ended Riley's season.

stgeorgefan wrote:

stgeorgefan wrote:
Bad idea to run nelson sure, but running is what made nelson Nelson. Without the running aspect of Rileys game is is extremely mediocre. So for any to say " here is your starting QB Brandon, by the way his best attributes you can't use"...

Byu did what gave them the best chance to win. Call plays to Riley's strenghts..

I disagree Riley threw the ball fine when his back wasn't injured. Doman called 2 draws in the Weber game because it didn't look like Rileys "head was in the game" wanted him to get hit to wake him up.

Are you saying that Byu's plan was to have Riley be a straight up passer? From all the interviews of Riley in the off season I got the impression that nothing would change. For Riley to change it would take away what made him so special... Ability to scramble and make plays... I believe coaches know that and were hoping for luck more than change of play from Riley

Yes, from the off season interviews my impression was that they wanted him to stay in the pocket and use his running ability to make stuff happen on broken plays or to get himself out of trouble. The called Draws and options are kind of a surprise per what was said all summer about protecting his health.

I will agree with you on one thing, if the coaches don't teach a bigger, tougher Hill how to avoid getting killed like RN, then, the pattern will be repeated about a coaching failure.

But, since I anticipate that Riley was more defiant than Hill; AND because Riley's defiant/ stubborn parental protege, Bronco, will realize, hopefully not too late, that these running qb''s--even if they "are tougher than all of us," are not in HS anymore and can't run ad infinitum with impunity; and that we have to get our passing game back--- then the coaches will have learned.

Ironic that it would take getting Broncos favorite player hurt for him to learn this lesson.