How well does Brady Quinn Spread the Ball Around?

Okay, I took the liberty in recording every single Brady Quinn pass attempt during the game last night in an attempt to see how well he spreads the ball around and whom he goes to in key situations. Here are some things you need to know before reading this.

• Short pass = less than 7 yards
• Medium pass = 7-20 yards
• Long pass = over 20 yards

Also while reading, this is how it will be set up.

Pass attempt number) down/yardage…pass length…receiver intended for = result (attempted number to receiver)

Kind of complicated, but you will get it…here goes.

1. 3-6…medium for J. Carlson = incomplete (1)
2. 1-10…short for J. Samardzija = complete 6 yards (1)
3. 2-4…short for J. Carlson = incomplete (2)
4. 3-4…short for R. McKnight = incomplete (1)
5. 1-10…short for J. Carlson = complete 3 yards (3)
6. 2-10…medium for D. Walker = incomplete (1)
7. 1-10…medium for R. McKnight = incomplete (2)
8. 3-7…long for J. Samardzija = incomplete (2)

1^st quarter

• 3 attempted to Carlson (1 complete)
• 2 attempted to McKnight (0 complete)
• 2 attempted to Samardzija (1 complete)
• 1 attempted to Walker (0 complete)

Attempted passes to 4 different receivers in the first quarter…not bad at all but you would like to see Brady at least look in the direction of Grimes or Anastacio, but I did like to see that he went to 3 different receivers on 3 separate 3^rd downs.

9. 1-10…short for D. Walker = complete 8 yards (2)
10. 1-10…short for R. McKnight = complete 6 yards (3)
11. 2-4…medium for J. Samardzija = complete 13 yards (3)
12. 1-10…long for R. McKnight = complete 32 yards TD (4)
13. 1-10…short for D. Walker = complete 4 yards (3)
14. 2-6…short for D. Walker = INT for TD (4)
15. 1-20…medium for R. McKnight = complete 17 yards (5)
16. 2-3…medium for J. Samardzija = incomplete (4)
17. 4-1…long for J. Carlson = complete 27 yards (4)
18. 1-10…short for J. Samardzija = complete 17 yards TD (5)
19. 1-10…long for R. McKnight = incomplete (6)
20. 2-20…short for D. Walker = complete 3 yards (5)
21. 3-21…long for J. Samardzija = incomplete (6)

2^nd quarter

• 4 attempted to Walker (3 complete)
• 4 attempted to McKnight (3 complete, TD)
• 4 attempted to Samardzija (2 complete, TD)
• 1 attempted to Carlson (1 complete)

1^st half

• 6 attempted to McKnight (3 complete, TD)
• 6 attempted to Samardzija (3 complete, TD)
• 5 attempted to Walker (3 complete)
• 4 attempted to Carlson (2 complete)

This frightened me a little bit that Brady did not even look in the direction of Anastacio or Grimes during the entire first half…there were also a few 2 TE sets in which he could have found Freeman. The good news is that he did not look at anybody too much or too little out of the 4 that passes were attempted to. The difference between the #1 attempted WR’s, Shark and Rhema, and the least attempted in Carlson, is just 2. Only 1 pass was attempted on a 3^rd down play and that was to Samardzija.

22. 2-9…short for J. Samardzija = incomplete (7)
23. 3-9…medium for J. Samardzija = complete 17 yards (8)
24. 2-8…long for J. Carlson = complete 64 yards TD (5)
25. 2-7…short for D. Walker = complete –7 yards (6)
26. 4-8…medium for C. Anastasio = incomplete (1)
27. 2-8…short for D. Walker = complete 6 yards (7)
28. 1-10…short for R. McKnight = incomplete (7)
29. 2-10…long for D. Grimes = incomplete (1)

3^rd Quarter

• 2 attempted to Samardzija (1 complete)
• 2 attempted to Walker (2 complete)
• 1 attempted to Carlson (1 complete TD)
• 1 attempted to McKnight (0 complete)
• 1 attempted to Anastasio (0 complete)
• 1 attempted to Grimes (0 complete)

This was probably Brady’s best quarter as far as spreading the ball around. He did not attempt more than 2 passes to a receiver and tried for 6 different targets. He also showed great confidence in Anastasio to throw that 4^th and 8 pass to him…unfortunately it did not work out. Again, just 1 third down was attempted through the air and that went to the Shark again.

30. 3-10…medium for D. Grimes incomplete (2)
31. 1-10…long for D. Grimes = tipped and caught by Carlson (2) (6)
32. 2-17…medium for J. Samardzija = complete for 12 yards (9)
33. 3-5…long to J. Samardzija = incomplete (10)
34. 4-5…short for J. Samardzija = complete for 43 yards TD (11)
35. 1-25…long for R. McKnight = incomplete (7)
36. 1-10…medium for J. Samardzija = complete for 12 yards (12)
37. 1-10…medium for R. McKnight = complete for 14 yards TD (8)

4^th quarter

• 4 attempted to Samardzija (3 complete TD)
• 2 attempted to McKnight (1 complete TD)
• 2 attempted to Grimes (0 complete)

Looks like Brady tried to involve Grimes here, firing 3 strait pass attempts to him dating back to the 3^rd quarter…none of them worked out however. Looks like the Shark is his guy in clutch situations…attempting 4 passes to him, mostly long although he took a short one to the house. On both 3^rd and 4^th down on the drive that put the Irish within 10…Quinn went to Samardzija.

2^nd half

• 6 attempted to Samardzija (4 complete, TD)
• 3 attempted to McKnight (1 complete, TD)
• 3 attempted to Grimes (0 complete)
• 2 attempted to Walker (2 complete)
• 1 attempted to Carlson (1 complete, TD)
• 1 attempted to Anastasio (0 complete)

Quinn looked for 6 different receivers in the 2^nd half, but you can see that the Shark is clearly his favorite target, attempting twice as many passes to him as anybody else in quarters 3 and 4.

GAME

• 12 attempted for Samardzija (7 complete, 2 TD)
• 9 attempted for McKnight (4 complete, 2 TD)
• 7 attempted for Walker (5 complete)
• 5 attempted for Carlson (4 complete, TD)
• 3 attempted for Grimes (0 complete)
• 1 attempted for Anastasio (0 complete)

As you see, nearly a 3^rd of Quinn’s pass attempts went to Samardzija, and 21 of 37 went to either Jeff or Rhema. He did throw to 6 different receivers, but at the same time only 4 caught balls.

Make your own judgments based on the numbers above. My feelings? Sure, you would love to see more than 4 players catch passes…but who am I to second guess a guy that threw for 5 TD’s on that same night?