Chuck Long podcast on QB play

[Hurricane88]

The only ones who adjust quickly are our opponents.

When the system is ran correctly, it's hard to stop. But, Lester apparently doesn't understand the importance of running play action. Hank doesn't understand when to keep the ball on a read either.

 

[Jonesy5960]

Better numbers than pretty much any QB since Beathard. He wasn't THAT bad. The team surrounding him wasn't the greatest. I'm not here campaigning for him.

He WAS THAT BAD. The problem is that he was just one of many bad QB's. Jake, Petras, and Cade all had passer ratings between 112 and 118. The only worse QB's statistically were the Deac and Alex Padilla.

Brown, Hecklinski, Gronowski, Stratton, Sullivan, and Labas all came after Jake, and all had better passer ratings than he did.

 

[SeenItAllBefore]

We could have a lab-grown spawn made from the combined DNA of Chuck Long, Brad Banks, Chuck Hartlieb, Matt Rodgers, Drew Tate, Rick-6, CJ Beathard, Kenny Ploen and Randy Duncan and it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference if we only average 2-3 yards per carry on the ground AND continue to run into the brick wall anyway, just out of a sense of pride or outright stubbornness.

Aubrey Devine.

 

[Hurricane88]

He WAS THAT BAD. The problem is that he was just one of many bad QB's. Jake, Petras, and Cade all had passer ratings between 112 and 118. The only worse QB's statistically were the Deac and Alex Padilla.

Brown, Hecklinski, Gronowski, Stratton, Sullivan, and Labas all came after Jake, and all had better passer ratings than he did.

You are REALLY nitpicking if you're only using a rating as a stat to compare. Stratton threw for 300 yds at Iowa. That's it.
Labas spent more time playing in the MAC then he did for Iowa. Labas threw 24 passes at Iowa.
You are splitting hairs and avoiding the central point

 

[Jonesy5960]

You are REALLY nitpicking if you're only using a rating as a stat to compare. Stratton threw for 300 yds at Iowa. That's it.
Labas spent more time playing in the MAC then he did for Iowa. Labas threw 24 passes at Iowa.
You are splitting hairs and avoiding the central point

This is so stupid. Jake sucked. I'm not saying those guys didn't suck. They all sucked.

 

[huntinghawk]

Watch some film on him.

Any film is irrelevant after ferentz gets his hands on him.

 

[huntinghawk]

Completely agree. Chuck was a below average coach and his analysis is not good at all. To your point it seems like he doesn't even watch the games and catches highlights before he does the podcast so he can repeat everything that Tom says. I find the podcast incredibly boring and Chucks analysis is unimpressive. Great all time Hawkeye but could do without his analysis as he sounds clueless

Tom isn't the guy chuck should be regurgitating when it comes to football analysis. Clueless.

 

[huntinghawk]

How that work out for Jake Christenson in 2005? Wasn't he supposed to be a top ten guy who showed out at the elite 11th camps?

Another glaring example of kf picking the wrong guy. He fought for JC to be the starter til the end.

 

[Passing Is For COMMIES]

Better numbers than pretty much any QB since Beathard. He wasn't THAT bad. The team surrounding him wasn't the greatest. I'm not here campaigning for him.

Jake’s numbers were worse than Stanzi, Vandenberg, Ruddock, Beathard, and Stanley. That’s not really up for debate either. Petras is up for debate, he had less yards but a higher completion percentage and a higher YPA, and both are vastly more important than total yards. Every QB that came after him for the next 12 years was better than him, by a large margin.

McNamara and Hill were worse I guess, but he was indeed that bad. Him being better than some recent QBs doesn’t prop him up, it just emphasizes how consistently bad Iowa’s QB play has been in the 2020’s.

 

[85Bears]

Any film is irrelevant after ferentz gets his hands on him.

ok moron

 

[twindman]

He has zero pass attempts, zero passing yards, and zero rushing yards.

And zero interceptions and zero sacks! LOL

 

[huntinghawk]

ok moron

It's moran. And kf sucks handling qbs. Just accept it.

 

[ChicagoHawk2020]

It's moran. And kf sucks handling qbs. Just accept it.

Iowa could 0-12 for the rest of KFs contract and 85Bears would be begging Beth for him to coach into his 80s.

 

[uihawk82]

Iowa could 0-12 for the rest of KFs contract and 85Bears would be begging Beth for him to coach into his 80s.

Well anyone with an 85Bears username would know about bad upper management, although Beth is fine, but the Bears and the Cubs are the worst. I mean the Bears win the 1985 season super bowl with defense and then they let the top defensive player of the year Wilbur Marshall go and dont resign him/extend his contract. What a cheap *** outfit and I am a big bears fan since about 1960.

You know what the cubs did with Lou Brock, Greg Maddox, and many other top players. I know I know the profit margins on chewing gum is not a lot of dough, hahahahah, yeah right.

 

[85Bears]

Iowa could 0-12 for the rest of KFs contract and 85Bears would be begging Beth for him to coach into his 80s.

Ok Husker fan

 

[ChicagoHawk2020]

Ok Husker fan

You’re so smart

 

[unipantherhawk]

Well, compare Heck vs a qb like Dan Marino. Heck has the ball chest level maybe patting it with two hands and when he starts to throw the ball drops like a baseball pitcher to thigh level and winds up behind him. And he has a low release level which I think most qb coaches would say causes some problems. It is a Deacon Hill slow windup and many qbs have it.

But look at Dan Marino holding the ball high chest level and when he throws it is the best, classic move of pulling the ball past his ear and boom gone. Same with Joe Namath.

All I am saying is Marino and Namath and many other top qbs were said to have the best quick windup and release in the game and I heard this mentioned by the expert football people going back many years.

So Long knows his stuff and his mechanics did not drop and loop the ball and he kept it above his shoulder but not as straight back and Marino and Namath who brought the ball up over the shoulder right past the earhole of their helmet.

search for "how does a sidearm release effect a quarterback's passes" and you will find the same somewhat negative consequenses of a side arm thrower

I didn’t make it past well, compare heck to Dan Marino. I’m sure you made some excellent points after that bar but yeesh.

 

[unipantherhawk]

ahh, you know more about QB mechanics than chuck long, gimme a break as that is a bad take. Check out video of the classic QB passing motion of Marino and Namath where they bring the ball from chest high right past the earhole of their helmet and boom, gone and on target vs the drop the ball longer windup and sidearm throws of deacon hill and Heck. I wish Heck would improve his mechanics because: and notice how it makes it harder to throw the ball long

A sidearm release changes the trajectory, velocity, and release point of a quarterback's passes, altering how the ball travels and how defenders can react to it. While a traditional over-the-top motion is the standard for consistency, a sidearm throwing angle is a highly effective tool when used correctly.
Here is how a sidearm release directly impacts a quarterback's passes:

1. Trajectory and Flight Path

• • Flatter Trajectory: Sidearm passes tend to have a lower, more horizontal launch angle. The ball travels on a line-drive rope rather than a looping arc.
  • Harder to Layer: Because the ball stays low, it is much more difficult to "layer" the pass over an intermediate linebacker and underneath a deep safety.
  • Increased Lateral Movement: Depending on the spin and arm angle, sidearm throws can sometimes feature a slight horizontal tailing action, similar to a baseball pitch.

2. Passing Windows and Batted Balls

• • Navigating Around Linemen: The primary advantage of a sidearm release is the ability to throw around the outstretched arms of rushing defensive linemen rather than trying to throw over them.
  • Lower Release Point: Conversely, because the ball is released closer to the ground, it can occasionally be easier for interior defensive linemen to swat down if they anticipate the quick, low throwing lane.

3. Velocity and Spin

• • High Short-Distance Velocity: Quarterbacks can often whip a sidearm pass with extreme rotational speed, making it highly effective for quick screens, slants, and rpos where the ball needs to arrive instantly.
  • Loss of Deep Power: Generating deep-ball power requires vertical leverage from the hips and shoulder tilt. A pure sidearm release makes it harder to drive the ball downfield, often resulting in underthrown deep passes if used inappropriately.

4. Playmaking and Off-Platform Flexibility

• • Throwing on the Run: When rolling out or escaping a collapsing pocket, a quarterback's body is rarely perfectly upright. A sidearm release allows them to snap the ball off quickly without resetting their feet.
  • Disguising Intentions: Quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes use sidearm and no-look variations because it prevents defenders from tracking the quarterback’s eyes and traditional shoulder lean, delaying their break on the ball.

---

To help narrow this down, are you analyzing this from a scouting/coaching perspective, trying to fix a mechanical habit in your own throw, or looking at specific NFL players who excel at it?

Amazing job posting Gemini.

 

[Hawkeyes19]

Do we agree with Chuck that Heck as a significant “windup” when he throws? Because I keep reading on this board about Heck’s quick release, and about how quickly he gets the ball out. Seems contradictory.

Chuck has also said we need to put in some wildcat plays to take advantage of Heck’s running ability. Despite that running ability having yet to show up in any games.

I love Chuck. He is among the greatest Hawkeye heroes of all-time. But I’m not entirely sure he actually watches the games. He spends most of the time on the podcast simply repeating whatever Kakert just said, then extrapolating on it with a lot of football jargon.

But I do enjoy the podcast.

Chuck did coach San Diego State to an impressive 9-27 record. So he must know everything.

 

[WeBeHerkin]

I don’t understand the Bessinger hype. I suppose hope is all we’ve got but I’m not getting excited about a single QB prospect until I see him produce on the field.

Dude has the size for someone just out of high school. Watching him throw he kind of has a lower delivery also.

 

[WeBeHerkin]

On the read options, 10 makes some bad reads. Plays where he should keep and run and still hands off and hardly any gains

 

[Kceasthawk@77]

Chuck did coach San Diego State to an impressive 9-27 record. So he must know everything.

Chuck was NOT a good coach, and he already had one stint as an assistant at Iowa that was short lived. I think he was more interested in playing golf and other hobbies than what it took to coach at this level.

 

[bansheexyz]

He WAS THAT BAD. The problem is that he was just one of many bad QB's. Jake, Petras, and Cade all had passer ratings between 112 and 118. The only worse QB's statistically were the Deac and Alex Padilla.

Brown, Hecklinski, Gronowski, Stratton, Sullivan, and Labas all came after Jake, and all had better passer ratings than he did.

Sidenote: ncaa passer rating is a deeply flawed stat that thinks sacks are ok. This is why Padilla was better than Petras, Petras refused to throw the freaking ball away because he knew it would hurt his passer rating. Endless drive killing sacks that did nothing to his rating.

 

[Max Rebo]

Chuck was NOT a good coach, and he already had one stint as an assistant at Iowa that was short lived. I think he was more interested in playing golf and other hobbies than what it took to coach at this level.

As many times as I have read this, I was surprised when Chuck was hired for assistant jobs with the XFL's Battlehawks and Renegades. I suppose it helped that it was his old buddies, Jonathan Hayes and Bob Stoops, who hired him. But as much as I have read about his coaching record, it still surprised me.

I suppose the XFL is a far cry from P4 college football, but still.

 

[Jonesy5960]

Sidenote: ncaa passer rating is a deeply flawed stat that thinks sacks are ok. This is why Padilla was better than Petras, Petras refused to throw the freaking ball away because he knew it would hurt his passer rating. Endless drive killing sacks that did nothing to his rating.

Yeah. Padilla was another one of those Iowa fan favorites. He was terrible and fans who ignore commonly accepted metrics in lieu of nothing else but their gut are simply exercising opinion, and you know what they say about those. Like you said, I'm sure that Petras preferred the absolute beating he took behind some of the worst lines and OC in Iowa history instead of throwing it away to save a few points on his passer rating. Padilla had the same 49% completion rate as Deacon Hill, and his 94 passer rating was only 7 points higher. This is in no way an endorsement of Petras either, but Padilla was terrible, and worse.

 

[rchawk]

It bears mentioning that Chuck last played college football 41 years ago. 41 years before his first start in 1982 was 1941. The game changes.

 

[Kceasthawk@77]

It bears mentioning that Chuck last played college football 41 years ago. 41 years before his first start in 1982 was 1941. The game changes.

It bears mentioning that Chuck last played college football 41 years ago. 41 years before his first start in 1982 was 1941. The game changes.

And in todays game, he'd be one of those statues behind center that everyone complains about.

 

[gojojo]

I don’t understand the Bessinger hype. I suppose hope is all we’ve got but I’m not getting excited about a single QB prospect until I see him produce on the field.

You seem to forget, the best QB on the roster is always the one no one has seen play yet.

Truly hope the kid is great, but throwing a first year guy on the field is a risk Iowa shouldn’t take. Bess wasn’t the recruit Underwood or Raiola were and look what has happened with them.

Give the kid a chance to marinate a bit.

 

[ChicagoHawk2020]

You seem to forget, the best QB on the roster is always the one no one has seen play yet.

People always say this but it's never said when the starter is actually good.

 

[Grayhair1981]

And in todays game, he'd be one of those statues behind center that everyone complains about.

He was an option QB in HS. He could run effectively

 

[UIAlumFireFighter]

You seem to forget, the best QB on the roster is always the one no one has seen play yet.

Truly hope the kid is great, but throwing a first year guy on the field is a risk Iowa shouldn’t take. Bess wasn’t the recruit Underwood or Raiola were and look what has happened with them.

Give the kid a chance to marinate a bit.

At a minimum, put the kid in for some 4th quarter snaps if/when the game is no longer in doubt in either direction. Tell him: “No stress. Stay loose. Go out there and learn a few things, and it’s ok if you make a mistake” etc. etc..

Ease him into it so next September when he’s QB1, he’s a little less stressed come game time.

Makes perfect sense. Plus, being it’s the 8th game, he should have a fairly decent grasp of how to run the offense.

 

[Kceasthawk@77]

He was an option QB in HS. He could run effectively

In high school in the late 70's and early 80's. He was not a great athlete, probably really substandard to todays players. That was my point, "in todays game". Chuck himself was quoted after he ran that bootleg around the right side against MSU for the winning TD, that you could "time his 40 with a sundial".

 

[Kceasthawk@77]

At a minimum, put the kid in for some 4th quarter snaps if/when the game is no longer in doubt in either direction. Tell him: “No stress. Stay loose. Go out there and learn a few things, and it’s ok if you make a mistake” etc. etc..

Ease him into it so next September when he’s QB1, he’s a little less stressed come game time.

Makes perfect sense. Plus, being it’s the 8th game, he should have a fairly decent grasp of how to run the offense.

He probably has NO grasp of the offense overall. The 4th string guy generally runs the scout team offense during prep for the next game. He probably spends 80% of his time practicing our opponents offense.

 

[gojojo]

He probably has NO grasp of the offense overall. The 4th string guy generally runs the scout team offense during prep for the next game. He probably spends 80% of his time practicing our opponents offense.

I don’t think 80% of this board has any clue how a football practice is run.

 

[Ozzie89]

He probably has NO grasp of the offense overall. The 4th string guy generally runs the scout team offense during prep for the next game. He probably spends 80% of his time practicing our opponents offense.

Correct. Obviously he's in the film room with the QBs during the season, but he's not even with the offense during team situations on the field during the season. He's running the opponent's **** all week against the Iowa defense.

 

[WeBeHerkin]

And in todays game, he'd be one of those statues behind center that everyone complains about.

One that was highly accurate even on deep balls and basically a coach on the field.