Clausen vs. Quinn
posted by Scott Engler
(NDNation.com - The Rock Report) - When I wrote that Clausen would be better than Quinn in this offense by mid-year this year I received a fair amount of "you're crazy" emails and even more "you're a moron, Quinn was a record setting QB" emails. But mid way through Clausen's sophomore year, Clausen's numbers are very close to Quinn's senior years numbers... surprisingly close.Through six games in 2006, Quinn threw for 1634 yards, 16 touchdowns and completed 63.5% of his passes averaging 7.01 yards per attempt.
Trough six games in 2008, Clausen threw for 1631 yards, 14 touchdowns and completed 61.6% of his passes averaging 7.45 yards per attempt.
Clausen does have a worse TD/INT ratio than Quinn, but I'm not sure there's much of a difference between the two right now. I'm starting to believe that Clausen has an even more impressive cadre of wide receivers to work with.
It's still early in his career, but I believe what will make Clausen better is the fact that he puts the ball in very tiny spaces with great consistency. And we've got another great one waiting in the wings in Dayne Crist, who, unlike Clausen, won't have to play before he's ready.
12 Comments:
Good comparison. JC is slowly coming into his own. He seems to be taking on a leadership role this year which is a must for a QB. His int ratio has to come down and will with time. He must improve on his ball fakes and that will come with time also. The biggest thing he must do as a ND qb is : WIN.
The numbers don't lie. Quinn was great, and a certified ND hero. Saying that Clausen will be better in no way takes away from what Quinn accomplished. Clausen is more accurate and throws a better deep ball. Quinn was stronger and better scrambling when he needed to. They're both great, people need to not be so sensitive.
SD Irish
The great thing here is that Clausen, as a sophomore, compares favorably with Quinn as a senior. Lets think about that.
I believe Clausen, with a little more experience, will blow the covers off the record books by the time he finishes at du Lac.
Great arm, great touch, and the cajones to put the ball in tight spots.
We need a defense to measure up and an offensive line that can run block a little better and we are there.
Just think of it--comparing Clausen as a sophomore to Quinn in his senior year.
By the time he leaves and all things equal, Clausen will have blown the covers off the record books for us. He has the arm, the touch, and the guts to do it. Experience and CW making sure that he doesn't get a big head is all that is needed.
If we can get a defense to measure up and an o-line to run block a little better, we'll get all the way home.
Seriously, is anyone looking at the schedule here? The numbers are similar but a 1 and 5 San Deigo State does not equate to that Georgia Tech team. Michigan is in total free fall this year in comparison to the 06 season (what was the Teledo QBs numbers or Penn State's?) Oh and NC looks real formidable now post Virginia. This may speak more to why we aren't even getting ANY votes in the AP but Jimmy isn't quite there yet.
This is a reply to the post above mine.
If Clausen "isn't there yet" then Quinn never made it "there". Brady Quinn was probably the most overrated QB in ND history. ND's schedule this year is not significantly weaker than those of Quinn's last two years. And in those two years, Quinn could not beat any of the elite teams he played, and was only able to beat some unranked teams with a miracle finish. Quinn did not go high in the NFL draft for a reason - the pros knew he was not as good as the hype. Even now, we can see that Cleveland paid too high a price for him.
Clausen is as good now as Quinn was when he was a senior. However, Clausen is lacking the experience that Quinn had as a senior, which is why you see Clausen make a throw like he did to start the third quarter of the UNC game. He won't make that mistake as a senior, unlike Quinn who, as a senior, made the same mistake against MSU his senior year.
Clausen is showing improvement with experience. Quinn, on the other hand, did not improve significantly from his junior year to his senior year. ND had hit a ceiling with Quinn at QB and was not going to be an elite team as long as he was QB - good, but not elite.
Clausen already is making throws Quinn was rarely, if ever, able to make. Quinn had one throw - straight and hard. Clausen can throw every kind of pass required, straight and hard, soft, long with zip or long with air (floater), etc., and his accuracy is way beyond Quinn's. It was so rare for Quinn to hit a receiver in stride, but Clausen does it routinely. Clausen is a superior passer and it really isn't even close.
I admire Brady Quinn for many reasons, not least of which was the fact that he represented Notre Dame as well as any athlete in its history. But his passing skills were limited compared to Clausen, and Clausen will shatter Quinn's records if he stays healthy.
Clausen can lead ND to a BCS bowl victory and possibly a national championship, but Quinn could not.
I think JC -will- be better than Quinn at the end, but a statistical comparison 06 vs 08isn't valid given all of the variables contributing towards those statistics (strength of the opp. defense, skill of the receivers, the fact that ND can't run the ball this year, anything else you want to ship in there.)
Reading some of these posts just shows how quickly some of us have forgotten Quinn's greatness. While it's too soon to say how Clausen's career will end, any comparison to Quinn holds no water.
Quinn led us to consecutive BCS births but people quickly point out "he couldn't win the big game." I guess Quinn is somehow accountable for the 617 total yards of offense we gave up to OSU or Leinart's 4th and 9 completion followed by the Bush push.
Quinn put up his numbers without a Tim Brown or Rocket Ismail. Rhema and Darius, two of the main cogs in the offense, weren't even drafted. Meanwhile, Clausen throws to speed guys like Tate and an all-world WR in Floyd who, barring injury, will be a top-10 draft pick when he leaves ND, guaranteed. Still, Clausen stares down his WRs, has trouble checking off guys, and makes dangerous throws into traffic when we're in the red zone.
As far as the guy commenting that Quinn's fall in the draft had to do with his deficiencies as a QB...you don't understand football son. Let's replay the draft:
1. JaMarcus to the Raiders. Why? Because Al Davis is hammered.
3. Joe Thomas to the Browns. Never pass up the opportunity to draft a stud at the most important position on your offense.
7. AP to the Vikings. Enough said.
9. Ted Ginn to the Dolphins. This pick was ridiculed by all intelligent analysts and was supported by a coach who promptly went 1-15 and got fired.
Picks 10-21. ALL of these teams had established QBs or had invested substantial capital in young QBs from recent drafts (Cutler, VY, etc.).
With that said, Quinn fell to #22. This had virtually nothing to do with any perceived short-comings and more to do with circumstances and bad decision-making (MIAMI).
If Clausen puts up numbers against USC this year, I think we should reopen this discussion. Until then, Quinn remains one of the greatest QBs in ND history, and hands down ND's best collegiate QB since the days of Mirer. We won bowl games back then because we had a GREAT DEFENSE to go along with a GREAT QB.
Clausen is definitely getting there, but still I don't think there's a rush to call the guy a Brady Quinn yet. Let's just be appreciative of the fact that he's learning and growing as a player and finally starting to live up to the promises. It's a good thing. His turn will come.
Also, I just wanted to say that while Brady's stats from his first two years weren't as good as they could've been, bear in mind he was playing in an unsuccessful Ty Willingham offense, not nearly as friendly to the stats as a spread 'em out Weis approach. His career numbers could've, probably should've, been better.
But the bottom line is let's be thankful Notre Dame is still bringing in the talent consectutively at quaterback. Including Crist, it seems like we're deeper at the position than we've been in possibly decades. In the next year or two Clausen will probably be taking that trip to New York. But if he can fix a few components of his game, as I'm sure will come in time, maybe unlike Brady he'll bring the trophy home.
Well, you can blame the defense for Quinn's inability to win the big games, but that does not change the fact that the great ones find a way to get it done. Also, it was not a matter of Quinn having inferior receivers, because he was not hitting those receivers as well as Clausen.
You chide Clausen for not checking off receivers and making dangerous throws in the red zone, yet you're comparing Clausen as a soph to Quinn as a senior. Even as a senior Quinn telegraphed his throws and could not beat a blitz.
You are wrong about the draft. The team that drafted Quinn also had an established QB who is still their starter, so your analysis of picks 10 - 21 is flawed. The Browns gave away a first round pick for Quinn just to placate supporters who had their hearts set on the native son.
If we are going to use Clausen's performance against USC as a basis for comparing him to Quinn, then let's take a look at Quinn's numbers against USC his sophomore year. Quinn completed 15 of 29 passes for 105 yards and one TD. His longest pass was for 20 yards and he was sacked three times. He rushed for a net 30 yards on 8 carries. ND lost 41-10. Do you think Clausen will match those numbers? I do.
I think it's hilarious that you guys wouldn't post my last reply. I guess Charlie Frye or Derek Anderson was considered an "established QB" or that there really was no difference between Quinn's talent and Clausen's when they were sophomores. Yeah. . .sure.
The larger problem is that you guys only cater to the fans who drink the Kool-Aid. You believe that anyone who challenges your opinion or states the obvious about the Irish is anti-ND. Before last year started, I couldn't get 1 post on the site, b/c I said we'd win 5 or fewer games. Anyone with an objective opinion knew we were in trouble last year, and it had more to do with just Davieham as you guys like to call it. Our beloved coach was equally to blame any way you slice it. I won't waste your time with old news though.
If you ever want to have an honest, objective opinion on the team, feel free to e-mail me. If you show other opinions, people outside of ND might find us (alum and fans) more credibile.
Ray
southbendstallions@yahoo.com
Unfortuanately quinn peaked his senior year.I belive jimmy will vastly improve all of the years he has left here. he should shatter all of quinns records
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