Huskies 2019 season

[WizardHawk]

No matter which QB they throw out in game 1, I fully expect the other to go in at some point. Both are prone to mistakes and I wouldn't be surprised to see either pulled if having a bad game.

IF they have improvement from the WR/TE corp and IF they can spread the D enough to make the running game (esp the outside threat) real, I think they can have some mistakes from their QB's and still win most of their games.

Of course they also still need a top conference level D to also compensate, but doable.

 

[AlaskaGuy]

Fair enough. Although I'm hoping I'm wrong, I don't believe either will be a substantial upgrade over Browning. I just hope they stick with whichever QB they select. I have a strong feeling whoever is named QB will struggle against Cal's defense and that's when people will start to freak out. Even if Haener didn't throw that pick-six when he replaced Browning, I still think it was stupid to bench Browning for a redshirt freshman even though Browning was struggling.

Browning wasn't moving the chains .. it was 3 & out over and over and over and Petersen got the shits of it and put Haener in there. Browning had his good points but he got worse with time. Petersen was looking for anything to spark the offense. If I only had a dollar for all the times UW's offense went three and out these past two seasons

The thing about the Cal game this year is its early in the season and it always takes the offense a few extra games before it catches up with the defense. Now throw in the fact UW will be starting a new QB against Cal's most likely top ten rated defense and that game could be a nightmare for UW. I just hope Hamdan knows this is his last hurrah if he doesn't get it done this year. Petersen is getting paid too much money to win to keep these Boise St. retreads employed.

 

[seahawksfan234]

No matter which QB they throw out in game 1, I fully expect the other to go in at some point. Both are prone to mistakes and I wouldn't be surprised to see either pulled if having a bad game.

IF they have improvement from the WR/TE corp and IF they can spread the D enough to make the running game (esp the outside threat) real, I think they can have some mistakes from their QB's and still win most of their games.

Of course they also still need a top conference level D to also compensate, but doable.

The Huskies are quite fortunate with our schedule as our hardest games - with the exception of @Stanford - are all at home.

I think you'll probably be right but I worry that switching between guys will hurt more than help unless one is incredibly awful.

Having Hunter Bryant healthy for an entire season I think will be huge for the Huskies. My bigger concern with the run game is that Ahmed is terrific outside the tackles, but I wonder about the production between the tackles. Despite being a smaller back, Gaskin was terrific at grinding out yards on inside runs. Luckily we return everyone except Kaleb McGary, so the offensive line should be the strength of the offense IMO.

 

[WizardHawk]

^^ The Cal game is a perfect example of where you might expect to see both QB's. Few bad decisions early, switch up, have more/different bad decisions from the other, pray your D does enough to still leave room for winning.

It's at home so you still expect a win.

 

[WizardHawk]

The Huskies are quite fortunate with our schedule as our hardest games - with the exception of @Stanford - are all at home.

I think you'll probably be right but I worry that switching between guys will hurt more than help unless one is incredibly awful.

Having Hunter Bryant healthy for an entire season I think will be huge for the Huskies. My bigger concern with the run game is that Ahmed is terrific outside the tackles, but I wonder about the production between the tackles. Despite being a smaller back, Gaskin was terrific at grinding out yards on inside runs. Luckily we return everyone except Kaleb McGary, so the offensive line should be the strength of the offense IMO.

The weak schedule is the only reason they have a legit chance at winning the North. Oregon's is kind of brutal with tough road games and a middle stretch of several back to back challenges.

I too don't want to see them going back and forth with QB's, but with both having strong skill sets and both prone to forcing bad plays I feel it's pretty much inevitable they will switch to see who handles the big moments better. Something they can't ever simulate in camp/practice.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Browning wasn't moving the chains .. it was 3 & out over and over and over and Petersen got the shits of it and put Haener in there. Browning had his good points but he got worse with time. Petersen was looking for anything to spark the offense. If I only had a dollar for all the times UW's offense went three and out these past two seasons

The thing about the Cal game this year is its early in the season and it always takes the offense a few extra games before it catches up with the defense. Now throw in the fact UW will be starting a new QB against Cal's most likely top ten rated defense and that game could be a nightmare for UW. I just hope Hamdan knows this is his last hurrah if he doesn't get it done this year. Petersen is getting paid too much money to win to keep these Boise St. retreads employed.

I think the lack of red zone execution specifically is what bothered me the most about UW's offense. Obviously the players have to execute, but that partially falls on the offensive coordinator to figure something out while the defense has a shorter field to defend and can really zone in on those underneath routes.

Petersen is definitely an amazing coach, but I fully agree that he needs to use UW's status to acquire better assistant coaches. I think that's probably my biggest issue with him as a head coach. I understand he wants "his guys," but in sports, business or any other venture, if you only rely on people you know and have worked with personally, you're really constraining yourself.

 

[seahawksfan234]

The weak schedule is the only reason they have a legit chance at winning the North. Oregon's is kind of brutal with tough road games and a middle stretch of several back to back challenges.

I too don't want to see them going back and forth with QB's, but with both having strong skill sets and both prone to forcing bad plays I feel it's pretty much inevitable they will switch to see who handles the big moments better. Something they can't ever simulate in camp/practice.

100% agree. I'd probably put the over/under for UW for regular season games at 10 or so, but had the home/away games been reversed, I don't think they win more than 8 games.

 

[WizardHawk]

Well, off to work on dinner. Have some pork belly burnt ends in the smoker that need attention. Have a good afternoon guys.

 

[AlaskaGuy]

100% agree. I'd probably put the over/under for UW for regular season games at 10 or so, but had the home/away games been reversed, I don't think they win more than 8 games.

I'm hoping for 9 - 3 with a win in either the Holiday or Alamo bowl to make it a 10 win season but I think your right about 8 - 4 .. which isn't bad imo with all the starters UW lost.

 

[seahawksfan234]

^^ The Cal game is a perfect example of where you might expect to see both QB's. Few bad decisions early, switch up, have more/different bad decisions from the other, pray your D does enough to still leave room for winning.

It's at home so you still expect a win.

I might be a loner on this one but the Cal game really terrifies me. Considering how good Cal's defense will be and how early the game is in the season, I think it'll be an ugly low scoring game unless Cal coughs up some atrocious turnovers.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Well, off to work on dinner. Have some pork belly burnt ends in the smoker that need attention. Have a good afternoon guys.

Sounds great. Feel free to bring me some.

 

[seahawksfan234]

I'm hoping for a 9 - 3 with a win in either the Holiday or Alamo bowl to make it a 10 win season but I think your right about 8 - 4 .. which isn't bad imo with all the starters UW lost.

With our schedule I think this is how I'd pick it right now:

vs. Eastern Washington: W
vs. Cal: 50/50
vs. Hawaii: W
@ BYU: W
vs. USC: W
@ Stanford: L
@ Arizona: W (but could be another trap game)
vs. Oregon: 50/50 depending on how the offense looks at this point.
vs. Utah: See above.
@ Oregon State: W
@ Colorado: W
WSU: W

If we were playing at Cal, Oregon, USC, Utah and WSU I'd say we lose all of those games.

 

[WizardHawk]

The reason im less worried (although at least a little still) about Cal is it's the second game and Petersen can hold plays from fall camp for that game and the taint from last season is still fresh.

Shouldn't have to pull out every play against eastern. This means they should have more plays that aren't on film for that game than you can typically install in a week.

90% of the starters will have still been on last year's team. As bad as the duck loss was, the Cal game was a real killer. They ALL will remember that locker room and the coaches after it. The staff will have that to keep their focus as well.

You can bet they will take it seriously.

 

[seahawksfan234]

The reason im less worried (although at least a little still) about Cal is it's the second game and Petersen can hold plays from fall camp for that game and the taint from last season is still fresh.

Shouldn't have to pull out every play against eastern. This means they should have more plays that aren't on film for that game than you can typically install in a week.

90% of the starters will have still been on last year's team. As bad as the duck loss was, the Cal game was a real killer. They ALL will remember that locker room and the coaches after it. The staff will have that to keep their focus as well.

You can bet they will take it seriously.

My concern isn't so much about them taking it seriously, it's mostly just the talent in Cal's defense. If the starter is Eason, it'll be his first start against a P5 team in 3 years. If it's Haener, it'll be his first career start period.

Even if Browning were the starter, I'd be mildly concerned due to how good Cal's defense looks to be. Luckily for us this game is at home which gives us a huge advantage. I do expect it to be a low scoring, defensive dominated game, but hopefully this can be quoted after the game and I'll be wrong.

 

[mcnabb7542]

I think Stanford is the first real test. Shaw always has his guys ready to play against the Dawgs. I’m also concerned with Zona in between the Cards and the Ducks games like that are over looked by players

 

[WizardHawk]

I think Stanford is the first real test. Shaw always has his guys ready to play against the Dawgs. I’m also concerned with Zona in between the Cards and the Ducks games like that are over looked by players

Stanford is always tough, but their home field advantage sucks.

 

[mcnabb7542]

Stanford is always tough, but their home field advantage sucks.

Didn't the Dawgs travel down there last year?

 

[seahawksfan234]

Didn't the Dawgs travel down there last year?

We had them at home in 2018. I believe with conference games the location switches each time.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Doesn't pertain to 2019, but this is nice to see:

Future looks bright for UW Huskies freshman QB Dylan Morris

 

[WizardHawk]

UW Huskies WR Chico McClatcher is back. But can he be better than ever?
^^^ Goes to that convo we had about him the other day @seahawksfan234.

A healthy, refocused Chico could be the next Pettis if not Ross since he has some skill sets somewhere in between both.

The 5-foot-8, 183-pound senior admitted on Tuesday that a part of him considered calling it quits.

Instead, he weathered the storm and came out clean on the other side.

“Last year it kind of was (like a job),” McClatcher said of his attitude towards football, in his first interview since stepping away. “I was going through some personal things, on and off the field. I didn’t feel like I was playing to my expectations. My body wasn’t feeling right. I was dealing with some things with family and everything.

I'll be surprised if he makes it through the season without some kind of significant injury so in that aspect he's kind of like Harvin for the Seahawks: A great toy you look forward to using until it inevitably breaks. If he can make it through to the first Bye (after the duck game) I like their chances at reaching 10 wins in the regular season a lot more.

Particularly if Puka or one of the others gives that complementary function that Pettis did for Ross back in Browning's first season. Clearly that went a long way for the offense despite the shit play calling and issues on the line. Add a high functioning threat at TE and lets see what happens.

That's the thing that got me last year. Hamdan may not be experienced as a commander of an offense, but he damned sure should be able to focus on WR development since that's where he came from and it just wasn't there last year.

I still say the season hinges more on the leap forward at receiver than any other single offensive position, including QB.