Thoughts On Teel

If you’re reading message boards, perusing the local papers, listening to the radio, or watching the news, it’s likely you’re all hearing the same thing: “It’s all Mike Teel’s fault.” His untimely interceptions, inability to lead the offense down the field, and perceived lack of leadership (ie: the “punch” to Glen Lee’s face after the Navy defeat) would seem to support the fan’s and the media’s point of view. They all want Teel out and someone else, anyone else, in. But, while I do think Mike needs to see the bench, I really don’t think you can lay this all on the senior. We need to tone down our antipathy of the senior signal caller.

First and foremost, you must remember that Mike Teel has played behind two tremendous offense lines the previous two seasons. How many times was he sacked the last two years? Fourteen times total. And how many times has he been sacked this season? Eight times through only six games. Let’s face it. The offensive line this year is young and fairly inexperienced, and it’s simply just not as good as year’s past. They might be good next year, but this year, it’s just not happening.

Now, anybody that follows Rutgers football knows that Mike does not do well under pressure, both figuratively and literally. He’s not a quarterback who is going to win games for you, and asking him to do so is foolish. When you ask him to be the hero, he folds like a cheap lawn chair. For proof, see: Cincy game two years ago (4 interceptions), Maryland game last season (inability to complete a pass down the stretch), Cincy game last season (interception to end the game), and, well, I think you know what’s happened this season. He’s just not a guy that can lead his team to victory. Rather, he’s a nice role player that, when surrounded by great players, does a good job of managing a game and not losing it. That’s why he was successful in high school; Don Bosco was a team willed with good-to-great players at every position. That’s why he was successful last year; he had a great back and a great line. This year, he doesn’t have those same surrounding players and the team isn’t winning as a result. But is this really his fault? No, it’s not. That’s just the player he is. It’s the coaching staff’s fault for trying to make him do something that he simply cannot do.

Furthermore, without the line and the threat of a legitimate, big-time back, defenses are pressuring Teel more than ever. It seems like he has almost no time in the pocket on some plays, and that’s not a good thing. When the pocket collapses, there’s virtually nothing Mike can do to make a play; he has absolutely no mobility, he cannot scramble or roll-out and throw on the run, and he cannot make throws under duress (these throws will either be intercepted or miss their target by a mile). Again, this isn’t his fault. He’s not an athletic quarterback and he is being put in a situation where he cannot succeed. In order for Mike to make some of the throws he made last year, he needs time in the pocket. And that’s just not happening this year with a young offensive line.

Now, by no means am I saying that Mike shouldn’t be blamed at all. He has made some poor throws this year and has missed his targets, and he is still staring down his receivers from the moment the ball is snapped. Additionally, he’s not making the deep throws he made last year. Last year, he had nine games in which he completed a pass of 35 yards or more. This year, he has only accomplished that feat twice (once in the Fresno game, and once in the Morgan State game). He should most definitely be held accountable for these poor plays. [Of course, our wide receivers haven’t been helping with all their drops (I’m looking at you Tiquan, Kenny) and inability/unwillingness to dive for the first down marker on 3rd and 4th downs (cough, Brock, cough)].

Now, after taking all this into account, there’s no doubt in my mind (or anyone else’s for that matter) that Teel needs to be benched. It might not be his fault that he doesn’t perform under pressure and cannot move outside the pocket, but that doesn’t mean he should remain the starter. We need a quarterback that excels in the two areas where Teel is significantly lacking. We need a quarterback that can move the ball down-field, anyway possible.

One of Dom Natale’s biggest assets coming out of high school was his mobility and ability to throw on the run. He was a blue-chip recruit and was ranked as a top 10 quarterback by rivals. More importantly, he was a leader. It seems like he could be the remedy we so desperately need. And it seems like Schiano knows it. I’m sure you’re all aware the Dom was bumped to #2 on the depth chart recently, which could be a sign of things to come. (The only thing that was reportedly holding him back was his elbow surgery from last spring; at times, he would make spectacular throws in practice. But at other times, he would look like a player just coming off surgery. This inconsistency is apparently gone with the recent move to the back-up position). Even more telling are the comments (or lack thereof) that coach made last night on his radio show. If you were able to listen to it, you may have noticed that Schiano did not endorse Mike Teel as his quarterback. In the past, he would almost always say something to the effect of, “Mike is our quarterback, and he will be for the foreseeable future.” There were no comments like that last night.

So, is a change on the horizon? I think so. I’m not saying Natale will start on Saturday, but don’t be surprised to see him in the game fairly early if the offense isn’t clicking.