Brian Lewerke
6'3
212 Pounds
2017
Footage watched: First Half of Notre Dame (9/23). Northwestern (10/28). All offensive plays (could therefore not watch more games, since I had to fast-forward to every offensive drive. Tried to get some situational diversity: a bad defeat vs ranked opponent at home and a road game vs unranked opponent a month later.
Vs Notre Dame
Strengths: delivering quick intermediate pass from the pocket. Great at curl underneath, slant down the middle So confident in these underneath routes in middle of the field, really nails these. Mechanically following through on front foot.
QB sneak for huge gain: ability to recognize gap or running lane in defense and accelerate. Not afraid to take off and run and be elusive doing so with his quick feet.
Short memory (composure after getting picked in leading touchdown drive, made Felton Davis come back for underthrown fade in end zone)
Ball skills (disguised pass/run)
Stepping up in pocket when facing pressure
Weaknesses: allows eyes to be read by statically locking onto receiver and waiting for play to develop. And picked off, easy to see in advance where he's going with the pass.
Inconsistent accuracy on shorter routes towards the sideline (as opposed to middle of the field): Overshoots screen, underthrows fade in end-zone. Underthrows while on the run. Underthrows down the field. Has hard time leading receiver, or not leading him too far, but especially the first. Big opportunities missed, in addition to his two mistakes (fumble and interception). Overthrows easy out route towards sideline. So much for composure, now down 21-7?
Looks too quickly to scramble when faced with pressure. Too reliant on athleticism, especially when rattled, needs to be truer to his strength in the pocket. Careless with ball when running. If he doesn't force a pass down the field, where his accuracy really struggles.
Departs from mechanical expectations when nervous, struggling and facing deficit. Needs to be babied into a rhythm to redevelop confidence as opposed to wanting to guide passes in there.
Can he carry offense when rush attack is non-existent?
Vs Northwestern
Strengths: Ball skills (play-action on the move to both sides of the field, makes throwing across his body look easy, enabled by lack of pressure allowing him to step into throw; fools the defense with the play-action)
Utilizing straightaway breakaway speed of receiver down the field. Lewerke looks a lot better throwing down the field to White than he did vs a bigger guy like Davis...both his deep completions went to him somehow. It's something he needs to become way more consistent at, with routes that are harder to have good timing with like post routes.
Composure under pressure to deliver accurate in pass in end zone to receiver (granted he was wide open)
Extending plays with legs, ability to keep eyes down field while moving around, looking for a place to step into throw and thus deliver accurate pass
Zip on shorter throw
Vision for open running lanes and acceleration
Improved decision-making. Due to maturation or due to not losing composure by falling down so early and facing pressure so often as he did vs Notre Dame? Benefits from conservative playcalling, easily locates open receiver in the flat.
Patience on designed running plays in allowing blockers to set up
Pocket passing. Hitting those sideline throws that he wasn't able to against Notre Dame. Though NW is giving him so much more time to step into throws and deliver comfortably. His strength is still those intermediate curls, slants underneath in the middle of the field and leading receiver on out route to the flat. Still a nice display of arm strength to repeatedly wiz an accurate out route to receiver on the opposite side of the field. I like the confidence that he has in his arm, even if it hurts him with tighter windows.
Clutch and composed: final drive. Taking what defense gives him.
Weaknesses: Struggles to consistently utilize height of Davis, problematic difficulty in the red zone. Still prone to interception by locking into receiver, but not happening as frequently as vs Notre Dame. Still overthrowing receivers down field--missed two wide open ones, that could have each gone for touchdowns, instead no points on the drive. Amazing confident at fitting balls into super tight windows, not fazed by near-interceptions to try it again. Three near interceptions due to this--all dropped by Defensive back. Defensive backs with more ball skills and better hands than those of NW will surely make him pay with 1-2 interceptions. Leaving pocket instead of stepping up to make throw--confidence in ability to extend play with his legs and makes this happen with his arm. This worked in the 4th quarter for NW but I feel like that was a bit fluke-ish. Finally leaves up a solid jump ball for his receiver to go and get it, White then Davis at the end of the game, but really inconsistent at utilizing the height of his receivers.
Benefits from time in pocket to step into throw. Pass protection seminal to his proclivity as a pocket passer. Trying so hard to execute the deep pass, but Lewerke just isn't up for it, except for that one time in the beginning of the game with speedy White running straight ahead. The deep posts even when open, the jump balls to Davis, nothing else is working deep down the field. Key to stopping Lewerke is to play the intermediate routes and make him beat you deep.
Like to see tempo for Lewerke, get him into a rhythm, get him completing a lot of quick, easy passes, the passes out in the flat or underneath in the middle that he excels at. No running, no deep balls. Just rhythm maintained by a young but composed quarterback. Nice final drive.
Summary
Young quarterback who stays composed in clutch situations or after throwing an interception in the prior drive. But can also get rattled when things aren't going his way, shows visible frustration when missing an open receiver. I like to see him in tempo when he isn't overthinking, but just taking what the defense gives him. He's great at curls and slants in the middle of the field, short-intermediate range, and outs at the same range. He has the arm strength to hit an out from the other hashmark to the other side of the field. But he's so poor at throwing deep. That limits him as a passer except that he is so mobile and is able to extend plays with his legs. He's also a talented runner with vision and the patience to allow blockers to set up, with nice acceleration. He's maybe too confident in his mobility. Despite his ability in the pocket, he too often leaves the pocket prematurely. Despite his accuracy, he can be too confident in it, and throws it into windows that are too tight. His interception number is probably deflated. On the flip side, he often relies on his receivers to make diving catches and his completion % benefits from that. He misses opportunities to utilize his receivers' physical talents more effectively, especially the height of Davis. And of course the deep balls. Overall a cocky but maturing dual-threat quarterback with a lot of upside, when he can improve on 1) deep throws 2) staying in the pocket 3) decision making when faced with strong coverage and build on his 1) arm strength and accuracy from the pocket in short and intermediate throws, 2) his talent as a runner and 3) his more than periodic composure, ability to stay clutch as long as he doesn't overthink what he's doing and takes what the defense gives him.
6'3
212 Pounds
2017
Footage watched: First Half of Notre Dame (9/23). Northwestern (10/28). All offensive plays (could therefore not watch more games, since I had to fast-forward to every offensive drive. Tried to get some situational diversity: a bad defeat vs ranked opponent at home and a road game vs unranked opponent a month later.
Vs Notre Dame
Strengths: delivering quick intermediate pass from the pocket. Great at curl underneath, slant down the middle So confident in these underneath routes in middle of the field, really nails these. Mechanically following through on front foot.
QB sneak for huge gain: ability to recognize gap or running lane in defense and accelerate. Not afraid to take off and run and be elusive doing so with his quick feet.
Short memory (composure after getting picked in leading touchdown drive, made Felton Davis come back for underthrown fade in end zone)
Ball skills (disguised pass/run)
Stepping up in pocket when facing pressure
Weaknesses: allows eyes to be read by statically locking onto receiver and waiting for play to develop. And picked off, easy to see in advance where he's going with the pass.
Inconsistent accuracy on shorter routes towards the sideline (as opposed to middle of the field): Overshoots screen, underthrows fade in end-zone. Underthrows while on the run. Underthrows down the field. Has hard time leading receiver, or not leading him too far, but especially the first. Big opportunities missed, in addition to his two mistakes (fumble and interception). Overthrows easy out route towards sideline. So much for composure, now down 21-7?
Looks too quickly to scramble when faced with pressure. Too reliant on athleticism, especially when rattled, needs to be truer to his strength in the pocket. Careless with ball when running. If he doesn't force a pass down the field, where his accuracy really struggles.
Departs from mechanical expectations when nervous, struggling and facing deficit. Needs to be babied into a rhythm to redevelop confidence as opposed to wanting to guide passes in there.
Can he carry offense when rush attack is non-existent?
Vs Northwestern
Strengths: Ball skills (play-action on the move to both sides of the field, makes throwing across his body look easy, enabled by lack of pressure allowing him to step into throw; fools the defense with the play-action)
Utilizing straightaway breakaway speed of receiver down the field. Lewerke looks a lot better throwing down the field to White than he did vs a bigger guy like Davis...both his deep completions went to him somehow. It's something he needs to become way more consistent at, with routes that are harder to have good timing with like post routes.
Composure under pressure to deliver accurate in pass in end zone to receiver (granted he was wide open)
Extending plays with legs, ability to keep eyes down field while moving around, looking for a place to step into throw and thus deliver accurate pass
Zip on shorter throw
Vision for open running lanes and acceleration
Improved decision-making. Due to maturation or due to not losing composure by falling down so early and facing pressure so often as he did vs Notre Dame? Benefits from conservative playcalling, easily locates open receiver in the flat.
Patience on designed running plays in allowing blockers to set up
Pocket passing. Hitting those sideline throws that he wasn't able to against Notre Dame. Though NW is giving him so much more time to step into throws and deliver comfortably. His strength is still those intermediate curls, slants underneath in the middle of the field and leading receiver on out route to the flat. Still a nice display of arm strength to repeatedly wiz an accurate out route to receiver on the opposite side of the field. I like the confidence that he has in his arm, even if it hurts him with tighter windows.
Clutch and composed: final drive. Taking what defense gives him.
Weaknesses: Struggles to consistently utilize height of Davis, problematic difficulty in the red zone. Still prone to interception by locking into receiver, but not happening as frequently as vs Notre Dame. Still overthrowing receivers down field--missed two wide open ones, that could have each gone for touchdowns, instead no points on the drive. Amazing confident at fitting balls into super tight windows, not fazed by near-interceptions to try it again. Three near interceptions due to this--all dropped by Defensive back. Defensive backs with more ball skills and better hands than those of NW will surely make him pay with 1-2 interceptions. Leaving pocket instead of stepping up to make throw--confidence in ability to extend play with his legs and makes this happen with his arm. This worked in the 4th quarter for NW but I feel like that was a bit fluke-ish. Finally leaves up a solid jump ball for his receiver to go and get it, White then Davis at the end of the game, but really inconsistent at utilizing the height of his receivers.
Benefits from time in pocket to step into throw. Pass protection seminal to his proclivity as a pocket passer. Trying so hard to execute the deep pass, but Lewerke just isn't up for it, except for that one time in the beginning of the game with speedy White running straight ahead. The deep posts even when open, the jump balls to Davis, nothing else is working deep down the field. Key to stopping Lewerke is to play the intermediate routes and make him beat you deep.
Like to see tempo for Lewerke, get him into a rhythm, get him completing a lot of quick, easy passes, the passes out in the flat or underneath in the middle that he excels at. No running, no deep balls. Just rhythm maintained by a young but composed quarterback. Nice final drive.
Summary
Young quarterback who stays composed in clutch situations or after throwing an interception in the prior drive. But can also get rattled when things aren't going his way, shows visible frustration when missing an open receiver. I like to see him in tempo when he isn't overthinking, but just taking what the defense gives him. He's great at curls and slants in the middle of the field, short-intermediate range, and outs at the same range. He has the arm strength to hit an out from the other hashmark to the other side of the field. But he's so poor at throwing deep. That limits him as a passer except that he is so mobile and is able to extend plays with his legs. He's also a talented runner with vision and the patience to allow blockers to set up, with nice acceleration. He's maybe too confident in his mobility. Despite his ability in the pocket, he too often leaves the pocket prematurely. Despite his accuracy, he can be too confident in it, and throws it into windows that are too tight. His interception number is probably deflated. On the flip side, he often relies on his receivers to make diving catches and his completion % benefits from that. He misses opportunities to utilize his receivers' physical talents more effectively, especially the height of Davis. And of course the deep balls. Overall a cocky but maturing dual-threat quarterback with a lot of upside, when he can improve on 1) deep throws 2) staying in the pocket 3) decision making when faced with strong coverage and build on his 1) arm strength and accuracy from the pocket in short and intermediate throws, 2) his talent as a runner and 3) his more than periodic composure, ability to stay clutch as long as he doesn't overthink what he's doing and takes what the defense gives him.
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