Favre on Austin Davis: "He can be the next Brady or Warner"

[jjab360]

Well if that stat is the only one that matters, you may as well get it correct.
The Rams are 2-3 with Davis as the starter

Lol

 

[CoachO]

Well if that stat is the only one that matters, you may as well get it correct.
The Rams are 2-3 with Davis as the starter

fair enough,, I know they are 2-4 typos happen,,, lol and I don't give w-l record TO the QB,,, but at the end of the day they are still 2-4 in the 6 games he has played in.

 

[RamzFanz]

You mean like the sweet 51-yard bomb to Quick in the Dallas game? If that's not in the basket and in stride I don't know what is!

Yeah, like that. Not one his best attributes though. I don't know enough about the mechanics but Rams Addiction thinks his footwork is causing the floaters if I remember correctly.

 

[dieterbrock]

fair enough,, I know they are 2-4 typos happen,,, lol and I don't give w-l record TO the QB,,, but at the end of the day they are still 2-4 in the 6 games he has played in.

Yeah, I hear that. I do think the record is important, especially if Davis is going to be QB1
I cant put the Tampa game on him, so to me he's 2-3
But, in the 3 losses he had a pick 6 in 2 games and a fumble sack in the other. In addition, he had the ball in his hands late with a chance to tie or take the lead and didnt convert any of them (obviously)
So for now he's in glorified rookie stage where you take what you cant get and appreciate what you have. But if he is going to be the starter he needs to not give away those points and he will need to convert those opportunities

 

[MerlinJones]

fair enough,, I know they are 2-4 typos happen,,, lol and I don't give w-l record TO the QB,,, but at the end of the day they are still 2-4 in the 6 games he has played in.

Do you feel that poor quarterback play is the main reason for the Rams record?

Many people are quick to defend Sam Bradford in regard to wins and losses during his tenure as the Rams starter. Why shouldn't Austin Davis be judged by the same criteria?

 

[jrry32]

Yeah, like that. Not one his best attributes though. I don't know enough about the mechanics but Rams Addiction thinks his footwork is causing the floaters if I remember correctly.

I haven't seen floaters and his feet look fine to me on the few deep balls in the SF game that I just checked on. He just don't have a power arm. There's going to be arc to the ball. But mechanically, he looks sound on his deep ball.

 

[mr.stlouis]

I will say this, I'm good with not going QB in the first three rounds. I think we're good. However, I have no idea what to do with Sam. I saw him on the sidelines and you can tell he's a great teammate. He was engaged in the game and he wanted Davis to succeed. Hill looks pretty down, though. He looked like he was chomping at the bit to get another shot. He never took his helmet off and was throwing all the time.

 

[Mojo Ram]

The final issue I have is that I want to see him be smarter with his scrambling. He's a better athlete than Sam. There have been times this year where he opted to force a pass rather than take off when he had a seam

Yep.

 

[Rams and Gators]

Yeah, I hear that. I do think the record is important, especially if Davis is going to be QB1
I cant put the Tampa game on him, so to me he's 2-3
But, in the 3 losses he had a pick 6 in 2 games and a fumble sack in the other. In addition, he had the ball in his hands late with a chance to tie or take the lead and didnt convert any of them (obviously)
So for now he's in glorified rookie stage where you take what you cant get and appreciate what you have. But if he is going to be the starter he needs to not give away those points and he will need to convert those opportunities

All true, of course as always there's so much more to it than that but as with Bradford's 18-30-1 record, it ultimately falls on the QB.

 

[RamzFanz]

I haven't seen floaters and his feet look fine to me on the few deep balls in the SF game that I just checked on. He just don't have a power arm. There's going to be arc to the ball. But mechanically, he looks sound on his deep ball.

He's floated a dozen passes at least. I'm not sure what the issue is but Rams Addiction has been talking about not setting his feet, "hopping", since he started.

 

[RamBill]

Brett Favre's comments on Austin Davis unrealistic
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...t-favres-comments-on-austin-davis-unrealistic

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- It was almost one year ago today that the St. Louis Rams contacted Brett Favre to see if he'd be interested in returning to replace injured quarterback Sam Bradford.

When Favre declined via his representatives, the Rams turned back to a familiar face in the form of Austin Davis. Davis, who spent a season and a training camp with the Rams before being released in the final round of 2013 cuts, re-signed with the Rams on Oct. 23 of last year.

Just before the anniversary of Davis' return to the Rams, his name is again tied to Favre, but for quite different reasons.

Wednesday morning, Favre told ESPN's Ed Werder that he sees Davis as the next quarterback to rise from obscurity to NFL stardom.

"Austin can definitely play at this level," Favre, the only Southern Miss quarterback other than Davis to start more than one NFL game, told Werder. "Not to sound off my rocker, but [Davis] -- in my mind -- can be the next Tom Brady or Kurt Warner. [Brian] Hoyer, as well.

"Austin, like those mentioned, just needed a legit opportunity."

Since the shooting star that was Warner's three-year run in St. Louis ended in 2003, any time a little-known quarterback has stepped into the Rams' starting job, the hope has existed that the player will somehow morph into the next Warner.

Late-round or undrafted quarterbacks such as Keith Null, Scott Covington, Brock Berlin and a few others have tried their hand and failed only to retreat back into anonymity. Others, such as Marc Bulger and Ryan Fitzpatrick, have developed into starters in the league to varying degrees of success, but none developed into potential Hall of Famers like Warner.

As recently as this preseason, some even went so far as to equate Shaun Hill to Warner after Hill became the starter under circumstances similar to Warner's. That lasted all of one half before a calf injury to Hill gave Davis an opportunity.

But, to the surprise of many, Davis has done enough in his first five starts to give observers pause and consider the possibility that he might have more of a future than the usual third-stringer-turned-starter.

My first reaction to Favre's comments was to answer his rhetorical supposition with a resounding yes: He is indeed off his rocker. To compare Davis to Warner or Brady, two quarterbacks who will end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is simply not realistic. Brady and Warner are legendary aberrations at a position where the failure rate far outpaces the success stories. Brady and Warner aren't just success stories -- they're full-blown outliers.

But before we go too far and offer that Favre has truly lost it, it's important to note that he threw Hoyer's name into the conversation. Hoyer has stepped in and done some good things for the Cleveland Browns this season, but in no way has he flashed anything resembling Brady or Warner. Brady won a Super Bowl after stepping into the starting lineup. Warner did the same and did it while posting video game numbers.

It's also important to note that Favre probably wouldn't mind seeing Davis, who broke most of Favre's passing records at Southern Miss, carry the flag for his alma mater.

As for Davis, he's 2-3 as the Rams' starter, and though he's posted big numbers in some games, his influence hasn't turned his team into an instant winner as Warner and Brady once did.

In five starts plus one half, Davis is completing 66 percent of his passes for 1,517 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions for a passer rating of 94.3 (14th in the NFL) and a QBR of 60.9 (19th). He's alternately flashed promise (leading a comeback win against Tampa Bay and a clutch late drive to seal the victory against Seattle) and struggled with backbreaking mistakes (three of his four interceptions have been returned for touchdowns).

That isn't to say Davis doesn't have some upside. He brings a fiery and enthusiastic approach that his teammates appreciate, and he has an honest way about him that allows him to openly acknowledge his faults and then set about correcting them the following week.

If nothing else, Davis has proved in his handful of starts that he's deserving of at least a No. 2 job in the NFL. Beyond that, there is still plenty for Davis to prove. The opportunity to make the starting job his on a permanent basis lies in front of him. Becoming the next Hoyer is certainly possible, and you could argue he's already outplaying Hoyer. But setting the bar at Warner and Brady is simply asking too much.

 

[bluecoconuts]

I like Davis, but he still needs to play a full 60. Sunday was more of the same, tale of two halves until the end, which was a drive he needed. However it still required a trick play on the very last drive. Not to year him down, because he's looked good, but we can't rely on the trick plays every week. The offense, and Davis is very much included needs to put a full 60 up. We've blown some really big leads that one or two nice long clock chewing or even just a quick scoring drive could have stopped.

If its a healthy Bradford vs Davis, I think Bradford wins that battle. However there's things Davis does that Bradford doesn't, and that is exciting. It Davis can put together a full 60, and make those reads, he can be very special. If Bradford is healthy and on this team next year, I expect him to start, assuming his mind is right.

 

[mr.stlouis]

Does Bradford beat the Seahawks? IDK

David did beat the Seahawks, that's huge. I haven't seen enough, but he's leaning towards "yes" as the future of the team. He's only gotten better..

 

[moklerman]

I wonder just how well a first time starter 6 games into his career should be reading blitzes and manipulating the pocket?

I haven't really seen too many young QB's really excelling right out of the gate with all the little nuances that are being pointed out here. These things just take experience and acclimation. But Davis has already made improvements from his first start to now so optimism abounds IMO.

 

[moklerman]

Does Bradford beat the Seahawks? IDK

David did beat the Seahawks, that's huge. I haven't seen enough, but he's leaning towards "yes" as the future of the team. He's only gotten better..

Well, to be fair, Bradford has led the Rams to two wins vs. Seattle since 2010 and I'd argue that those Rams teams weren't as good as the current squad. My point is, he's capable of doing it.

 

[Irish]

Hyperbole like this helps no one, most of all the Rams.

Remember when everyone fell in love with Chad Pennington?

Matt Flynn?

Hell, Matt Cassell?



The franchise saving QB is not on this roster yet, whether it be Davis, Bradford, or otherwise.

 

[RhodyRams]

Well I for one am completely surprised by his poise so far this season. As mentioned before, this kid , went undrafted, was cut by the Rams and signed to Dolphins practice squad, cut by them, got beat out for a roster spot by Brady Quinn last year, and was released by the Rams this year before the injury to SB

 

[CoachO]

Do you feel that poor quarterback play is the main reason for the Rams record?

Many people are quick to defend Sam Bradford in regard to wins and losses during his tenure as the Rams starter. Why shouldn't Austin Davis be judged by the same criteria?

I feel that poor decisions and turnovers have contributed to those losses.

As far as Bradford when he played poorly and made bad decisions with the football he absolutely should have been called out on it.

I have never said that Davis hasn't played better than I expected. But I also think that many are saying he is playing a lot better than he has. Yards and YPA don't always tell the story. Turnovers, especially ones that end up in your end zone usually have a much bigger impact on wins and losses than 300 yard passing games.

 

[Boffo97]

Basically, the way I see it is that we're in a good position with Davis.

If he keeps up this level of success, by all means keep him, wish Bradford will in his future endeavors and check "Starting QB" off the needs list.

If he declines, then it's still wide open as to what will happen.

But we have no decisions to make right now until we have more info, other than possibly benching him for Shaun Hill.

 

[jrry32]

He's floated a dozen passes at least. I'm not sure what the issue is but Rams Addiction has been talking about not setting his feet, "hopping", since he started.

Wasn't doing it against SF on deep balls. Feet were sound. I've seen him hop but they were usually on short passes just past the LOS.