Some members asked me to do this again this week, so here it is...
Looking at just the stat lines for Speight vs both Florida (11-25 181 yds. 1 TD, 2 INT both for TD) and Cincy (17-29 221 yds. 2 TD 0 INT ), you would likely say the quarterback had improved in week two.
But breaking down the film, I didn't think he was as bad against the Gators as some thought (after the two pick sixes of course) and this last game wasn't better. Here's the play by play break down - again hand-offs are not included except for the fumbles.
Quarter One
NEUTRAL - 2-9 Speight pass complete to Black for no gain; Perry completely missed his block, this play was about getting the ball out to the receiver quickly and letting Black make a play in space
GOOD - 3-9 Speight pass complete to Crawford for 14 yards to the CIN43, 1ST DOWN MICH; great decision by the QB, could have gone to Isaac on shallow route but pumped and waited for Crawford to get past the LB.
GOOD - 1-10 Speight pass complete to Crawford for 43 yards TOUCHDOWN
NEUTRAL - 3-8 Speight pass complete to Black for 1 yard to the MICH43; First look was at inside receiver to his right but LB dropped into the passing lane taking it away, so he checked down to Black on crossing route.
PUNT
BAD - 1-10 Speight pass incomplete to Peoples-J, D. Too high and on DPJ’s back shoulder.
GOOD - 2-15 Speight pass complete to Perry for 18 yards to the MICH43, 1ST DOWN MICH.
Quarter Two
BAD - 1-G Speight rush for loss of 7 yards to the CIN10, fumbled ball trying to hand off with one hand
BAD - 2-G Speight pass incomplete to McKeon. Wanted to go to Gentry in end zone but he was double covered, came off to McKeon but pushed it high instead of planting his foot and leading receiver
BAD - 3-G Speight pass incomplete to Perry. Too high again – throwing to back corner but Perry wasn’t going to get that deep in the end zone with double coverage.
Field Goal
BAD - 1-10 Speight rush for no gain – had a chance to dump it to Isaac but committed to sideline too soon
GOOD - 3-6 Speight pass complete to Perry for 13 yards to the CIN30, 1ST DOWN MICH; nice job stepping up into the pocket and keeping eyes downfield
NEUTRAL - 1-10 Speight rush for loss of 3 yards to the CIN33, fumble on hand-off; watched this play multiple times and it looks like Speight put it where he needs to and Crawford doesn’t secure it.
Recovered by CIN ending U-M drive
NEUTRAL -1-10 Speight sacked for loss of 8 yards to the MICH22; OL didn’t even give him time to react as pressure came up the middle, nobody was open for him to dump it to
GOOD - 3-12 Speight pass complete to Black for 11 yards to the MICH39; good pass that should have been a first down, but Black doesn’t stay at the sticks
Punt
GOOD - 2-6 Speight pass complete to Gentry, Zach for 5 yards to the MICH45; QB hit the open receiver, unfortunately, route wasn’t deep enough
BAD - 2-12 Speight pass complete to McKeon for 7 yards to the CIN47; rushed throw to TE and missed Crawford open in the seam
NEUTRAL - 3-5 Speight pass incomplete to Perry; ball was thrown low, but this should have been ruled a catch after re-play.
Punt
Quarter Three
GOOD - 1-10 Speight pass complete to Wheatley for 7 yards to the MICH43
BAD - 2-3 Speight pass incomplete to Peoples-J, D.; ball was too high, missing open receiver
NEUTRAL - 3-3 Speight pass incomplete to McKeon; underthrown because he is hit as he throws
Punt
BAD - 2-16 Speight pass complete to Crawford for 6 yards to the MICH26; rushed throw to Crawford missing Perry open downfield
NEUTRAL - 3-10 Speight pass complete to Black for loss of 1 yard to the MICH25; execution wasn’t bad but didn’t care for play call and it’s been suggested that Speight may have missed checking out of it when motion by Black showed defense in zone not man coverage.
Punt
BAD - 1-10 Speight pass incomplete to Black; short armed the throw. Looks like Black may have been impeded from coming back to the ball, but the throw still wasn’t likely high enough to be caught
GOOD - 2-10 Speight pass complete to Gentry, Zach for 36 yards to the CIN44, 1ST DOWN MICH
GOOD - 2-10 Speight pass complete to McKeon for 6 yards to the CIN38
NEUTRAL - 1-10 Speight pass incomplete to Black; one of those shots downfield that I am okay with the QB missing if they don’t give the defense the ball. These types of throws open the run game and short passing game.
GOOD - 2-10 Speight pass complete to Perry for 33 yards to the CIN0, 1ST DOWN MICH; not the best throw but he got it to Perry and the receiver did the rest
TOUCHDOWN
Quarter Four
NEUTRAL - 2-5 Speight pass incomplete to Higdon; late in the game with a lead, no reason to force it downfield, but he telegraphed his throw to Higdon allowing the DL to knock the ball down
NEUTRAL - 3-5 Speight pass incomplete to Gentry; live I thought this was a bad throw but watching it again, he puts the ball where the defender can’t get to it, unfortunately Gentry drops it.
Punt
BAD - 1-10 Speight pass incomplete to Hill; ball is underthrown allowing defender to make a play on it. Had he lead Hill, he scores.
BAD - 2-10 Speight pass incomplete to Crawford; under pressure it looks like Speight does a good job of throwing the ball away but watching film again, the ball sails on him and he misses a chance to connect with Crawford on the sideline
GOOD - 4-8 Speight pass complete to Crawford for 20 yards to the CIN12, 1ST DOWN MICH; nice throw on a straight line over the linebacker
NEUTRAL -1-10 Speight rush for 5 yards to the CIN7, I’m still not sure if this was a called QB run or broken play. Can’t complain about 5 yards on first down though, even if the QB looks awkward gaining them
Field Goal
GOOD - 3-8 Speight pass complete to Perry for 2 yards to the MICH40; didn’t gain much but Speight did his part in this play.
Punt
Despite more bad than good this past weekend, I'm not as down on Speight as some are. Most of what I am seeing is mechanics, mostly from pushing the ball. He isn't making a lot of bad decisions. I would be more concerned if he was making poor decision after poor decision.
I think the further we go into the season the more he settles down and starts hitting his target more consistently...or at least I hope.
Looking at just the stat lines for Speight vs both Florida (11-25 181 yds. 1 TD, 2 INT both for TD) and Cincy (17-29 221 yds. 2 TD 0 INT ), you would likely say the quarterback had improved in week two.
But breaking down the film, I didn't think he was as bad against the Gators as some thought (after the two pick sixes of course) and this last game wasn't better. Here's the play by play break down - again hand-offs are not included except for the fumbles.
Quarter One
NEUTRAL - 2-9 Speight pass complete to Black for no gain; Perry completely missed his block, this play was about getting the ball out to the receiver quickly and letting Black make a play in space
GOOD - 3-9 Speight pass complete to Crawford for 14 yards to the CIN43, 1ST DOWN MICH; great decision by the QB, could have gone to Isaac on shallow route but pumped and waited for Crawford to get past the LB.
GOOD - 1-10 Speight pass complete to Crawford for 43 yards TOUCHDOWN
NEUTRAL - 3-8 Speight pass complete to Black for 1 yard to the MICH43; First look was at inside receiver to his right but LB dropped into the passing lane taking it away, so he checked down to Black on crossing route.
PUNT
BAD - 1-10 Speight pass incomplete to Peoples-J, D. Too high and on DPJ’s back shoulder.
GOOD - 2-15 Speight pass complete to Perry for 18 yards to the MICH43, 1ST DOWN MICH.
Quarter Two
BAD - 1-G Speight rush for loss of 7 yards to the CIN10, fumbled ball trying to hand off with one hand
BAD - 2-G Speight pass incomplete to McKeon. Wanted to go to Gentry in end zone but he was double covered, came off to McKeon but pushed it high instead of planting his foot and leading receiver
BAD - 3-G Speight pass incomplete to Perry. Too high again – throwing to back corner but Perry wasn’t going to get that deep in the end zone with double coverage.
Field Goal
BAD - 1-10 Speight rush for no gain – had a chance to dump it to Isaac but committed to sideline too soon
GOOD - 3-6 Speight pass complete to Perry for 13 yards to the CIN30, 1ST DOWN MICH; nice job stepping up into the pocket and keeping eyes downfield
NEUTRAL - 1-10 Speight rush for loss of 3 yards to the CIN33, fumble on hand-off; watched this play multiple times and it looks like Speight put it where he needs to and Crawford doesn’t secure it.
Recovered by CIN ending U-M drive
NEUTRAL -1-10 Speight sacked for loss of 8 yards to the MICH22; OL didn’t even give him time to react as pressure came up the middle, nobody was open for him to dump it to
GOOD - 3-12 Speight pass complete to Black for 11 yards to the MICH39; good pass that should have been a first down, but Black doesn’t stay at the sticks
Punt
GOOD - 2-6 Speight pass complete to Gentry, Zach for 5 yards to the MICH45; QB hit the open receiver, unfortunately, route wasn’t deep enough
BAD - 2-12 Speight pass complete to McKeon for 7 yards to the CIN47; rushed throw to TE and missed Crawford open in the seam
NEUTRAL - 3-5 Speight pass incomplete to Perry; ball was thrown low, but this should have been ruled a catch after re-play.
Punt
Quarter Three
GOOD - 1-10 Speight pass complete to Wheatley for 7 yards to the MICH43
BAD - 2-3 Speight pass incomplete to Peoples-J, D.; ball was too high, missing open receiver
NEUTRAL - 3-3 Speight pass incomplete to McKeon; underthrown because he is hit as he throws
Punt
BAD - 2-16 Speight pass complete to Crawford for 6 yards to the MICH26; rushed throw to Crawford missing Perry open downfield
NEUTRAL - 3-10 Speight pass complete to Black for loss of 1 yard to the MICH25; execution wasn’t bad but didn’t care for play call and it’s been suggested that Speight may have missed checking out of it when motion by Black showed defense in zone not man coverage.
Punt
BAD - 1-10 Speight pass incomplete to Black; short armed the throw. Looks like Black may have been impeded from coming back to the ball, but the throw still wasn’t likely high enough to be caught
GOOD - 2-10 Speight pass complete to Gentry, Zach for 36 yards to the CIN44, 1ST DOWN MICH
GOOD - 2-10 Speight pass complete to McKeon for 6 yards to the CIN38
NEUTRAL - 1-10 Speight pass incomplete to Black; one of those shots downfield that I am okay with the QB missing if they don’t give the defense the ball. These types of throws open the run game and short passing game.
GOOD - 2-10 Speight pass complete to Perry for 33 yards to the CIN0, 1ST DOWN MICH; not the best throw but he got it to Perry and the receiver did the rest
TOUCHDOWN
Quarter Four
NEUTRAL - 2-5 Speight pass incomplete to Higdon; late in the game with a lead, no reason to force it downfield, but he telegraphed his throw to Higdon allowing the DL to knock the ball down
NEUTRAL - 3-5 Speight pass incomplete to Gentry; live I thought this was a bad throw but watching it again, he puts the ball where the defender can’t get to it, unfortunately Gentry drops it.
Punt
BAD - 1-10 Speight pass incomplete to Hill; ball is underthrown allowing defender to make a play on it. Had he lead Hill, he scores.
BAD - 2-10 Speight pass incomplete to Crawford; under pressure it looks like Speight does a good job of throwing the ball away but watching film again, the ball sails on him and he misses a chance to connect with Crawford on the sideline
GOOD - 4-8 Speight pass complete to Crawford for 20 yards to the CIN12, 1ST DOWN MICH; nice throw on a straight line over the linebacker
NEUTRAL -1-10 Speight rush for 5 yards to the CIN7, I’m still not sure if this was a called QB run or broken play. Can’t complain about 5 yards on first down though, even if the QB looks awkward gaining them
Field Goal
GOOD - 3-8 Speight pass complete to Perry for 2 yards to the MICH40; didn’t gain much but Speight did his part in this play.
Punt
Despite more bad than good this past weekend, I'm not as down on Speight as some are. Most of what I am seeing is mechanics, mostly from pushing the ball. He isn't making a lot of bad decisions. I would be more concerned if he was making poor decision after poor decision.
I think the further we go into the season the more he settles down and starts hitting his target more consistently...or at least I hope.
