The_Man
Footballguy
Interesting conversation about Lamar's awareness. I agree - it's almost like he is able to process things a fraction of a second faster than everyone else. I see it in his signature running move, which to me is the way he'll suddenly stop while running at full speed and just let his pursuer go flying by. In those moments, it's like he is intuitively aware of how fast he's going, how fast the pursuer is closing, and when to hit the brakes. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone do it like he does - maybe Barry Sanders? But even for Sanders it was often more of a sudden change of direction rather than a full stop. Though I do worry that he might get blindsided doing that someday, stopping to let one guy fly by and then getting crushed from behind by another defender he was unaware of in his blind spot.
His awareness also shows in his decision-making about when to handoff and when to keep the ball. I can think of maybe 2 times all season where he kept the ball when he should have handed it off, or vice versa. It's incredible how quickly he can surmise if the end is crashing down on the RB, or staying outside to take away the end from Lamar. Again, his processing speed in making the right decision is remarkable.
Harbaugh has been praising his football smarts all season long. My biggest wish at this point is that he doesn't break the pocket and scramble quite enough for my liking. I'll have to look back but it seems like he only scrambles when he's forced outside the pocket or on a planned rollout; inside the pocket he stays and stays, looking for a target until sometimes it's too late and he's sacked. I'd love to see him tuck it up and run a little earlier sometimes. But then again, teams have been playing a spy in the middle of the field a lot, so maybe that's why he only seems to scramble to the outside.
His awareness also shows in his decision-making about when to handoff and when to keep the ball. I can think of maybe 2 times all season where he kept the ball when he should have handed it off, or vice versa. It's incredible how quickly he can surmise if the end is crashing down on the RB, or staying outside to take away the end from Lamar. Again, his processing speed in making the right decision is remarkable.
Harbaugh has been praising his football smarts all season long. My biggest wish at this point is that he doesn't break the pocket and scramble quite enough for my liking. I'll have to look back but it seems like he only scrambles when he's forced outside the pocket or on a planned rollout; inside the pocket he stays and stays, looking for a target until sometimes it's too late and he's sacked. I'd love to see him tuck it up and run a little earlier sometimes. But then again, teams have been playing a spy in the middle of the field a lot, so maybe that's why he only seems to scramble to the outside.
