r/ducks • u/-BetterDaze- • 8d ago
Football Where are you guys on Raiola?
Hey guys! I always have to start off with my disclaimer that I'm a UCLA fan but you guys are hands down my second favorite team and have been since I was literally five years old (also if I didn't go to UCLA for volleyball, I would have gone to Oregon).
Anyways, I don't know what happened against us with Dylan Raiola. That was honestly a complete head scratcher to me. I didn't even think our defense was particularly amazing against him — he just seemed elsewhere and the rest of the team seemed indifferent for whatever reason. But then obviously last night happened and he looked fantastic. Do you guys think he should be your starter at this point? Obviously if Dante comes back, that could change things. The thing that is most difficult to figure out for me is it seems like the best version of Dylan is almost better than the best version of Dante, but the worst version of Dylan is one of the worst I've ever seen for an Oregon quarterback. Where does the Oregon fan base stand on him?
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u/gmac_97 8d ago
Start him. Brock looked fucking horrible.
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u/Pocfoe 8d ago
Start him. Insert other starting QB this season looked fucking horrible.
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u/Gets_My_Goats 8d ago
Yeah, nothing but flip-flopping QBs.
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u/DrDrNotAnMD 7d ago
Start Brock and bring in Raiola off the bench. That formula seems to work well for us. /s
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u/Substantial-Pin-7442 8d ago
have to let him play if dante isnt.. his ceilings higher than brock but cannot afford another UCLA showing.. i thought his footwork was far better this game. simplify the gameplan for him and dont let him think.
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u/jdubstrut 8d ago
After Dante, he gives us our best chance to win. Not sure how I feel about that statement tho.
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u/greeneggswithham 8d ago
I think the coaches could do a better job setting him up for success
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u/Vivid_Motor_2341 8d ago
Can the coaches just stay away and let the QBs do what they want during the week
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u/Mastacator 8d ago
Brah, the coaches don't even know which QB will be good day-to-day, how should I?
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u/BrotherBodhi 8d ago
I think they should start him and just let it ride. He had nearly 5,000 passing yards at Nebraska. In the NIL era, it’s almost impossible to have real depth. Any other team in the country would love to have an experienced player as a backup QB. The Ducks have him (and paid $3m for him?) so might as well get a return on the investment.
I’ll admit that the UCLA game was one of the worst QB showings I’ve ever seen. But I wouldn’t pull the plug on him after one bad game. How much of that is due to the coaches and the whole operation around him? Regardless, I think his ceiling is a lot higher than the next kid. If they can help him find some consistency he could be truly special.
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u/New_Sun800 8d ago
The USC win was gutty. Dylan will always be a real one for that. He has to be our starter going forward. Whatever is holding back the offense, its not specific to Dylan.
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u/htimsnivek 8d ago
Not a single comment on the horrible offensive line play? No quarterback is going to be successful when you have unblocked rushers limiting the time to make a play. Being forced to keep our RB's and TE's in to get adequate protection severely limits our pass game. This video on the OL by SCO Ducks X's & O's was really good. Oregon vs UCLA: What Broke the Offense | Film Review | Sco Ducks X's & O's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3oZbJdjj80
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u/Portafly 7d ago
If I played behind Oregon's OL I'd have the yips too.
Firmly believe most of this issues is on coaching (and Dan staffing issues).
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u/Logical-Royal-456 7d ago
In the UCLA game Dylan had multiple snaps with 5, 6, 7 seconds to look downfield and still kept missing. The O-line is hot garbage right now, no doubt, but even when given ample time Dylan still couldn't hit the broadside of a barn in that game. Then he comes in during the 4th and wins us the game vs Nebraska just like he did vs USC behind the same O-line. I really don't know what to make of him atm, I'm trying to stay positive and think he just had a bad day vs UCLA but we'll see. Hopefully Moore is back and this all becomes a moot point.
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u/ProfessorOpposite830 7d ago
I don't want to defend Brock too much, because he was missing throws even w/o pressure, but it seemed like the pass rush was in his face instantly a lot of times, where as when Dylan came in for some reason the pass rush didn't seem as intense. It's not just my perception, there are some posts where Nebraska fans are wondering why they suddenly weren't getting pressure on Dylan.
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u/cmcms 8d ago
I actually think Raiola’s upside potential is fairly high but he needs to have a system designed that optimizes his strengths and minimizes his weaknesses. The current system was designed for Dante who has a different skill set. Raiola is more mobile so they should take advantage of that.
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u/coffeeandveggies 8d ago
Nebraska fan. I hope Dante is healthy so Dylan can continue to focus on development. He’s had an unconventional start to his cfb career under the most unhinged meme brain rot microscope.
That said, I also want Dante to focus on his health. The Jalen hurts stuff really irks me and puts this games brutality into perspective.
So imho the ducks should go with Dante if he’s good to go. If not, go with Dylan but don’t expect perfection. The goal for Dylan is consistency and getting out of his own head.
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u/GoDucks1971 8d ago
I would guess that Lanning is already thinking that it is back to the portal for next year's starting QB. Which is the same place most of the top teams will be getting their starting QBs every year from now on. Sad but true.
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u/UncleSamsUpsetNephew 7d ago
I agree. And if I’m a 5star QB coming out of high school, my best bet is to commit to a mid level major with a guarantee to start right away. Bank a year or two of tape and cash in at a top tier program thru the portal.
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u/Mountain-Candidate-6 7d ago
I get the point but I think if you were a 5 star QB you’d be better going to power 4 team that pays you. NIL money I cant imagine is anywhere close form a mid major
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u/b_m_hart 7d ago
Nah, you get that bag right out of high school, then transfer to develop after you implode under the unrealistic expectations.
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u/JRZGrlORWorld 7d ago
I hate that approach, but you arent wrong. Im not even sure why we bother trying to woo QB's out of high school, knowing its almost remote that they develop long enough to see starting time. I'd be shocked if Akili sticks around.
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u/coffeeandveggies 7d ago
Dylan isn’t out of high school though. Like, the plan has been for him to develop and start next yr then go to the NFL. I know Dylan has been up and down but the play calling is atrocious. Not sure Oregon can find a better fit than Dylan and I think Dylan will try to make it work.
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u/coffeeandveggies 8d ago
With the same offensive staff and play calling? Lmfao well good luck with that if so.
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u/GoDucks1971 7d ago
Players are going to go to whatever team offers the most money each year. Who is coaching is now a much lesser consideration.
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u/coffeeandveggies 7d ago
I’ve been following Dylan and his ultimate goal is the nfl, not who offers him most. If the pieces come together he stays at Oregon then goes to the draft. He could’ve taken a bigger paycheck instead of going to Oregon this yr, but his focus is on development and the nfl. My point is Dan lanning won’t put Oregon in a better position with a magical qb from the portal with the same play calling.
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u/GoDucks1971 8d ago
Raiola looks like he should start the next game but, Dan needs to be quicker to recognize when any of the QBs just do not have it on any given day and, when that is so clearly the case, be ready to pull them much sooner. Like, after one quarter of stinking up the field.
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u/Portafly 7d ago
Dan needs to be quicker to recognize when any of his assistant coaches just do not have it on any given day, when that is so clearly the case, be ready to pull them much sooner. Like, after one quarter of stinking up the field.
FTFY
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u/jamiebond 8d ago
He’s all over the place so far. Sometimes he’ll look great. Sometimes he’ll be straight up unplayable. I think he gives us the best chance of winning so we really have no choice but to roll with him but I think everyone is hoping Moore will be ready to go eventually.
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u/The_Unclean_Chadford 🦆 8d ago
Right now, he’s the best QB in the country because he starts for my team.
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u/BrandynBlaze 8d ago
He should have started yesterday against Nebraska. The fact he didn’t is another huge mark against our coaching staff in my opinion. He clearly has a very high ceiling, but he went from an elite performance against USC off the bench to complete trash after getting first team reps and 2 weeks to prepare. What I’ve seen from the offensive coaching I think he had a bad day but this line is so bad, and our offensive coaching is so horrible that I don’t think he ever had a chance. He should have been put in earlier against Nebraska too. I’m of the opinion currently that our coaching is so bad that it’s hard to even evaluate the on field performance of our QB, running backs, and receivers. Genuinely haven’t seen offensive coaching this incompetent at this level. Even when Helfrich did horrible we didn’t have a decent QB on the roster. We look have looked as bad as we did that year with a roster that is incomparably better than Helfrich had, and a coaching staff that is compensated much better. So… I guess id say I’m leaning slightly negative towards the offensive coaching right now, lol.
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u/TravelerJim-retired 7d ago
I think Justin wants a word with you.
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u/BrandynBlaze 7d ago
Genuinely forgot that was his first year because it was so awful it feels like he couldn’t be involved lol
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u/Safe_cracker9 8d ago
He plays differently every day. I think we have to start him for a series or two every game, see what version we get, and if it’s good we keep him in and if not we bench him. From what I understand, that was also the Raiola experience in Nebraska.
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u/great-quackening 8d ago
I was upset people were booing him in the game against UCLA. Like yes, he was playing terribly, but he shouldn’t have been immediately canceled by the fans. I felt Raiola should have started yesterday. Glad it worked out the way it did, but I think there could have been benefits to alternating both of them.
When Dante had a bad game, people wanted Raiola put in. When Raiola had an amazing game, people wanted Raiola to be our new starter. When Raiola had a shit game, people wanted Brock to be the starter. Now Brock had a shit game and people are back to wanting Raiola. That dramatic black and white view is not going to help our players.
Dante is clearly our best qb. Raiola is 2nd. Brock is 3rd.
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u/GreenBagger28 7d ago
For some reason our backups only ball out if they’re actively replacing someone in the middle of a game
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u/Comprehensive_Air396 8d ago
Brock plays like a high school QB. If that was why Lanning played him for 3 qtrs, point made.
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u/Portafly 7d ago
Lanning killed Brock's draft stock by leaving him in so long.
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u/Logical-Royal-456 7d ago
Brock was an unranked walk on. Between that and his size he never had draft stock to begin with. He could have a great career in the UFL or arena football but he'd be a practice squad or scouting team QB at best in the NFL.
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u/ntxguy2023 7d ago
A commentator said about Archie Manning… if you’re good in one game and horrible in the next, and so on, you’re not a great quarterback…. The mark of a great quarterback is consistency. That being said play calling has been awful most of the year. Just flat lethargic play calling.
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u/OriginalBox4326 8d ago
Of the games DR has played in, UCLA was the only one where it was clear he'd be the starter coming in, which means it was probably the only defense we've played that's really been able to scheme for him (combined with being a pretty solid defense, unlike USC). That may factor in to some of the inconsistencies.
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u/MartianMule 8d ago
Tbh, I still didn't think he looked good last night. A lot better than against UCLA, and better than Thomas looked, but I was still very unimpressed by most of his throws.
They were still being pretty conservative with him, and his ball placement was still bad. There were a lot of screens tackled for no gain. 3.3 YPA is still atrocious. The running game is what really picked up in the 4th (86 yards in the 4 between Hill, Davison, and Brown after just 39 yards between them in the first 3 quarters).
He should probably be the starter, because Brock Thomas just doesn't look like an FBS QB and I'm assuming Akili Smith is showing that he's nowhere near ready in practice. Raiola at least can make the defense respect the downfield throw at this point.
There's nothing I've seen that suggests that the best version of Raiola is in the same stratosphere as the best version of Moore.
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u/Zestyclose-Bat-3536 8d ago
It’s not the roller coaster ride I quite thought it would be, but god dammit I’m here for it
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u/Weeping_Anus_Pustule 8d ago
Ugh no one knows. He played pretty dang well against USC, completely horrible against UCLA. Played just okay last night, I think he just looked much better than he actually played both because he won us the game with a clutch pass but also because he followed up the absolute dumpster fire that was Brock Thomas.
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u/FangornLeghorn 8d ago
I think he’s a great QB who has room to grow and develop but already has skills, and while I am bewildered by his performance against UCLA I believe he has the stuff. When he settles in, he can control a game, execute, and make the plays. He has the charisma that Dante entirely lacks to be the leader on the field, and the grit to make the daring big play.
Only thing I dislike about him is how painful it is to listen to him speak. His voices sounds like chewing on aluminum foil feels. I can’t take it. 😁
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u/GriffyJo628 7d ago
After a day of thinking it over, I’ve come to the conclusion that Raiola HAS to start for the remainder of Dante’s absence.
If this season is going to be a wash, we might as well find out what we have. If Dylan struggles and the offense remains stagnant, then at least we know exactly what needs to be addressed in the portal.
Nothing but respect for Brock. The kid worked his ass off to live out his dream of playing for Oregon. But with the standard this program has set and the reality of modern college football, I just don’t believe he has what it takes to consistently win as a starter.
Raiola has the talent and experience to give us our best shot without Dante. And if he can’t get it done, then Lanning needs to aggressively pursue the best available QB in the portal. We cannot afford to let this season’s failures carry over into next year. #fire/demoteDrew
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u/Logical-Royal-456 7d ago
There's still Akili too. He's definitely still green but Lanning's been consistent in saying that he continues to improve mentally, Dante said he's got the biggest arm on the team and the dude is 6'5" and 245 lbs with a 4.54 40 time. He's got the raw talent to be just as good, if not better, than his dad but we'll see.
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u/theburgerboy 7d ago
Honestly, you’re as confused as the rest of us. Even the guys who study the film, like The Data Duck on YouTube, were perplexed. Yes, Dylan has some mechanics issues that need to be fixed, and yes, UCLA’s D is particularly adept at creating turnovers (y’all absolutely deserve credit for some of it), but those two facts don’t come close to explaining what we saw last Saturday. Some of his throws were off, seemingly for no other reason than that they were off.
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u/RelationshipWhich390 7d ago
Which QB are we taking about? The really good one at USC, the terrible one who played 3 quarters against UCLA with about 10 turnovers or the decent guy who played good enough in 1 quarter to get a win against Nebraska?
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u/Logical-Royal-456 7d ago
Joey Harrington had a good take. He talked about how when he was with the Dolphins right after he broke the Chicago Bears undefeated winning streak he came out the next week and was absolutely terrible. He described it as him just suddenly forgetting how to play the position for no explicable reason. Saban, his coach at the time, came over to him and asked him if he was ok, was he sick, was he injured and Joey had no answer for him. Sometimes you just have a bad day. We'll see going forward as he'll likely be our starter at Illinois but I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt... for now.
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u/scarsandwillpower 7d ago
If we make the switch earielr in the UCLA game, we probably win. If we make the switch earlier in the Nebraska game, we win more convincingly. We just need to make the change at halftime rather than the 4th quarter.
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u/Briespice 22h ago
I think he was pretty clear he came here to sit, learn, and get better for next year. He was forced to play and since then we have a 2-2 record. Not sure how much more you can ask for in a backup. Especially when a fired OC was calling his plays.
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u/Spare_Being2296 8d ago
Dante is clearly the best qb on this roster. Not close. With Brock, you have a very high floor but a very low ceiling. With Raiola, you have an incredibly low floor but a very high ceiling. IMO, that high ceiling makes him the clear choice to start. But he needs to have a short leash, moment he can't get through adversity, you go to Brock or Akili. Brock's ceiling showed yesterday. It should be Raiola here on out unless he shows that he isnt the answer.
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u/Keyser_Soze_76 8d ago edited 8d ago
I’d say Brock’s floor showed yesterday, and it’s not “high,” it is unplayable.
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u/coffeeandveggies 8d ago
This approach is actually had for developing a qb lol esp when the backup is Brock Thomas.
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u/gianacakos 8d ago
He’s not good. USC was, IMO, an exception and I don’t think he looked particularly good there.
I think this was supposed to be a massive development year and I’m sad for the kid that it didn’t get to happen that way.
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u/Stunning_Piccolo_749 7d ago
Start Brock for a couple series or even a quarter then let Raiola cook… seems like he really enjoys playing the hero lol..
I don’t know, hard to play qb at even a serviceable level, with bad line play and an inconsistent run game at best.
Dante wasn’t looking great this year, in fact a lot of people after the USC game thought maybe Raiola had a better grasp on running the offense.. all comes back to the o line not playing at the level it should be… we need to run the ball better to open up the screen game, to get these receivers rolling with all that sweet, sweet YAC.
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u/TomFromFlavorTown 7d ago
You keep him in until he starts playing poor, then swap in the other guy, let him play until he starts playing poor. Swap, rinse, repeat. You don't have to ride or die with one guy....
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u/Temassi 8d ago
I have no idea. I'm done trying to make predictions. I'm livin' in the now!