What Devin Gardner Taught Us About QB Shea Patterson

A former quarterback, now mentoring and coaching QBs in Metro Detroit for his own company, "Young Go Getters", Gardner was a 2+ year starter for the Wolverines from 2012-14.

He appears on WTKA's "Inside The Huddle" Mondays at 12pm as part of his MMQB segment. He also appears at Wolverine State Brewing Co. from 6-8pm on Tuesday nights and at Good Time Charley's from 8:30-10pm also on Tuesdays for "Football 101" in which he breaks down film of Michigan's previous game.

These video highlights, produced by Matt Pargoff, and Gardner's commentary are the basis for this article. At all times I am offering my recollection, to the best of my ability, to what Gardner said (I've watched his presentation twice and take notes) but these explicit words should be considered mine as I am not quoting him directly.

Also, it is important to note that these are six plays among 33 that Patterson either attempted a pass or ran the ball, so they are a representation but certainly not all of his plays from the game.

Play 1: After two successful runs for 14 yards, Michigan calls a naked bootleg to roll Patterson out of the pocket, a play design he has proven to be comfortable and confident in. Rolling to the left is traditionally more difficult for a QB to throw across his body, but Patterson has routinely demonstrated a knack for it.

Iowa has this well defended, probably from watching film and being disciplined in their coverage. The answer, per Gardner, is to throw the ball away, as there are too many defenders in too close of proximity to Michigan's three receiver targets.

Live to fight another day, especially on 1st-and-10. Instead, Patterson tries to fit the ball into an extremely tight spot and it is almost intercepted.

Many clamored for more rollout opportunities throughout the game (including myself) - forgive and forget - but as Gardner noted, when a QB early in a contest makes a very bad decision, the coaches lose a bit of trust in him, and will deviate from calling similar plays in which they value the risk greater than the reward.

Play 2: Third offensive series of the game, first play, Michigan has a 3-0 lead. On the snap, Patterson takes a three-step drop, feels a little bit of outside rush (though the offensive line does a good job pushing the edge rushers up the field to create a natural pocket) and Patterson "climbs" - steps up in the pocket - throwing in rhythm down the field to junior WR Nico Collins for a 51-yard completion.

Though the play was a success, Gardner pointed out that with Collins having inside leverage on the cornerback, the ball should have been thrown towards the left hash mark not the right (and the back shoulder), as this allowed the defender to make a play on it. Had it been thrown between the hashes, closer to the left, Collins would have been able to break on the ball, catching it in stride as he sprinted towards the end zone.

It was a great completion but could have been a little better. Nitpicking, certainly, but with U-M's struggles to capitalize, it needs to get the most out of its big plays.

Play 3: Patterson intercepted. Three levels of routes, sophomore WR Ronnie Bell going deep (though we can't see it), junior WR Tarik Black running the intermediate route and freshman TE Erick All running into the flat.

The smart and safe choice was to hit All, who is coming open a second before Patterson makes up his mind. The defender behind him is seven yards back, too far to make a play on the ball, and with All within two yards of a first-down marker, it's a pass completion that keeps the drive alive.

Patterson opts to fit the ball into a tighter window, throwing to Black, who has 3-4 yards in front and about five yards behind him, and the gap closes quickly.

A week ago, Patterson made two great throws in which he dropped the ball over defenders, and earned Gardner's praise, but on neither play was there a safety over the top, meaning that as long as Patterson got the ball over the first defender, he was safe, because no one could come over the top to pick it off. Here, he has to fit it into an almost impossible window, and pays the price for it.

Play 4: Patterson runs the read-option perfectly.

Michigan added this wrinkle last year, bringing a tight end across the formation (the long Patterson run vs. Wisconsin in 2018 came off a play like this), giving the defensive end the impression he's about to get blocked, but senior TE Nick Eubanks instead slips past him, understanding his responsibility is on the edge.

Patterson reads the defensive end crashing, pulls, and then uses Eubanks as a lead blocker, picking up about 15 yards on the play.

Play 5: Michigan deep in its own territory, facing 2nd-and-19. Remember on Play 2 how Patterson took a proper three-step drop, here he takes one step, then begins chopping his feet. His fundamentals are off and the play is doomed because a QB has an internal clock (one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand) before he knows he has to get rid of the ball.

When Patterson takes only one step, he begins his internal clock and comes to conclusion he's in trouble at least a full second before he should. The pocket is extremely clean, but Patterson panics, running into a sack that wasn't there just as Eubanks appears to be coming free at the 37-yard line, dropping behind two linebackers.

As some have noted Patterson is seeing a lot of "ghosts" and is ducking out of the pocket or giving up on plays too early. What's happening consistently is poor footwork to start, which is setting off alarm bells too early in his mind that the pocket must be closing in on him and he has to escape.

Play 6: Final play on the video, a 10-yard out to junior WR Donovan Peoples-Jones in the fourth quarter. Throwing from the far hash mark, this is a big-time throw because NFL quarterbacks aren't even asked to throw it (their hash marks are closer together in the middle of the field).

Patterson takes three steps, has a little hitch, hits the ball with his open hand and throws a missile on target to Peoples-Jones.

Unfortunately, that extra hitch and ball slap means the ball gets there as Peoples-Jones' route and momentum carry him into the sideline. Had Patterson eliminated the hitch and thrown on "1-2-3 throw" as Gardner noted, Peoples-Jones catches it in time to turn and attempt to get upfield (if he can make a man miss, which he's pretty good at).