Arch Manning Sends Message to the NFL vs. No. 3 Texas A&M

Would Texas quarterback Arch Manning come out again as he did against Arkansas, launching deep passes like there was no tomorrow against No. 3 Texas A&M, or would it be a return to “Game Manager Manning,” which has been the theme for most of the season?

It was choice B in the first drive.

WATCH TEXAS VS. TEXAS A&M HERE

Would that remain true for the rest of the game?

Only time would tell…

One thing is for sure: the conservative approach caused that first drive to stall out.

Time to punt again.

From there…

Beginning on the second drive, Manning did his best to shed that “game manager label,” but as it would turn out, short passes (0-9 yards) were the only thing he could complete.

• Two attempts into the intermediate route level (10-19 yards) went incomplete
• Three deep shots (+20 yards) went incomplete

Three out of five of those downfield passing attempts were broken up. Another short pass on top of it was broken up. Four PBUs (pass breakups) total.

That is not a good look in the category of ball security.

One thing was evident when watching the tape: Manning’s confidence wasn’t what it had been in the two previous games. It was lower. Granted, it felt like he was trying to fight his way out of it, and he was trying to “will” things to happen, but it just wasn’t happening.

• Five of his six drives ended with punts, and one resulted in a field goal.

What was Manning best at in the first and second quarters?

Running the ball.

Yikes.

Halftime score: Texas A&M 10 and Texas 3

Third and fourth quarters

Totally different story.

First thing I noticed ⎯

Manning looked slightly more confident.

He didn’t throw a lot in the game’s final 30 minutes, and there were several handoffs mixed into the equation, but he made the money throws when he had to.

• Connected on three deep shots
• Completed two throws into the intermediate route level

Amazing how that confidence thing works. Manning found his groove at halftime, and it proved to make all the difference as Texas pulled off the upset 27-17.

NFL scouting perspective

How does what Manning did against Texas A&M translate to the NFL?

B

What did I like most?

Manning never stopped battling in the Longhorns’ regular-season finale.

What other things stood out about his performance?

• Provided a ball control tempo
• Always kept his eyes downfield
• Poise under pressure
• Navigated the pocket well
• Good natural arm strength
• Managed to move off his first read to his second read many times
• Showed some dual role upside
• Protected his body as a runner
• Deep accuracy (3/5)

What things did I not like about Manning in this game?

• Continues to throw with too much arm and not relying on an upper and lower body equally distributed throwing motion, and follow through
• Hesitation before throwing
• Threw with average anticipation
• Inconsistent ball placement
• Inconsistent confidence level

What’s the message that Manning sent to the NFL in this game?

Manning is beginning to develop into being more than “just a game manager” who can hand the ball off and throw short little passes. He showed he can push the ball downfield when his back was against the wall against one of the top teams in the country.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.