Arch Manning “Rebounds” vs. No. 96 San Jose State

The level of college competition is one piece of the NFL evaluation puzzle, and it is worth noting that Texas quarterback Arch Manning and his Longhorns’ team defeated No. 96 San Jose State (CBS Sports) 38-7.

19 out of 30 (63.3%) for 295 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.

Manning added a fifth touchdown on the ground.

Those were his stats from this game.

Good to see, but again, it’s important to keep things in context.

WATCH TEXAS VS. SAN JOSE STATE

One of the first impressions I had when I started studying his latest performance was that he seemed more relaxed.

Good sign.

Last week, in the first quarter against Ohio State, he came off as being tense.

The first couple of drives against San Jose State didn’t start well. Manning’s ball placement seemed “off,” and both drives ended in punts.

But then things began changing.

Touchdowns started popping

If you’ve ever heard popcorn cooking, it starts popping like fireworks on the 4th of July, and that’s what it was like watching the barrage of touchdowns Manning started throwing, beginning at the 3:04 mark in the first quarter.

BANG – BANG – BANG – BANG

FOUR TOUCHDOWNS FOR MANNING

By the time the clock reached 12:56 to go in the second quarter, the Longhorns led 28-0.

Wow.

But again, it was against No. 96 San Jose State.

From there…

Manning returned to earth on the following drive, and Texas was forced to punt again with 5:35 to go in the second quarter.

The next possession also stalled.

Texas drove down inside the 20 before halftime, but the drive ended when Manning threw his worst pass of the afternoon, throwing up an ill-advised pass that ended up being an interception by the goal line.

“You just can’t force it. Throw it late out wide to the boundary, he’s lucky this wasn’t a pick six,” stated the ABC television announcer.

What happened next?

Manning settled down and led Texas to a field goal on their opening drive of the second half.

The ensuing drive ended with a sack on third down by the Longhorns’ own goal line. Manning had also fumbled on the play, but Texas recovered.

…Another punt.

Finally, deep into the third quarter, Manning managed to get his team down the field and ended up scampering for a 20-yard touchdown run.

Texas 38 – San Jose State 7

Manning played in one last drive in the 4th quarter, and it too ended in a punt when Manning was hit on 3rd and 25 as he threw, and the ball fluttered helplessly to the ground from the line of scrimmage.

Thankfully, for Manning’s sake, there weren’t any San Jose State defenders close enough to take advantage of the errant throw.

That was the end of Manning’s day.

Hot and cold

Scouting is about being able to identify patterns, tendencies, and traits as they relate and project to the NFL game.

One of the things I’m going to continue to watch is Manning’s developing pattern of being “hot and cold” this season. For the second-straight week, Manning played his “best football” in a short period of time. Last week, against Ohio State, it was the 4th quarter. This week, it was the four touchdown passes under five minutes.

The rest of the time, it was mostly a bunch of stalled drives and inconsistencies for Manning.

NFL scouting perspective

How does what Manning did against San Jose State translate to the NFL?

B –

Manning did some good things and some not-so-good things, and for the second straight week, that is my grade for his performance. His time to throw improved per Pro Football Focus (3.28 seconds vs. Ohio State, 3.00 seconds vs. San Jose State), but he’s still developing cohesion with his receivers.

My two biggest concerns:

• Throwing mechanics (inconsistent footwork and a tendency to rely too much on his arm strength)
• Inconsistent ball placement (especially on throws beyond his first-read)

The two go hand-in-hand.

What did I like best?

• High-level ball handling
• Pocket presence vs. pass rush
• Eyes downfield most of the time
• Tended to go through his progressions

But again, it was against No. 96 San Jose State.

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.