Bradford needs line, time
Sam Bradford looks a lot like you remember him.
Smooth. Accurate. Composed.
Unless he’s running for his life.
The Oklahoma quarterback was hurried more in the first couple series of the Red-White game Saturday than he was all of last year. Oh, that might be a bit overblown, a smidgen of hyperbole, but not by very much. Bradford clearly didn’t have the time that he had a year ago when he led the Sooners to the national championship game and won the Heisman Trophy.
Offensive line was one of the biggest questions after the Sooners lost four big-time players from last year’s starting unit. Out are Jon Cooper, Phil Loadholt, Duke Robinson and Brandon Walker. In are Ben Habern, Cory Brandon, Brian Simmons and Stephen Good. Trent Williams is the only holdover.
Everyone knew it would take time for this new group to come together.
Clearly, that time has yet to arrive.
Did the Sooner offensive line do some nice things in the Red-White Game? Sure, but Bradford was “sacked” twice in the first possession. (Being “sacked” in the spring game means that a defender got to him and would’ve lit him up in a full-contact situation, but being the spring, full contact is a no-no where quarterbacks are concerned.) Slingin’ Sam was sacked an average of once a game last season.
He wasn’t just sacked. He was rushed, too. Bradford missed a couple throws because he just didn’t have time. Several other times, he went with a hot read or a quick out or a dump off to get simply get rid of the ball.
It was a positive play, a smart play, but it wasn’t the play it might have been.
Bradford looks like he’s every bit as good as he was a year ago, but it might not look like it come the fall unless the offensive line improves.
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