I’m a little late to the party with this video, but the our crack staff at NBCSports.com put together a nice video on the improved pocket presence of Jimmy Clausen. Through three games, we’ve yet to see the patented “Clausen reverse peel-out,” which usually was a recipe for field position disaster, as Jimmy’s evasion attempts usually led to a 10-yard loss on a sack.
But combined with the improved offensive line play, Clausen has made great strides in his movement within the pocket, and his ability to step up and pick up positive yardage as his time runs out, all while keeping his eyes down the field. (The Rudolph pass and run being the best example of this.)
The play Jimmy was injured on actually was a sign of maturity for Clausen. Seeing that there was nowhere to go, instead of spinning out of the pocket and leaving himself susceptible to a big yardage loss, ball security issues, or a holding call, Clausen tried to get down and eat the play. (Next thing the coaching staff will work on is proper getting down procedure.)
With Clausen’s mobility hindered even more with his turf toe injury, his pocket presence will be even a bigger factor on Saturday.
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