ANN ARBOR — Throughout the offseason, Michigan coaches and players have talked about how well quarterback Shea Patterson fits into Michigan’s new pro-spread offensive system.
After the spring game, Patterson joked that he felt like the “handcuffs were off.” Ben Bredeson at Big Ten media days last month said Patterson has “been in control.”
Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said last week Patterson was playing “lights out” in the new system. While Gattis also joked Patterson spent a little too much time on the golf course this summer, he praised the way Michigan’s returning starting quarterback has mentally adapted to his new offense.
When asked what Patterson has done to set the bar high, Gattis said “His understanding of what I want to accomplish within the offense and what we want to accomplish. He's got a great feel, a great presence.”
On Wednesday, first-year quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels said Patterson has been locked in mentally.
“He's been clean,” McDaniels said. “We talk about that in the quarterback room: Are you clean mentally? Sometimes we're not going to complete every ball, that's not realistic for the most part. We're going to try, and we're going to hope to do that on every play. But as important, were you clean mentally on that snap? Was your thought process clean? Did you anticipate well? Did you see the defense clean?”
McDaniels is the brother of New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He was an offensive analyst for Michigan in 2018 after spending the two previous years as an offensive assistant for the Chicago Bears. He played quarterback at Kent State University from 1999 to 2001.
Patterson started all 13 games for the Wolverines last year after transferring from Mississippi. He threw for 2,600 yards, 22 touchdowns, and had seven interceptions.
Dylan McCaffrey won the backup job last year and appeared in six games. He threw for 126 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. His season was cut short after he broke his collarbone in Michigan’s 42-7 win over Penn State.
Sophomore Joe Milton and true freshman Cade McNamara are the other two back-ups.
In high school, all of the quarterbacks played in similar style offenses, which has helped them all adapt.
“I think they're all natural, good throwers of the football, and I think they're all athletic,” McDaniels said. “Both of those things are required somewhat in the system. I think there's a quarterback room that fits who we are right now in a great way. And I think from a skillset standpoint, there's a lot of similarities amongst the players.”
Last month, head coach Jim Harbaugh made waves when he said that there was a chance both Patterson and McCaffrey could see significant playing time.
On Tuesday night, Harbaugh said playing both still remained a possibility into the second week of fall camp.
“All options are open,” he said. “They both are playing extremely well. Shea has strung, I would say, probably five great practices together consistently. Dylan as well, playing extremely well.”
McDaniels said while he would defer to Harbaugh when it comes to playing both, he added McCaffrey has continued to impress with his execution.
“When you have guys that execute plays and execute the system well, that dictates that they might find their way onto the field,” McDaniels said. “He had a good spring, and he's had a good start to training camp.”
As an analyst, McDaniels said his involvement with the quarterbacks last year was limited, and now in the driver’s seat, he seems most concerned with making sure his room is mentally prepared. A big piece of that for him is being able to read opposing defenses, even before the ball is snapped.
“Ultimately in the passing game,” he said, “really any system, your ability to understand the defense, understand the pieces of the defense that can provide you information before you have the ball in your hand, before the ball is snapped — all of that contributes to your ability to play successfully after the ball is snapped.”
First Published August 14, 2019, 10:12 p.m.
