Should the Huskies sit banged up Jake Locker?
Oct 25, 2010, 6:26 PM | Updated: Apr 4, 2011, 7:54 pm
By Michael Simeona/MyNorthwest.com intern
Is a 75 percent Jake Locker better than a 100 percent Keith Price?
Former Huskies radio comentator Chuck Nelson debated the issue with Kevin and Jim on Monday’s show, two days after injuries and soreness limited Locker’s mobility in Washington’s 44-14 loss to Arizona.
Locker, who said he will play Saturday against Stanford, was limited in practice all last week with sore ribs stemming from the Oregon State game and a thigh bruise from the week before. That forced backup quarterback Price to take most of the first-team reps heading into the game against Arizona. Nelson believes the injury “certainly limited what Steve Sarkisian was asking him to do” throughout the course of the game.
“I think they only had 75 or 80 percent of the playbook available to him (against Arizona)” said Nelson. “It was very obvious early in the game. There were no called runs, there was very little rolling out. As the game progressed his drops got shorter and shorter. One of the things that hamstrung Washington a little bit offensively is they weren’t throwing the ball down the field because Jake was not going to take a five-step or a seven-step drop, everything was quick.”
With 13th-ranked Stanford traveling to Montlake this weekend, Kevin wonders why Sarkisian would risk his star quarterback at this point in the season.
“I want to know how long Sarkisian will keep him on the field when the Stanford Cardinal comes in here to wreak havoc on the Dawgs. If the Huskies are down by four touchdowns, take him out! There’s no reason to risk injuring the cornerstone of your offense and a future NFL quarterback in a futile effort.”
So with Price waiting in the wings, should the Huskies start a banged up Locker over a healthy Price?
“The debate is, is a 75 percent Jake Locker better than a 100 percent Keith Price?” Nelson said. “I think in their minds, and I would agree, the answer is yes.
“Our offense with a 75 percent Jake Locker, limited in any variety, still gives Washington a better chance to be good offensively.”
You can listen to podcasts of every Kevin Calabro show right here.
