Paulus' First Outing, Other Thoughts

Just one more thought on Greg Paulus' first outing as an Orangeman.

I feel like Paulus has been anointed by the fans with the duty of saving the team or something, and that last throw into the end zone was that: him trying to save the day, be the hero, and win the game for his team. Undoubtedly he feels that pressure too, with the articles in the D.O., the national media attention, etc.

Not something that's entirely a bad thing, just a bit misplaced in this case. Maybe I'm over analyzing, but I think that throughout the game he didn't have too many big plays, and wanted to close out the game the right way but on that play the pressure he felt on his shoulders got to him a bit. I think the coaching staff is going to save the program, not Paulus, and he needs to keep that in mind, doing just enough. Getting the ball out of his hands quicker and distributing the football intelligently and effectively, which he can certainly do.

That said, all in all, I'm a supporter. Has to work on the way the ball comes out when he's under pressure, since he didn't square his shoulders and threw a few ducks. But it's going to be a huge step forward this year with him at the helm.