Browning Takes Another Step Forward For Huskies
September 10, 2016 | Football, General
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
Jake Browning felt the defense closing in, so he stepped up in the pocket. He felt another defender getting closer in his right, so he slid the other direction. When the Idaho players got close to Washington's sophomore quarterback, he bought more time.
And then, when he spotted an open receiver, he placed the ball right where it needed to be, leading the Huskies to a 59-14 win over Idaho on Saturday at Husky Stadium.
In the evolution of the Huskies' prolific passer, his ability to elude pass rushers long enough to find open receivers is one of the many skills aiding in Browning's evolution as quarterback.
"The thing he really did today was buy time," Washington coach Chris Petersen said. "All the really big-time quarterbacks somehow buy time. You don't see Tom Brady scrambling out of the pocket, but he buys time."
What you are seeing from Browning right now, the stretch of 13 straight completions, the five touchdown passes and 294 passing yards are the byproduct of a quarterback who has made the most of his time in the system.
"It is Year 1 to Year 2, all the stuff he had last year, getting here with us early," Petersen said. "But that takes a long time to get into the flow where you're not so much consciously thinking and you can react. He's starting to get into that reaction mode."
When Browning drops back to pass, he understands his progression. He surveys the defense and picks a receiver based on opportunities provided by the defense. He completed 23 of 28 passes because, like John Ross said, his passes are "perfectly placed."
"What I'm seeing up top is what he's operating down on the field and that makes you feel good," offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith said.
Washington had 10 different receivers catch passes Saturday. Browning found many of them and backup K.J. Carta-Samuels found the rest, completing 4-of-5 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.
Dante Pettis was the recipient of six of those passes, totaling 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns. When asked about his quarterback, the receiver smiled: "He's in a groove," Pettis said.
"He's just being patient and not trying to force anything. He's making the smart plays and that's paying off."
Browning knows he has picked up his performance. He can feel the growth in Washington's offense, but he doesn't have an explanation for it.
"I feel better," he said. "I don't know exactly what it is. I think it's just a lot of reps and the whole offseason."
He also knows there will be games this season when points will be at a premium, so there is still work to be done.
"It's just going to be a consistent battle to get better and just keep trying to execute every play as best I can," he said.
So, even though the Huskies have now posted more than 40 points in their last five games, this offense isn't satisfied.
"Everything is going to get tougher as we continue to go," Smith said. "People are going to make some adjustments, so we've just got to keep improving and recognize that we're not always going to go out and score 59. We're going to be in some battles and we've got to be ready for that."
