amen. it's ridiculous.
Absolutely. Caleb is not a finished product by any means. This week, the Vikings blitzed on 67% of the plays, and Caleb was under instant pressure. Benedet has not been great in pass protection.
What Caleb can do is somehow magically get out of most sacks. This isnt because he has an ego and is playing USC "hero ball" - thats an old media narrative that should be dead by now for anyone watching the games. Escaping pressure is not big play hunting.
Also, the Vikings blitzed and played man to man a lot. That means less or no help over the top. The DBs were playing tight and close, so that means the way you beat them is over the top with the long ball.
One of Caleb's biggest weaknesses in my view is his inaccuracy on long balls. The Vikings were smart to play him that way. To dare him to beat them over the top. It plays to a weakness, and it forces the play to take longer, which, when coupled with extra pressure, makes things tough on Caleb.
But we will improve his pass protection. We will find another player if necessary to play LT. Caleb's long term future is still bright.
But his holding the ball longer and throwing long passes this week wasn't ego or hero ball. It was a consequence of the defensive game plan, and a lack of pass protection. His inaccuracy on those early long passes IS on Caleb. And that would have calmed down the blitz if he'd hit on one.
There is blame to go around, but if you think Caleb was playing hero ball, and is likely to be replaced in the middle of next year, then you don't really know football at all.