Texas A&M Football: Jimbo Fisher says quarterbacks have ‘a lot of work to do’

Texas A&M football held a scrimmage last weekend and head coach Jimbo Fisher was critical of his quarterbacks who are competing for the right to be named the starter.

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it many times: the most important decision Jimbo Fisher will make this season will be naming a starting quarterback.

Many coaches go through this, but Fisher is facing a perfect storm that is adding all kinds of pressure to his decision.

For one, he’s taking over a program that has high expectations but rarely meets them. A&M hasn’t won a conference title this century and it’s been 79 years since the school’s last legitimate national title. He’s not the first coach to switch jobs, but he’s one of few (if any) to willingly leave a school where he won a title for one that basically hasn’t.

Secondly, he’s getting paid a boatload of money. 10 years, $75 million is a hefty price to pay for a coach that does come with some faults.

Last but not least, Fisher is instituting wholesale culture and offensive scheme changes. If he doesn’t produce at least above average results, there will be immediate questions of his hiring. There is a lot riding on his quarterback decision.

There is also a lot to take in from what he said about his two quarterbacks after a scrimmage from this past weekend.

"“Both of them had their moments. Both of them led drives and scored. Both of them made a couple of plays that I didn’t like. You know what I mean? Just from the situation and where it was. We’ve got to be smarter with the ball at times.”“As they continue to understand the offense, I think they’ll start to understand what I want more when I call plays. Like when I call the same play on the field in a third down compared to a red zone, understanding how that play changes and what we’re looking for. As they get to that, I think they’ll start to play faster.”“They both had very solid days. I was very pleased with both of their days. But they weren’t close to perfect. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”"

On the surface, it looks like the quarterbacks are going through some growing pains, and that is to be expected of two young players implementing an entirely new offensive scheme.

The entire interview, which you can see in the video below, is one of the most refreshing things I’ve watched since Fisher took over. His attention to detail in every single situation of the game is remarkable. It feels like this will be one of the more mentally prepared teams every Saturday, and that’s something A&M fans have not been able to say in a long time.

Experts who analyze games often talk about “situational football.” It’s not just about the plays you make, but sometimes it’s about the plays you don’t make and live to fight another down. Or it’s about taking the important third down conversion over making a big play.

Fisher is one of the better coaches in the country and it is obvious he understands this. You have to put your players in these situations over and over so their instincts can take over when it happens in a game.

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Judging by his comments in the interview, Fisher’s quarterbacks have some work to do in regards to situational football, but he is also confident he can get them where they need to be.

Jeff Shull is a Site Expert for the Gig Em Gazette on FanSided. Follow him on Twitter, and be sure to follow the Gig Em Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.