Quarterly Report: Maryland Terrapins Football Early Grades

QB Grade: C-

Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

As a passer, it’s hard to argue that Brown should get too much praise here. At 184 passing yards per game, Brown ranks 84th out of the 100 eligible QBs. He’s completing 54% of his passes, which is 99th of 100 eligible QBs, and his 6.4 yards per attempt has him at 74th of 96 eligible players. Not many quarterbacks have the weapons that Brown has at his disposal, yet the passing game has been horrible and there’s no other way to spin that one.

As far as traditional QBs go, Brown is among the worst. His 115.68 rating is 93rd out of 100, and that is far from a coincidence. He’s got two more touchdowns through the air (4) than his backup, Caleb Rowe and it’s no surprise that some folks are calling for change in that department. But the backup QB is perpetually the most popular player in town, and Brown has still been the lead man on a team that’s 2-1, not 0-3.

Judging him too harshly this early in the season is more or less pointless. Players get back on track very quickly and they become fan favorites after a little win streak. And it’s not as easy as looking at passing numbers with Brown, because there are absolutely other factors that decide how effective a QB is. Things like their ability to use their legs should be factored in when we’re looking at the whole picture. Strictly as a passer, Brown isn’t impressing, but there are other aspects of the game where he’s killing it.