Jordan Rodgers sees Arch Manning 'trending in the right direction' after slow start

Arch Manning is trending in the right direction following Texas’ latest win, per ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers. The Longhorns’ QB has steadily improved over the last two games and is starting to look like the guy people thought he’d be coming in.

There’s still some steps to take, but Manning has turned it around individually and Texas got a massive win over rival Oklahoma this past weekend. Manning was efficient against the Sooners, completing 21 of 27 passes, but only for 166 yards and one touchdown.

But, Manning did exactly what he was supposed to do in the win. Rodgers liked what he saw on tape and saw a lot that could be built upon.

“Look, I loved Arch. I think he did a really good job when things broke down, making plays outside the pocket,” Rodgers said on Get Up. “We saw that last week against Florida, although they took six sacks because play calling was continually trying to hit shots downfield. His average depth to target against Florida was over 17 yards. Against Oklahoma, under three yards. So I think Sark did a great job of getting the ball out of his hands quickly, and then when they did take the shots. 

“When it wasn’t there, Arch did a great job of buying time, using the athleticism and all those issues with, you know, the off target throws and the mechanics, those go away when Arch is on the run. His athleticism and natural ability takes over. I thought he was fantastic on the run. He managed the game well. I think Arch is really trending in the right direction. We’re starting to see the Arch Manning that we thought, or a lot of us thought, that we’d see at the beginning of the year. He’s starting to get there.”

This season, through six games anyway, Manning has good numbers. He has 1,317 yards, 12 touchdowns, five interceptions, a 63% completion percentage, 194 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

“I think what Arch Manning’s going through right now, I just had his game in Dallas last week,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said. “I think the greatest thing is that he’s going through this right now. I really do. As opposed to Anthony Richardson, the only failure he really met was injuries in Gainesville. All of a sudden, he gets to the NFL — the position is about overcoming failure.”