Film room: Analyzing Graham Mertz’s performance against Eastern Michigan

All eyes are tuned to quarterback Graham Mertz when the Wisconsin Badgers are on the football field.

The offensive unit boasts a lethal rushing attack, good offensive line play (yes, I know it was bad Week 1) and a myriad of weapons on the outside. It seems like the only thing they need to become an explosive offense and one that can finish drives in the red zone is the progression of Mertz as a quarterback.

2021’s debut was a rough one for the signal-caller, as he was unable to finish key drives for the team, struggled to find ways to complete passes against the Penn State defense, missed big-time throws and had a few crucial turnovers.

But I’m not overreacting to his struggles in Week 1, as Penn State’s defense will prove to be one of the best the Badgers play this season and the unit was crushed by poor offensive line play.

Everyone can agree, though, that Mertz needs to show improvement moving forward. I laid out all last week why Eastern Michigan presented the perfect opportunity.

So, with the game in the rear view and Mertz’s full performance on film, what can we learn from how he looked in the Badgers’ 34-7 win?

[listicle id=35968]