[Row80Critic]

Chryst was no Plunkett/Elway/Luck against AZ, but he got the job done and allowed the offense to score.  He didn't consistently throw short and kill possession after possession with interceptions. He didn't fumble the snap on the 5.  He fought hard not to go down in the pocket when protection wasn't there, and tried to keep his eyes up and make something happen (albiet without great success).  He also threw 2 touchdown passes, which is 40% of the total amassed this season before his start.  And allowed the offense to score 34 points, which is one point she of the cumulative offensive output over the last 4 games. Shaw's system doesn't produce impressive numbers for QB's (even Luck). He put the team in position to score without drive-ending mistakes, and that is an improvement in my book.  I think he did his 1/11th or pretty close, and don't think he was holding the offense back like we saw last week, softer defense notwithstanding.  It was also his first start ever.  Time will tell, but the relative absence of big mistakes, if nothing else, has earned him more starts in my book -- at least until someone better comes along....

[Row80Critic]

Chryst was no Plunkett/Elway/Luck against AZ, but he got the job done and allowed the offense to score.  He didn't consistently throw short and kill possession after possession with interceptions. He didn't fumble the snap on the 5.  He fought hard not to go down in the pocket when protection wasn't there, and tried to keep his eyes up and make something happen (albiet without great success).  He also threw 2 touchdown passes, which is 40% of the total amassed this season before his start.  And allowed the offense to score 34 points, which is one point she of the cumulative offensive output over the last 4 games. Shaw's system doesn't produce impressive numbers for QB's (even Luck). He put the team in position to score without drive-ending mistakes, and that is an improvement in my book.  I think he did his 1/11th or pretty close, and don't think he was holding the offense back like we saw last week, softer defense notwithstanding.  It was also his first start ever.  Time will tell, but the relative absence of big mistakes, if nothing else, has earned him more starts in my book -- at least until someone better comes along....

[CTcard]

... Shaw's system doesn't produce impressive numbers for QB's (even Luck).

That depends how you count.
On efficiency metrics there is certainly no reason Stanford QBs cannot have very good numbers. Most of the time they have had good efficiency numbers. 

Under Shaw we have had:
2011 Luck PER=169.7  1st in Pac 12, 5th in Div. 1
2012 Hogan PER=147.9  4th in Pac 12, 26th in Div. 1 (had he qualified)
2012 Nunes PER=119.6  10th in Pac 12, 85th in Div. 1 (had he qualified)
2013 Hogan PER=151.6  4th in Pac 12, 21st in Div. 1
2014 Hogan PER=145.8  5th in Pac 12, 25th in Div. 1
2015 Hogan PER=171.0  2nd in Pac 12, 4th in Div. 1 (Stanford all time record)
2016 Burns PER=122.6  11th in Pac12, 86th in Div. 1 
2016 Chryst PER=78.4  behind everyone who qualifies

While some of the solutions proposed here are not helpful or practical, and very much the offensive problems are widely spread, one shouldn't counter by pretending there isn't a QB problem.

[CTcard]

... Shaw's system doesn't produce impressive numbers for QB's (even Luck).

That depends how you count.
On efficiency metrics there is certainly no reason Stanford QBs cannot have very good numbers. Most of the time they have had good efficiency numbers. 

Under Shaw we have had:
2011 Luck PER=169.7  1st in Pac 12, 5th in Div. 1
2012 Hogan PER=147.9  4th in Pac 12, 26th in Div. 1 (had he qualified)
2012 Nunes PER=119.6  10th in Pac 12, 85th in Div. 1 (had he qualified)
2013 Hogan PER=151.6  4th in Pac 12, 21st in Div. 1
2014 Hogan PER=145.8  5th in Pac 12, 25th in Div. 1
2015 Hogan PER=171.0  2nd in Pac 12, 4th in Div. 1 (Stanford all time record)
2016 Burns PER=122.6  11th in Pac12, 86th in Div. 1 
2016 Chryst PER=78.4  behind everyone who qualifies

While some of the solutions proposed here are not helpful or practical, and very much the offensive problems are widely spread, one shouldn't counter by pretending there isn't a QB problem.