2 Yards vs. -2 Yards

[IronJacket7]

Jmo but I feel on the BBs from watching 6 games now...

Skov is a block first / run second prototypical FB. Not the BB we are used to at all. So I do agree his blocking skills could be beneficial on BB blocking plays however he has missed several key blocks himself.
Marcus Marshall and Marcus Allen I feel give us the best threat at the BB position. I still like Skov but just feel this is currently not working for him as a runner. If we had those North/South running lanes open for him he would be the best choice. However, we are not getting that push and the BB needs a cut to get a lane in most situations currently.

Personally, if it were me I would transition Skov to AB. He could provide the HB/TE hybrid on the outside which in turn would give us greater seal blocking on the edge. JMO.

 

[IronJacket7]

We had better players last year that people brushed off as "the system" that made us so successful. The players made the system look good IMO. This year is proof that this system can be great no matter who is playing in it. You still need athletes and "balls"to play football in the TO. We are lacking at least 1 and maybe both of those qualities this year.

I don't feel we are lacking "balls" per se. I think we are lacking experience and bodies. Injuries to Snoddy, Searcy, losing Dennis Andrews, etc... These are costly. I don't care what system you run... Shotgun, I-Form, Ace, whatever... If you have several key players to injury its going to affect you.

The Inexperience Factor:

BB - Patrick Skov, Marcus Marshall, Marcus Allen are all relatively freshman.

AB - Mikell Lands-Davis, Taquon Marshall, Clinton Lynch, Lynn Griffin, Isiah Willis, Qua Searcy, Broderick Snoddy, Austin McClellan. None of these with the exception of Snoddy had a ton of playing time in 2014. So ALL our ABs are essentially newcomers to game experience. I know Ike and Austin had some. But....

WR - Ricky Jeune, Brad Stewart, Michael Summers, Antonio Messick. 1 True Freshman and 3 guys that had zero WOW moments in 2014. Basically we don't have a "proven" go to at WR. Although Summers stepped up early on and Jeune has of late as well. So that is a positive.

Point being, other than OL and QB we don't have proven experience from 2014. And the OL and JT have not played all that great. Possibly attributable to the experience that surrounds them???

 

[danny daniel]

I think this is as much not forcing commits as it is anything. We are allowing the pitch key to "slow play" us some. We need to force him to turn his shoulders by attacking the gap inside the pitch key, even if it only means a 3 yard gain.

I agree but the additional problem is the unblocked MLB is charging hard, inside out, at the QB and getting there to throw him for a loss if he keeps the ball, and the normal pitch guy is then sliding (slow play as you say) outside to cover the AB and throws him for a loss if we pitch. Got to stop that inside MLB, or whoever, from getting to the QB so fast at the normal point of pitch. No respect for the BB or pass seems to let the MLB, or whoever, immediately vacate his position and our O linemen have not been able to get to him to cut off his pursuit.

I see three possible options:
establish enough BB threat to keep the MLB, or whoever, from sprinting to the outside to take the QB (not been successful so far)
throw the pass where the area has been vacated (difficult with JT height and slow developing drops)
have the playside AB block the charging MLB, or whoever, and let the O lineman take the S or CB in coordination with the WR block (still a hard block for a lineman)

 

[B Lifsey]

Could the pitch read be changed to the MLB and block the normal pitch guy?

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

It's not typically the MLB as the #2, or pitch read. It's usually the DE or OLB depending on formation and alignment. Last week we allowed #2 to force the pitch....and he went and made the tackle on the AB....that should just never happen. I'm no expert but I think that problem (one among many) is primarily on JT, who has to attack the #2 and not allow that. The ab route and spacing with pitch relationship is also a factor to my untrained eye.

 

[B Lifsey]

Understand...I was thinking since we can't seem to get a block on MLB anyway make him the pitch option. As it his, he just heads straight to QB and normal pitch option heads to AB. Block the normal pitch option and force MLB to chose QB or AB.

 

[danny daniel]

Could the pitch read be changed to the MLB and block the normal pitch guy?

That MLB guy is closing at full speed from about 45 degrees behind the QB. Hard to read from that situation I suspect.

 

[B Lifsey]

Good point...the MLB needs to be taken care of somehow. If OL can't get to him, something needs adjusting.

 

[danny daniel]

That MLB guy is closing at full speed from about 45 degrees behind the QB. Hard to read from that situation I suspect.

And when we do not get the MLB blocked there is an extra defender on the playside and we lose our numbers advantage. CPJ also mentioned that our ABs are not breaking tackles or making the first guy miss, so this magnifies the problem.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Watch Will Bryan this week. He will get to the MLB when it is his assignment to do so.

 

[Boomergump]

Watch Will Bryan this week. He will get to the MLB when it is his assignment to do so.

It's pretty obvious on replay that WB is pretty darned fast for a big guy. He can move. Let's hope you are right.

 

[pinglett]

I think this is as much not forcing commits as it is anything. We are allowing the pitch key to "slow play" us some. We need to force him to turn his shoulders by attacking the gap inside the pitch key, even if it only means a 3 yard gain.

I totally agree Boomer. I was a high school option QB, and in that position you should get hit every option play. Seems like JT is trying to avoid contact, which means the defense can scare him into pitching, then JT stands around watching everybody kill the AB. An option QB has a responsibility to take someone out of the play (just like the BBack). Once he reads, and keeps, his first goal is press for a gap and make them commit to him (which means get hit). And even when not keeping he should be throwing a block, or carrying out a good fake (potentially leading to contact). We all want to protect him, but JT should be taking or giving a hit on almost EVERY non-passing play. I have not seen this yet....

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I totally agree Boomer. I was a high school option QB, and in that position you should get hit every option play. Seems like JT is trying to avoid contact, which means the defense can scare him into pitching, then JT stands around watching everybody kill the AB. An option QB has a responsibility to take someone out of the play (just like the BBack). Once he reads, and keeps, his first goal is press for a gap and make them commit to him (which means get hit). And even when not keeping he should be throwing a block, or carrying out a good fake (potentially leading to contact). We all want to protect him, but JT should be taking or giving a hit on almost EVERY non-passing play. I have not seen this yet....

Funny, he did it right last year. I think the lack of confidence in his Abacks and Oline is causing this.

 

[pinglett]

Funny, he did it right last year. I think the lack of confidence in his Abacks and Oline is causing this.

He did it much better last year. Remember the very last second pitches where JT was already being tackled. That was dangerous, but it showed he forced them to take him. He forced the contact. I don't see that so much this year. JT is stringing it out and finding himself trying to pitch to an AB that is getting tackled with him.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

He did it much better last year. Remember the very last second pitches where JT was already being tackled. That was dangerous, but it showed he forced them to take him. He forced the contact. I don't see that so much this year. JT is stringing it out and finding himself trying to pitch to an AB that is getting tackled with him.

Yes, but there are aspects to the play that are different that are contributing to JT's poor performance. Angles, spacing and timing as well as numbers of defenders at the point of attack. Speed of play is not the same either, plays are taking longer to develop.

This year, textbook two-on-one's on the outside are very rare, but when we see them, JT usually plays it right.

 

[alagold]

This is just a random idea but since we are scarce at AB, I wonder if lining up in the eye or wishbone with Skov at fullback, MM at TB and rotating the HB with MLD and others would be more effective? We would have a proven blocker in Skov leading the way for some explosive players without the high possibility of a negative play. The outside would be a little easier to get to because they wouldn't be able to key on our motion and we would have an extra blocker. We would have lead dives something we don't have now. I love our offense and our coach but our offense gives us little room for error (which there is a lot of right now) against good defenses. I just think it would be something simple we could make work for getting positive yardage.

a good idea--we need some power run at goalline or for first downs,not a 190 lb QB vs a dug in DEF line

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I totally agree Boomer. I was a high school option QB, and in that position you should get hit every option play. Seems like JT is trying to avoid contact, which means the defense can scare him into pitching, then JT stands around watching everybody kill the AB. An option QB has a responsibility to take someone out of the play (just like the BBack). Once he reads, and keeps, his first goal is press for a gap and make them commit to him (which means get hit). And even when not keeping he should be throwing a block, or carrying out a good fake (potentially leading to contact). We all want to protect him, but JT should be taking or giving a hit on almost EVERY non-passing play. I have not seen this yet....

Same thing happened with Vad. It has to be very hard to be a TO QB and get beat up all the time. Maybe we should be playing others to share the pain?

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Same thing happened with Vad. It has to be very hard to be a TO QB and get beat up all the time. Maybe we should be playing others to share the pain?

Lol you sneak....haven't you always been a proponent of platooning QBs? Or am I mistaking that for someone else?

 

[iceeater1969]

He did it much better last year. Remember the very last second pitches where JT was already being tackled. That was dangerous, but it showed he forced them to take him. He forced the contact. I don't see that so much this year. JT is stringing it out and finding himself trying to pitch to an AB that is getting tackled with him.

Not totally in agreement that qb is timid this year . It seems to me these fast well coached teams lb etc are making their reads based on blocks and are racing to the next point of decesion for qb and ab. It often looks like the lb is daring qb to get closer for pitch and he will try to knock down but still maintain SOME position to slow the qb down. Qb sees this and is having to pitch early .
If the o line can make some pancake block so qb can cut up field there will big gains because the safteys are flooding to the pitch read. Dont see us going around end .
Hope the qb cut upfield happens.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Lol you sneak....haven't you always been a proponent of platooning QBs? Or am I mistaking that for someone else?

Yup, that's me. I may not be very smart at some things but I try to be consistent.

It seems we get our best QB beat up to the extent his performance noticeably suffers and keep him in till he can't play no more. After the first quarter of Clemson would have been a great time to put MJ in for a series or two at a time. I don't think MJ would have done better than JT but I do think MJ would have developed a lot from the experience. I still cringe at the number of times there were five Clemson defenders on JT. It's a wonder he made it through the game. But now after Clemson we end up with a L, have a more beat up JT and a less developed MJ.