A Backs at VT

[Longestday]

The A Backs did good at the VT game and better than people are crediting them. There were just two missed blocks that had a significant effect on two different plays. These guys are sold out on blocking and take pride in taking their guy to the ground.

One A back even got a penalty for getting ahead of JT and blocking. This was the pitch man that was covered, JT turned up, and this pitch A Back ran ahead of JT to block.

There are four reason that A backs did not get the ball more. First, they were covered by the defense and forced JT to keep the ball. Second, JT did not always pitch when the read was there to pitch. The third is that they ran double blocking A backs with the B back as the pitch. Lastly, add in more passes designed specifically to the WR and you get less A back touches.

 

[Dustman]

On the fumbled pitch Snoddy had room to run. Who knows, could have been a huge play.

 

[steebu]

They picked it up as the game went on to be sure, but they still need to get better. That 2nd drive of the game was about as bad as it gets for perimeter blocking.

 

[SecretAgentBuzz]

I like that last one where Days effectively cuts two guys at once! Now that's full-effort blocking!

 

[techman78]

Love the way our guys are going all out on their blocks. Obviously there's things we need to improve on but these guys are playing as a team and they want to win games.

 

[takethepoints]

Improvement = getting Perkins back and letting Days play at AB. I think it really is that simple. With those two in the rotation along with Hill our perimeter blocking should be just fine.

I do think there is one thing that needs to be addressed: JT is keeping the ball and he's so fast that the ABs end up behind him as often as not. I understand why he does this. He knows how fast he is and, if the other side gives him a lane he can exploit, he's going to do it. This is one of those things Coach meant when he said we could get so much better.

 

[John]

@Longestday do you happen to have clip of the "illegal block" on that 80-yard JT run that got called back?

 

[Longestday]

@John After further review, He did push the limits of the block. The picture from the front angle makes the flag look very questionable due to the frame of reference. The original run picture from the side shows he came in somewhere between 9 and 10 and look to be aiming just above the waist. He was almost parallel and just a tad in front with the defender on the line of the defenders travel. He does lower his head making me think we was going lower than a body block. The hand pushing his head down and the twist of the defenders body makes it look much worse than initial intended contact.

I think the block needed to happen to break JT free. A simple run in front or some "hand pushing" would have been enough to set JT free.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

@John After further review, He did push the limits of the block. The picture from the front angle makes the flag look very questionable due to the frame of reference. The original run picture from the side shows he came in somewhere between 9 and 10 and look to be aiming just above the waist. He was almost parallel and just a tad in front with the defender on the line of the defenders travel. He does lower his head making me think we was going lower than a body block. The hand pushing his head down and the twist of the defenders body makes it look much worse than initial intended contact.

I think the block needed to happen to break JT free. A simple run in front or some "hand pushing" would have been enough to set JT free.

That is how I saw it, except far more detailed. I was disappointed in the flag not so much because the ref got it wrong but because I did not think Deon needed to go with such a high risk block there. That is, JT was already on a very positive gain so the worst case scenario is that the guy you are trying to block is able to get JT out of bounds for a long run and first down. It is hard to do in the heat of the moment but I would have preferred him trying to block in a manner less prone to a possible flag when the downside of the penalty was far worse than the risk that JT gets stopped for "only" a 20 yard gain.

 

[thwgjacket]

What I loved was watching JT tell Snoddy to stay with him when he jukes because he still might pitch it. That's a thing that this guy named Greg Hill used to do. Some of you probably don't know who that is but it's a good thing.

 

[alaguy]

I would take that penalty instead of the almost roughing on gotsis on the INT

 

[Minawreck]

What I loved was watching JT tell Snoddy to stay with him when he jukes because he still might pitch it. That's a thing that this guy named Greg Hill used to do. Some of you probably don't know who that is but it's a good thing.

JT is a believer in the offense. Love hearing that.

Edge blocking is good. Needs to continue if we want to be successful. The best part is I'm not so sure any other coordinators can adjust and mind-game us like Foster. Our players handled complicated schemes and playcalls from CPJ with good success. Work out some more wrinkles in the bye and get rolling.

wouldn't you know it...the leaves are turning, and we all know what that means.

I would take that penalty instead of the almost roughing on gotsis on the INT

you bring this up almost every chance you get. We get it, you know how fortunate GT was to win this game and we're still bad. I think this play wasn't as bad as it looked in slow motion. It was a clean hit on the QB, if it got flagged it would've been a travesty.