Has Paul Johnson struggled calling the offensive plays

[MidtownJacket]

Why didn't you? Man, er, boy-up.

To the OP (so I don't get yelled at), I think it's Monken leaving and the replacements not being as versed in the offense. It's almost like they're also learning it to a certain degree and may not be recognizing the indicators that would help that 2nd-half or 2nd-series surge we've seen in past years.

I think this has also been discussed as a probable reason why Sewak is still around. CPJ probably trusts him to relay info more than others.

agreed - he can't see everything on the field- which is why we need someone who can be in the booth reviewing pieces he want's watched.

 

[gtzulu]

If anything, I feel CPJ may be guilty of being stubborn sometimes with his play calling. He may, indeed, be calling the right plays, but if his players cannot execute those plays, he needs to stop calling them and try something else. FWIW, I've felt this way about CPJ since his first year, not just in 2013.

It is exaggeration that PJ keeps calling the same plays out of stubbornness if they're not being executed right. He might do it on consecutive plays if the play was there but it wasn't blocked right, but if you listen to him, he says he avoids plays that the offense cannot execute well and sticks to those he thinks it can.

 

[GTgrad86]

So that's what Barrel Of Rain looks like. Butt-Hurt !

 

[Nashville Jacket]

Has Vad removed CPJ from his comfort zone?

Or has CPJ removed Vad from his comfort zone?

 

[GTTerrific]

to suit Vad Lee's strengths?

Obviously we are running more formations that Vad Lee likes like the Pistol and Diamond. But do you think PJ has struggled calling the offense this year? We have a QB who isn't necessarily inclined to maximize the potential of the TO particularly the mesh read from the flexbone.

It seems to me that PJ has struggled calling the games this year moreso than in past years. Discuss.

I think he has tried to do more things to help with Vad's skill set, Diamond and Pistol, but we haven't been able to execute very well. Was glad to see the big play on 3rd and 17. I haven't watched the film, but I'd imagine someone was open with the double coverage on Swelter. In a lot of cases people have been wide open.

Bottom line we haven't been consistent. It's hard to call plays when you don't know what you can count on.

I don't think CPJ is without fault. It's his job to get us ready. There have been more negative plays due to just not getting what's there and/or misreads. I think that's both play calling and execution.

 

[ciegetanks]

the push is probably his way of showing that the call is final. It's like when my family plays board games, passing the dice is the end of your turn, no questions asked.

I get the same sense, especially because there are times during critical downs when he gives a little half-push then pulls the player back to change to call or add blocking adjustments, etc.

 

[71YellowJacket]

I think he's struggled since Monken left. If you really think about it, the current offensive staff is very different as a whole than his first couple of years here.

This may be true; but if it is it's a damning statement of CPJ's results in developing assistant coaches at this stage in his career.

Or, he hasn't been given the $ resources to recruit and retain the caliber of assistant coaches needed.

Brings to mind a former Basketball head coach with a high $ contract, who was left with little to recruit and retain assistants..as I recall this was leverage used to get him to re-negeotiate.

 

[slugboy]

This may be true; but if it is it's a damning statement of CPJ's results in developing assistant coaches at this stage in his career.

Or, he hasn't been given the $ resources to recruit and retain the caliber of assistant coaches needed.

Brings to mind a former Basketball head coach with a high $ contract, who was left with little to recruit and retain assistants..as I recall this was leverage used to get him to re-negeotiate.

Errr...how many of his ex-assistants went on to be head coaches or get promoted?

He just lost Todd Spencer after 2011.

 

[BarrelORum]

nm

 

[00Burdell]

Why wouldn't CPJ be confused? Who wouldn't be?

[CPJ] Based on how the D is lining up, I will call play #7. Oops. Vad sucks at running play #7. Ok, dangit, run play #5 which Vad can run and will cause the D to adjust in such a way that will set them up for play #11 which Vad can also run and which will go for at least 8 yards.

[VAD] runs play #5. OL tying his shoes when ball is snapped - Vad gets trucked by 3 linebackers for a 13 yard loss.

[CPJ] Well that sucked. Let's see... third and 27. Play #22 never fails. Crap, the right tackle can't pass block - sonofaBEYOTCH - fine - run play #37. Pushes Aback really hard back out onto the field just to piss etc79 off.

[VAD] runs play #37. Receiver waving to parents in stands as strong safety zooms past to tackle Aback for a 2 yard gain.

So yeah, CPJ is confused because he can't figure out what plays to call that satisfy the following criteria:

1. The play will exploit a defensive tendency;
2. Our quarterback can actually execute it with athletic prowess;
3. Our offensive line can keep the defense in front of them;
4. Our skill players who don't have the ball on the play can both find and hit somebody; and lastly
5. Our skill guy who does have the ball knows which way the the skill guy who doesn't have the ball is supposed to move the defender so as to run to the other side of said skill player.

Oh, and you have 8 seconds to get the play in or take the blame for a too-much-time penalty.

 

[declinometer]

Pitt never stopped the B back but we didn't exploit it enough. He appears to be less patient these days.

 

[floridajacket]

I haven't watched the film, but I'd imagine someone was open with the double coverage on Swelter.

No, there wasn't because an A-back stayed back to block, leaving only 3 receivers. I'd assume Pitt played 5 or 6 DB's on a 3rd and long situation, leaving 2/3 or all 3 receivers double-covered. But it was the only way to give Vad enough time to throw.

 

[71YellowJacket]

Errr...how many of his ex-assistants went on to be head coaches or get promoted?

He just lost Todd Spencer after 2011.

Errr.....that's the way the game is played. Good ones move on. Real real good HC's bring in good talent to replace them.

 

[GTCrew4b]

Errr....I think the point is that if they're leaving for better opportunities he's shown he's capable of developing them.

 

[AE 87]

The op begs the question by suggesting that there is something that Vad does reliably well. You see, the context of play-calling requires that we consider Vad not in the abstract but behind our OL and with our skill players. Often Vad isn't given the protection to make good plays. Often our skill guys drop great passes or fumble good pitches. I agree that execution has been the problem, not play-calling.

I also think that Vad is still developing as a QB and hasn't developed reliable strengths on which we can capitalize. Imo, after the first couple passes, I think Vad passes passably well given protection. However, he doesn't get great protection all the time. Play-calling won't change that much. Frankly, he is not yet a proven commodity as a pass-first QB, from the pistol or under center. Under pressure, he waits too long and throws a lot of panic passes off his back foot. He also seems to me to still fix on a receiver rather than going through reads well.

In the running game, it seems to me that Vad still doesn't make his reads well. I think this is true both from under center and from the diamond. He also doesn't trust the plays at times, cutting behind blocks and doing his u-turns.

As far as the departure of Monken, I don't think the stats back-up the suggestion that our W-L after 2010 have reflected either his departure or that of the 2007 class. In 2011-2012, the problem was clearly defense. Our offense really was fine up until this year. This year, we're still much better on O than we were in 2008, but we just shot ourselves in the feet in those early losses.

 

[KrazieJacket]

Errr....I think the point is that if they're leaving for better opportunities he's shown he's capable of developing them.

It is also true that it takes time to develop assistants.

 

[NebraskaJacket]

I've been wondering this all year. Clearly Vad is a talented QB but doesn't necessarily fit the role of a prototypical TO quarterback. I've been hoping to see CPJ adapt the system to fit Vad's skill sets a bit better.

 

[optionqb]

One problem I see with his play calling is the diversity of plays. I've watched Johnson's teams over many years and it seems like he's actually reduced the variety of plays he calls on a consistent basis. There are two general types of plays that I rarely, if ever, see him call anymore. Intermediate pass plays and screen passes. The screen pass is probably the most consistently glaring hole in the offensive playbook. On 3rd and long he seems to have only 2 plays: QB keep (with a lead blocker) and a "scramble and chuck it long" pass play.

 

[declinometer]

One problem I see with his play calling is the diversity of plays. I've watched Johnson's teams over many years and it seems like he's actually reduced the variety of plays he calls on a consistent basis. There are two general types of plays that I rarely, if ever, see him call anymore. Intermediate pass plays and screen passes. The screen pass is probably the most consistently glaring hole in the offensive playbook. On 3rd and long he seems to have only 2 plays: QB keep (with a lead blocker) and a "scramble and chuck it long" pass play.

Agreed

 

[BuzzCzar]

I think it is a mixture of some of the above plus a patch-work line so that it is hard to run many plays that don't leave you vulnerable. Between Vads strengths, the OLs strengths, and the RBs strengths there just are not as many solid plays to run

I hope next year the injuries from this year pay off in more experience across the board on OL. And Vad and Thomas also need to grow into their roles