My thought on Offensive struggles

[unforgiven108]

My thoughts on why our O is struggling.

1.) We don't have the outside presence anymore...the Veer doesn't get much yardage, the toss sweep doesn't get much yardage.

2.) The inside is having to carry the load. Teams are focusing in on Dwyer, making Nesbitt on the midline or the counter inside to the A-Back the only effective plays in the middle.

3.) The big plays don't come from the inside runs (usually) unless it's Dwyer busting it, and see #2 that's not happening because of the outside presence missing.

My thoughts on what's causing ALL these problems and how to fix it......

Take Allen and Peeples OUT of the starting spots at A-Back. They are great runners (at least Allen is) I'll give you that. But they have to be two of the worst blockers I've seen in a long time. I can't even count how many big blocks were missed that would have changed the outcomes of several of the runs if Allen or Peeples had even TOUCHED their assignment. They dove and missed more than I can count.

My (uninformed) analysis is that we should be starting Cox and Jones as the main A-Backs, ala last year. Cox doesn't miss as many blocks and can still chug out some yards, would be good for the inside counter etc. The primary backups should be Allen for Cox and Wright for Jones.

In both those scenarios you have at least one guy that is good at blocking their assignments (Wright, Cox) and one guy to be the 'primary' ball handler (Jones, Allen).

The fact we can't run the outside ball is what is killing us.

 

[cajunjacket]

My thoughts on why our O is struggling.

1.) We don't have the outside presence anymore...the Veer doesn't get much yardage, the toss sweep doesn't get much yardage.

2.) The inside is having to carry the load. Teams are focusing in on Dwyer, making Nesbitt on the midline or the counter inside to the A-Back the only effective plays in the middle.

3.) The big plays don't come from the inside runs (usually) unless it's Dwyer busting it, and see #2 that's not happening because of the outside presence missing.

My thoughts on what's causing ALL these problems and how to fix it......

Take Allen and Peeples OUT of the starting spots at A-Back. They are great runners (at least Allen is) I'll give you that. But they have to be two of the worst blockers I've seen in a long time. I can't even count how many big blocks were missed that would have changed the outcomes of several of the runs if Allen or Peeples had even TOUCHED their assignment. They dove and missed more than I can count.

My (uninformed) analysis is that we should be starting Cox and Jones as the main A-Backs, ala last year. Cox doesn't miss as many blocks and can still chug out some yards, would be good for the inside counter etc. The primary backups should be Allen for Cox and Wright for Jones.

In both those scenarios you have at least one guy that is good at blocking their assignments (Wright, Cox) and one guy to be the 'primary' ball handler (Jones, Allen).

The fact we can't run the outside ball is what is killing us.

You'll have to talk to the coach about that one. He makes the decisions. But I agree totally with you on this.

 

[WracerX]

I think the opposite is true. It's the lack of blocking inside thats killing us. Teams are using their 2 tackels to stop the dive. That means 2 guys are accounting for the BB, center, and both guards. The defensive ends aren't having to help. That means the ends can run up field making Nesbitt pitch early. The ends account for Nesbitt, but the blockers haven't had enough time to close the gap with their assignments. The defenders know if it is a pitch earlier than they should. They are better able to shed blocks.

The midline has been working because the ends aren't supporting on the dive, so when Nesbitt goes back inside he can get some yards.

 

[BuzzLaw]

We did have some nice plays on the toss sweep last night (although I was afraid RJ broke his neck on one that wasn't successful).

I still believe that PJ is in the best position to know who to have in there, but I can't help but wonder too.

 

[MeatWrench]

anthony allen, while a great runner, is f%^$in casey at the bat when it comes to blocking, i think im gonna go out and impersonate him in the yard...... *throws himself on the ground*

 

[unforgiven108]

I think the opposite is true. It's the lack of blocking inside thats killing us. Teams are using their 2 tackels to stop the dive. That means 2 guys are accounting for the BB, center, and both guards. The defensive ends aren't having to help. That means the ends can run up field making Nesbitt pitch early. The ends account for Nesbitt, but the blockers haven't had enough time to close the gap with their assignments. The defenders know if it is a pitch earlier than they should. They are better able to shed blocks.

The midline has been working because the ends aren't supporting on the dive, so when Nesbitt goes back inside he can get some yards.

This isn't what I saw last night. When Nesbitt made the correct reads on the midline it was open for 4~5 plus every time. That does not scream DT's stopping anything inside. And on the same side of the coin I don't recall seeing a lot of Miami's DE's outside when we did the pitch/veer but I did see Allen miss the hell out of the one guy he had to get to spring the play for 5+. Same with Peeples.

Clemson, is closer to what you are saying but not quite. I don't think that it's that their DT's were good enough to plug up the middle, but they kept their DE's inside and their DE's were good enough to stay in to stop the dive option and still have the speed to recover outside. Clemson's DT's alone weren't what was stopping the inside option.

My opinion --> Clemson played very good D against us with the athletes to stop us.

My opinion --> Miami we could have had for big numbers if not for missed blocking assignments.

The reason the Miami game upsets me more than the Clemson game (despite the fact we lost), was that it was there against Miami if we hit our blocks. In my opinion it was not there against Clemson, blocks or no blocks.

 

[Ish]

I think the opposite is true. It's the lack of blocking inside thats killing us. Teams are using their 2 tackels to stop the dive. That means 2 guys are accounting for the BB, center, and both guards. The defensive ends aren't having to help. That means the ends can run up field making Nesbitt pitch early. The ends account for Nesbitt, but the blockers haven't had enough time to close the gap with their assignments. The defenders know if it is a pitch earlier than they should. They are better able to shed blocks.

The midline has been working because the ends aren't supporting on the dive, so when Nesbitt goes back inside he can get some yards.

Yeah, I gotta agree with WracerX here. Getting killed on the outside is a symptom, not the problem. We're getting demolished between the tackles by 2 or 3 defensive players.

 

[Nashville Jacket]

Nesbitt must become a legitimate throwing threat to force the opposition into backing off the line of scrimmage.

 

[Jorge]

I agree we missed a ton of blocks, but don't underestimate the quickness of the Miami players. They were just quicker and had clearly practiced shedding the blocks. That's one reasons Allen was often diving on the ground while his assignment had already beaten him.

 

[gt02]

I agree we missed a ton of blocks, but don't underestimate the quickness of the Miami players. They were just quicker and had clearly practiced shedding the blocks. That's one reasons Allen was often diving on the ground while his assignment had already beaten him.

There is no reason a defensive end should be quicker than our starting A back.

 

[unforgiven108]

I agree we missed a ton of blocks, but don't underestimate the quickness of the Miami players. They were just quicker and had clearly practiced shedding the blocks. That's one reasons Allen was often diving on the ground while his assignment had already beaten him.

It appeared to me in both the Clemson game and the Miami game, that the defenders are staying back to avoid getting cut. But it seems that our guys are still attempting to dive at them even though they are basically standing still.

Maybe our blocking schemes should be changed to have our guy just run at them until they start moving and if they don't move then just plow em over with a normal block.

 

[KrazieJacket]

This isn't what I saw last night. When Nesbitt made the correct reads on the midline it was open for 4~5 plus every time. That does not scream DT's stopping anything inside. And on the same side of the coin I don't recall seeing a lot of Miami's DE's outside when we did the pitch/veer but I did see Allen miss the hell out of the one guy he had to get to spring the play for 5+. Same with Peeples.

Clemson, is closer to what you are saying but not quite. I don't think that it's that their DT's were good enough to plug up the middle, but they kept their DE's inside and their DE's were good enough to stay in to stop the dive option and still have the speed to recover outside. Clemson's DT's alone weren't what was stopping the inside option.

My opinion --> Clemson played very good D against us with the athletes to stop us.

My opinion --> Miami we could have had for big numbers if not for missed blocking assignments.

The reason the Miami game upsets me more than the Clemson game (despite the fact we lost), was that it was there against Miami if we hit our blocks. In my opinion it was not there against Clemson, blocks or no blocks.

I agree with this. Watching it live... it looked embarassing watching a guy throwing his body at the feet of where a Miami defender might be in a second or two, then watching the Miami defender run around a guy on the ground and tackle a runner for a loss. Or having 2 players WR and A back watching a lb and db make a tackle while looking around wondering which one was their block.

 

[WracerX]

This isn't what I saw last night. When Nesbitt made the correct reads on the midline it was open for 4~5 plus every time. That does not scream DT's stopping anything inside. And on the same side of the coin I don't recall seeing a lot of Miami's DE's outside when we did the pitch/veer but I did see Allen miss the hell out of the one guy he had to get to spring the play for 5+. Same with Peeples.

The midline keeper was working because the DTs were stopping the dive and everyone except the saftey was going outside. So when Nesbitt keeps the ball and follows Dwyer he's got 3-4 yards before he meets the safety. When Cox was running the dive, he was getting more yards than Dwyer because even the DTs weren't expecting him to get the ball.

But I am no football expert, especially when it comes to the option.

 

[cyclejacket]

I agree we missed a ton of blocks, but don't underestimate the quickness of the Miami players. They were just quicker and had clearly practiced shedding the blocks. That's one reasons Allen was often diving on the ground while his assignment had already beaten him.

I assume the starting A-Backs are there because they are blocking in practice. All I can derive from this is that our players are much easier to block.

 

[LongforDodd]

I agree with this. Watching it live... it looked embarassing watching a guy throwing his body at the feet of where a Miami defender might be in a second or two, then watching the Miami defender run around a guy on the ground and tackle a runner for a loss. ..../QUOTE]

When that cut-block genius Alex Gibbs was with the Falcons a few years back, time and time again the Falcons O-line would do the Alex Gibbs Flop, similar to what you saw last night, and (just like last night) the defenders just pushed the linemens' faces into the ground and stepped aside to make a tackle. Cut blocking is a tremendous waste of energy.