PJ Anectdote: The importance of blocking

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vrjacket

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I wore my GT polo to work today and a guy commented on it, asking if I was a GT man. Being in Richmond, Virginia, a seeming haven of Hokies, I expected him to be a VPI&SU guy, but turns out he was a Navy man. He said he loved PJ and thought he was a darn genius.

He also said a good friend of his (another Navy guy) was friends with PJ and had gone to lunch with him.

His friend said PJ was a hoot and they talked about football for a couple of hours. What was interesting is that PJ apparently often spends the entire half-time break talking to the OL about blocking schemes. I'm not sure how accurate this is as I've never been in the lockerroom, but it seems somewhat believable. He mentioned the fact that schemes change mid-game, which of course we all know now, many months after the UGA game which was a prime example of this.

(Anyone notice this mid-game? If so, I'm very impressed.)

Focusing on blocking makes sense, if you block correctly, you could be optioning off one guy and all you need is a running back who can make a play. Obviously, Dwyer, and to a lesser the other back especially Josh and Roddy, created a lot on their own last year, but it will be interesting to see what happens with better blocking by both the OL and the A's.

Thoughts?
 
I'm pretty sure that in one of the weekly radio shows, CPJ said that fans should try not to just follow the ball but watch the blocking schemes because there is where the real battle is going on.

Also, check out this guy's blog. Huge Navy fan and a fan of CPJ. He's been mentioned and linked to from StingTalk a few times because of his knowledge about CPJ's offense.

http://thebirddog.wordpress.com/

One of his blog posts pretty much dissects last year's GT vs. U(sic)GA game and explains some of the adjustments CPJ made after halftime.
 
vrjacket said:
His friend said PJ was a hoot and they talked about football for a couple of hours. What was interesting is that PJ apparently often spends the entire half-time break talking to the OL about blocking schemes. I'm not sure how accurate this is as I've never been in the lockerroom, but it seems somewhat believable. He mentioned the fact that schemes change mid-game, which of course we all know now, many months after the UGA game which was a prime example of this.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's true. My buddy was in the locker room at halftime during the UGA game, and he mentioned to me that CPJ spent most of the time talking to the OL and then addressed the team with his now famous we're-going-to-score-on-the-first-drive speech.
 
vrjacket said:
I wore my GT polo to work today and a guy commented on it, asking if I was a GT man. Being in Richmond, Virginia, a seeming haven of Hokies, I expected him to be a VPI&SU guy, but turns out he was a Navy man. He said he loved PJ and thought he was a darn genius.

He also said a good friend of his (another Navy guy) was friends with PJ and had gone to lunch with him.

His friend said PJ was a hoot and they talked about football for a couple of hours. What was interesting is that PJ apparently often spends the entire half-time break talking to the OL about blocking schemes. I'm not sure how accurate this is as I've never been in the lockerroom, but it seems somewhat believable. He mentioned the fact that schemes change mid-game, which of course we all know now, many months after the UGA game which was a prime example of this.

(Anyone notice this mid-game? If so, I'm very impressed.)

Focusing on blocking makes sense, if you block correctly, you could be optioning off one guy and all you need is a running back who can make a play. Obviously, Dwyer, and to a lesser the other back especially Josh and Roddy, created a lot on their own last year, but it will be interesting to see what happens with better blocking by both the OL and the A's.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Having a good Offensive line Coach is very important! You can't do jack running the ball if they can't block.
 
I think the learning curve is a lot better this year and the halftime adjustments will make more sense to the OL and will produce better results.
 
unforgiven108 said:
Great read.

http://thebirddog.wordpress.com/200...e-futility-of-defending-against-the-wishbone/
Click to expand...

This might be the best part (from the breakdown of the 45-42 game):

"...The other thing Johnson achieved from the twins formation was a bit of sleight of hand. The cornerback followed the WR to the other side of the field to cover him. But the inside receiver in the formation was ineligible! Both receivers are on the line of scrimmage; only the one on the outside is eligible. The defense had a CB covering someone who wasn’t even allowed to catch a forward pass. In essence, the formation took a defender out of the play without even having to block him. Martinez never adjusted."
 
alpha said:
I'm pretty sure that in one of the weekly radio shows, CPJ said that fans should try not to just follow the ball but watch the blocking schemes because there is where the real battle is going on.
Click to expand...

Once when I was listening last year a caller asked specifically if fans should watch the play away from the ball like that. PJ sounded kind of bewildered by the question, saying "I dunno.....I thought most people went to games to watch the ball....."
 
cajunjacket said:
I like how he ended it talking about the fake pitch. If Nesbitt can learn the fake pitch, it's going to be a HUGE year for him.
Click to expand...

I think part of the not doing the fake pitch is that he was hurt most of the year. That probably ate at his confidence that he could get more yards than the pitch man.
 
unforgiven108 said:
I think part of the not doing the fake pitch is that he was hurt most of the year. That probably ate at his confidence that he could get more yards than the pitch man.
Click to expand...

Good point. I never thought of that. Gosh ... football can't get here any sooner!!
 
I am confident that many of you realize that CPJ uses the Paredo Principle (80/20 rule) in play calling. 20% of the plays in the playbook are run 80% of the time.

Then again, if you do not stop a certain play, he will run it over and over until your nose bleeds. If you do adjust to stop it, he already knows what you must do to defend the play and is already prepared for the next sequence of offensive plays to run.

CPJ will run a specific play, then he may give you the same play, but out of a different formation. He is looking to see how the defense adjusts to this new formation. The adjustment will dictate the formation to use when calling future plays, what different plays to run from the same formation, or the QB's will know what play to "check" to based upon your adjustment.

Someone earlier used the previous example where CPJ moved a WR to the opposite side of the field (in a slot), but he was an ineligible receiver. The UGA cornerback came across in coverage. Well ... the UGA defense had no other option but to bring the defender across the field.

If not, the backside slotback could step up on the LOS, the slot could step back ..... now he became an eligible receiver in less than 1 second ..... now let's run the play.

Then again, if the defense does not bring the defender across, CPJ has a blocking advantage on the strong side. Either way, he will win the #'s game on the strong side or weak side. This is the game that the great PJ plays.

As for blocking schemes .....

The defenses are always looking for "keys" on how to identify certain plays as quickly as possible. The easiest way is to key on offensive player's "release" from the LOS. Most keys (in my opinion), are given by the release of the Tackles and A-Backs.

The option offense is designed to number players 1, 2, and 3. 1 should have dive, 2 should have QB, and 3 should have pitch. If 1 does not take the dive, give the ball (the OL must block all others, unlike the LSU game). If 1 takes the dive and 2 takes the pitch, the QB keeps the ball. If 1 takes the dive, and 2 takes the QB, pitch the ball. Do the math ..... if everyone executes their assignment, one of the three will be unassigned for and we have ourselves 7 points.

If we run a double option (Keep or Pitch), the same process applies. The only difference is that #1 is blocked, so we are only dealing with #2 and #3.

I apologize for the long post ..........
 
I am confident that many of you realize that CPJ uses the Paredo Principle (80/20 rule) in play calling. 20% of the plays in the playbook are run 80% of the time.

Then again, if you do not stop a certain play, he will run it over and over until your nose bleeds. If you do adjust to stop it, he already knows what you must do to defend the play and is already prepared for the next sequence of offensive plays to run.

CPJ will run a specific play, then he may give you the same play, but out of a different formation. He is looking to see how the defense adjusts to this new formation. The adjustment will dictate the formation to use when calling future plays, what different plays to run from the same formation, or the QB's will know what play to "check" to based upon your adjustment.

Someone earlier used the previous example where CPJ moved a WR to the opposite side of the field (in a slot), but he was an ineligible receiver. The UGA cornerback came across in coverage. Well ... the UGA defense had no other option but to bring the defender across the field.

If not, the backside slotback could step up on the LOS, the slot could step back ..... now he became an eligible receiver in less than 1 second ..... now let's run the play.

Then again, if the defense does not bring the defender across, CPJ has a blocking advantage on the strong side. Either way, he will win the #'s game on the strong side or weak side. This is the game that the great PJ plays.

As for blocking schemes .....

The defenses are always looking for "keys" on how to identify certain plays as quickly as possible. The easiest way is to key on offensive player's "release" from the LOS. Most keys (in my opinion), are given by the release of the Tackles and A-Backs.

The option offense is designed to number players 1, 2, and 3. 1 should have dive, 2 should have QB, and 3 should have pitch. If 1 does not take the dive, give the ball (the OL must block all others, unlike the LSU game). If 1 takes the dive and 2 takes the pitch, the QB keeps the ball. If 1 takes the dive, and 2 takes the QB, pitch the ball. Do the math ..... if everyone executes their assignment, one of the three will be unassigned for and we have ourselves 7 points.

If we run a double option (Keep or Pitch), the same process applies. The only difference is that #1 is blocked, so we are only dealing with #2 and #3.

I apologize for the long post ..........
 
Maybe you guys should go easy on this stuff. Our opponents might start reading StingTalk.
 
I will be interested to watch O-line play this year. In all honesty, the linemen's transition to the offense was much harder than for the backs and receivers, IMO. I believe CPJ would like to run the offense with wide splits. Spreading out the D-line gives more room for the inside option and the QB keeper to work.

Last year, I thought he had to adjust and bring the line in because good D-lines were shooting the gaps and hitting the QB early or the B-back as soon as he got the ball. But, that is a really hard block to make - wide splits, stay low, have extremely quick feet to at least brush block the gap lineman so he doesn't mess up the play in the backfield. You don't have to lock up on this kind of block, but you have to get there very quick. If the line has improved in this area, the option will be much tougher to defend this time around.
 
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