re: Patrick Peterson: Using "Same Game Plan" Against Bama Was "Crazy"

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Patrick Peterson: Using "Same Game Plan" Against Bama Was "Crazy" quote: What do you suggest they should have done that would have WORKED against that defense? They were a step ahead of everyone all season, LSU included. That was a defense loaded with experienced players backed by the best defensive coach in football. No one is going to move the ball and score a lot of points against a defense like that one. The 3-4 can be attacked through the air by throwing over the two inside linebackers & in front of the two deep safeties. Those throws were there but Jefferson failed to plant his back foot at the end of drops & throw the ball with anticipation of the receivers breaking open. This has never been a strength of Jefferson. With Bama running the 3-4 as they do, there were a lot of similarities with Tide's front seven as compared to the 49ers front seven. Both defenses have athletic big guys upfront at NT & at the DE's positions. They also both have athletic thumpers at the inside linebacker positions. That much talent in a front seven just makes it hard to consistently try to pound away at them. The thing is though offenses can pass the ball on those types of defenses. Even though the Saints lost to the 49ers, Drew Brees was able to have really good success attacking the 49ers in that area over the linebackers & on top of the safeties. Could have Lee have maybe exploited that area of the field against Bama? Maybe so, maybe not. One thing Bama did was dare Jefferson to throw the ball into that area & Jefferson failed to take advantage of this. Bama's two inside linebackers weren't even getting depth against the pass instead the stayed put at the snap of the ball. Once Jefferson failed to throw the ball on time, both linebackers simply abandoned playing the pass & went after him. It wasn't until late in the game, once Bama smelled blood, that they began blitzing from different areas. The linebackers were playing run first all the way. Add in a few blown blocking assignments by Hurst & Blackwell & this is why it seemed like Bama was just swarming all over the field. With Bama linebackers not playing the pass & their corners playing press man to man, those quick passes out the wide receivers & swing passes to the running backs weren't going to work either. Now if Lee would have entered the game, I really doubt that Saban & Smart would have stuck with that game plan. They would started blitzing those two inside linebackers at the snap of the ball & would have not continued to have them "spying" Lee as they did Jefferson. This would have opened up slants & curls over the middle for the receivers but it would have also required Lee to make throws quickly & accurately with pressure in his face. Past history shows Lee struggles when having to deal with this type of blitzing pressure. This is why I was disappointed in not getting Mett more playing time earlier in the season during all those blowout games. With Jefferson's suspension, Mett was only one play away from being the starter in the first 8 games if Lee would have gotten injured. Mett should have been getting live game reps just in case of that scenerio. Those reps could have seasoned him & helped him build his confidence if indeed he would have had to have been called upon to start. Truth is, neither Jefferson nor Lee were the type of quarterbacks needed to expose Alabama's defense. If there could have been some completed passes over the middle, to make their inside linebackers have to begin to have to get depth against the pass, then that would have opened up things for the running game. At the same time, we also needed someone who would be able to throw downfield in the teeth of a blitz. #9 & #12 weren't going to be those guys to pull that off. #8 should have been prepped more earlier in the season because I believe he may have been able to exploit the middle of the field & put points on the board through the air. If OBJ & Randle had someone to pull the trigger & get them the ball, they could have had a field day over the middle against Bama. That in return could have set up double moves & possible big plays deep downfield. This is why I laughed at the people who laughed at Mike Gundy when he said his offense could have put up points against Bama. Anybody with X's & O's knowledge would know that Gundy was correct. He had the type of quarterback to do so along with a big time receiving threat & really good tight end as well. Could the Cowboys have beaten Bama? I seriously doubt that. They aren't built upfront defensively to handle Alabama which would have caused the to get run all over but they could have moved the ball offensively & points on the board. With all that said, what's done is done. None of this complaining or over analyzing of that will change anything. Tomorrow, next month & next year, the outcome of the game will still be the same. It's time to move on & begin to look at the promising upcoming season instead of continuing to harp on the disappointment of this past NCG. I'm optimistic Miles has learned from his mistakes of this season & will continue to improve moving forward. Even with his mistakes this season & in the NCG, the team still finished
13-1. That in itself cannot be frowned upon.

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