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Message
Simple adjustments to help a struggling offense
Posted on 9/15/21 at 11:50 pm
Posted on 9/15/21 at 11:50 pm
This is about as far from rocket science as it gets. Most of this list has been proposed here before because they are all concepts that work and should fit our personnel very well. Many would also specifically counteract or help with some our offensive deficiencies.
1. Throw more WR screens and to the backs
This has been said by many here, and there’s good reason for it. We at least saw some of the latter last weekend and so far, Williams looks pretty comfortable catching it out of the backfield. We just need a lot more of it. You have to do whatever you can to punish the other team for blitzing. Right now, that means getting our backs loose in the open field and fixing the screen game and going to it often.
2. Move the pocket
Max isn’t a burner, but he has enough speed to execute a rollout and and make the defense pay if they overcommit. This may seem counterintuitive with the O Line struggles, but moving the pocket is a pretty standard way to help them out. It can also wear on the defense if you can sustain drives.
3. Where is the RPO?
I think we ran 1 RPO play with Max last week, and that was the only one I can remember this season. I know the O Line is struggling right now, but adding RPO plays can get the defense on its heels and guessing what you are doing. The best way to counteract an aggressive defense and help your offense is to be less predictable and make them think, rather than anticipate what you are doing.
4. Run outside more
We saw a few runs outside the tackles Saturday, and predictably, they were some of the more successful runs of the night. This needs to become a staple of the offense and implemented in a number of ways. Dont be proud. Don’t just handoff to the backs. Run jet sweeps. Throw in one zone read per game when the DEs start crashing inside. Whatever it takes to generate more consistency in the run game.
5. For the love of God, can we please use some tempo?
This is the biggest key. Whether this is due to Max being a little overwhelmed running the full offense, Peetz not being used to calling the game, or a combo of the two, this absolutely has to change, whatever that takes. If you want to fix the run game and control the pace, then you have to find an edge somewhere. If you can keep a set of defensive players on the field an execute a tempo offense, it will wear them the frick down. Use tempo and mix up the calls and the run game will start to work better as fatigue takes hold.
The offensive execution isn’t there in multiple areas and the O Line has a ceiling of average at best, when healthy. That’s going to limit some of what Peetz can do. However, it’s also his job to find ways to balance the scales. I have to say that I’m very surprised that he hasn’t already done more of all the above to offset some of our weaknesses. These are simple things, but they work. It’s very disappointing that many here and thoughout the fanbase see and understand this, but it isn’t happening on the field. For frick’s sake, O doesn’t know shite about offense and even he’s saying we should be running more tempo. Is Peetz ever going to make some of these adjustments?
1. Throw more WR screens and to the backs
This has been said by many here, and there’s good reason for it. We at least saw some of the latter last weekend and so far, Williams looks pretty comfortable catching it out of the backfield. We just need a lot more of it. You have to do whatever you can to punish the other team for blitzing. Right now, that means getting our backs loose in the open field and fixing the screen game and going to it often.
2. Move the pocket
Max isn’t a burner, but he has enough speed to execute a rollout and and make the defense pay if they overcommit. This may seem counterintuitive with the O Line struggles, but moving the pocket is a pretty standard way to help them out. It can also wear on the defense if you can sustain drives.
3. Where is the RPO?
I think we ran 1 RPO play with Max last week, and that was the only one I can remember this season. I know the O Line is struggling right now, but adding RPO plays can get the defense on its heels and guessing what you are doing. The best way to counteract an aggressive defense and help your offense is to be less predictable and make them think, rather than anticipate what you are doing.
4. Run outside more
We saw a few runs outside the tackles Saturday, and predictably, they were some of the more successful runs of the night. This needs to become a staple of the offense and implemented in a number of ways. Dont be proud. Don’t just handoff to the backs. Run jet sweeps. Throw in one zone read per game when the DEs start crashing inside. Whatever it takes to generate more consistency in the run game.
5. For the love of God, can we please use some tempo?
This is the biggest key. Whether this is due to Max being a little overwhelmed running the full offense, Peetz not being used to calling the game, or a combo of the two, this absolutely has to change, whatever that takes. If you want to fix the run game and control the pace, then you have to find an edge somewhere. If you can keep a set of defensive players on the field an execute a tempo offense, it will wear them the frick down. Use tempo and mix up the calls and the run game will start to work better as fatigue takes hold.
The offensive execution isn’t there in multiple areas and the O Line has a ceiling of average at best, when healthy. That’s going to limit some of what Peetz can do. However, it’s also his job to find ways to balance the scales. I have to say that I’m very surprised that he hasn’t already done more of all the above to offset some of our weaknesses. These are simple things, but they work. It’s very disappointing that many here and thoughout the fanbase see and understand this, but it isn’t happening on the field. For frick’s sake, O doesn’t know shite about offense and even he’s saying we should be running more tempo. Is Peetz ever going to make some of these adjustments?
This post was edited on 9/15/21 at 11:52 pm
13
Posted on 9/16/21 at 12:03 am to misey94
6. Max needs to prove he can push the ball downfield
You don’t need an all-world OL to take a 3-step drop and let our 5* WRs run under the ball. His game consists of a crossing route at the moment, and teams will eventually take that away if he can’t keep them honest.
He also needs to stop running for the sideline when he escapes the pocket and find the field. He’s not going to outrun a DB to the boundary, he needs to find open grass and slide. Burrow made defenses pay in the middle of the field when they didn’t respect his legs.
Lastly, find Bech more.
You don’t need an all-world OL to take a 3-step drop and let our 5* WRs run under the ball. His game consists of a crossing route at the moment, and teams will eventually take that away if he can’t keep them honest.
He also needs to stop running for the sideline when he escapes the pocket and find the field. He’s not going to outrun a DB to the boundary, he needs to find open grass and slide. Burrow made defenses pay in the middle of the field when they didn’t respect his legs.
Lastly, find Bech more.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 12:08 am to NFLSU
quote:
Max needs to prove he can push the ball downfield
This is true, but it’s an issue right now with the O Line and creating time for longer routes to develop. But some of what I listed above could help with that.
Definitely agree on the scrambling.
Bech has proven he can be trusted to get open, catch the ball and make good plays. I’m betting he’s going to take a bigger role in the coming weeks.
This post was edited on 9/16/21 at 12:09 am
Posted on 9/16/21 at 12:12 am to misey94
A go-route or a deep post is going to take less time for the OL to block than the deep crossing routes Max has been hitting on.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 12:18 am to NFLSU
quote:
A go-route or a deep post is going to take less time for the OL to block than the deep crossing routes Max has been hitting on.
I get what you are saying. The other part of the problem with Max is that he tends to hold the ball a second or two too long on those deep throws, which just highlights his average arm strength. If he can get past the indecision and throw the deep ball right off the snap, then yeah, he could beat whatever rush is coming. But when is he going to do that?
We saw Nuss do this exact thing as soon as he got on the field Saturday. He barely set himself on one deep throw and put it in a pretty good spot. No hesitation. For all his inexperience, he has that aggressive mindset that works in the offense. I wonder if Max will ever get there.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 12:27 am to NFLSU
quote:
A go-route or a deep post is going to take less time for the OL to block than the deep crossing routes Max has been hitting on.
Max is still going to have read the safeties & possibly even have to look one off in the opposite direction especially on a deep post. It sounds good in theory but that's not as a quick developing play/route you are making it out to be.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 12:53 am to BigBrod81
Agreed, you look off safeties in your drop and let the motherfricker fly. In Max’s case, he tends to drift back in the pocket because he holds onto the ball too long. He’s waiting for the WR to get open instead of throwing him open.
A few examples you might remember that required little to no magic from the OL :
A few examples you might remember that required little to no magic from the OL :
Posted on 9/16/21 at 1:07 am to misey94
quote:
Where is the RPO?
There is no R.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 6:18 am to JWill409
quote:
There is no R.
My point is that, with a little more creativity, there can be. They just have to be willing to get outside the box and use RPO, tempo and a few wrinkles to make it work.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 6:22 am to NFLSU
Burrow was a 5th year Sr. Max is a soph on his 4th start.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 6:32 am to fightntiger32
quote:
Burrow was a 5th year Sr. Max is a soph on his 4th start
Joe had less starting experience and far less time in the program than Max at the beginning of 2018 and he was still more aggressive when given the opportunity. Max can get better and more confident, but some guys just have that gene.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 10:04 am to misey94
Max can run and he can move in the pocket well and then throw but honestly he doesn’t throw that well on the run. That’s probably why you haven’t seen more roll outs
Posted on 9/16/21 at 10:08 am to misey94
You have to be able to throw deep for all of that to work. Short routes, screens, outside runs all get swallowed and strung out if the defense just sits
Posted on 9/16/21 at 10:23 am to misey94
quote:
3. Where is the RPO?
Nonexistent.
Every time UCLA showed blitz and backed off, TDP should have ripped off 5. If not, put Kiner in. If he sucks, put Goodwin in.
I refuse to believe our O line is too bad to work around.
With RPO, the line should be basically run blocking every play while trying not to get called for illegal man downfield. 2019 line were pros at this.
This year it looks like we're standing up pass blocking every play or looking around confused.
And every time UCLA showed blitz and came, Max should have pulled it and Kole Taylor be waiting on a 10 yard hitch. Instead of waiting for TDP to get into the flat.
All we did was run into a blitz or let the pocket collapse on Max while he sat back there guessing.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 10:32 am to fightntiger32
quote:
Burrow was a 5th year Sr. Max is a soph on his 4th start.
Sounds like a good reason to cater the system to him then! That's kind of the whole point of the OP. If we just implement screens, rollouts, and zone-read RPO it would do wonders for the offense. If the zone read aspect is too much for Max I'd even be happy with normal RPO. This kind of offense just fits Max much more and asks him to do less while also making things easier for the o-line and running backs. It's not the offense I'd want to be running if we had to play UGA because it limits options, but we're clearly not anywhere near an SEC contender this year and it will definitely work against the Kentuckys of the world.
Deep ball stuff I don't think I agree with. Maybe if we go with Nuss that makes sense because Nuss appeared fearless and I'm at least willing to see if Boutte is going to be more Jarvis Landry or more a Chase, but the reason why Burrow-Chase worked so well is because Chase was the #1 WR picked in a stacked WR class and Burrow had the confidence in himself and Chase to just throw the ball. If you go back and look at the tape, you'll notice that on basically all of those plays Burrow saw presnap that Chase was 1 on 1. From there it's just a matter of looking the safeties over to the other side of the field and then quickly looking towards Chase to see if it should be backshoulder or not (he actually screwed this up in that Texas gif, that should have been a normal throw for a TD). This only works because Chase never loses a jump ball and rarely gets beat 1 on 1, and of course you need a QB that is willing to throw it deep to someone "covered". I know it sounds simple with the way I explained it, but it isn't. There's a reason why this kind of play is the bread and butter of NFL offenses but is basically unseen in college.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 11:08 am to misey94
I understand your comment about RPO, but it’s too advanced for our team right now (saying it nicely). The RPO will take away time in the pocket which we don’t have to give up. Adding a decision making point to our young QB against a talented D will also lead to more problems.
Am I against play action? No. But our run game is nonexistent. We need more runs to the outside, out of the gun with our wrs/tes blocking.
Am I against play action? No. But our run game is nonexistent. We need more runs to the outside, out of the gun with our wrs/tes blocking.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 11:10 am to TigerDawg1212
quote:agreed.
Sounds like a good reason to cater the system to him then! That's kind of the whole point of the OP. If we just implement screens, rollouts, and zone-read RPO it would do wonders for the offense.
quote:disagree. Look at the gif's above.
but the reason why Burrow-Chase worked so well is because Chase was the #1 WR picked in a stacked WR class and Burrow had the confidence in himself and Chase to just throw the ball.
1. Where is S at start of play
2. Where is Burrow's eyes up to he finishes his drop
3. When Burrow plants- where is S and what is Chase doing.
Yes- the talent/skill of Burrow and Chase was an essential component of those plays. But all 3 of those plays probably didn't start as a planned deep ball to Chase. The first thing Burrow did was find the DEs and their leverage and where the S was. Here's the key: so did Chase.
When that safety froze (or didn't bail hard enough to get close to Chase's route) during, not after- but during, his drop back Burrow knew exactly where he was going. Here's the key: so did Chase. They read the same things; no one on the sideline told them to do it. The knew from practice to do that.
That's first and foremost a read followed by proper execution of the QB and his eyes and a WR and his route, backed up by talent/skills. Done right, a less talented WR and QB can do the same.
I also want to point out Deculus, especially in the first gif. People who want to say he can't move fast enough- that's textbook recovery from a speed rush. It irks me that people here see the OT getting pushed upfield by a DE and think it is "bad". That DE never quite got the corner, Deculus "held him right"- i.e. in a way that won't be called, and my point being he stayed between the DE and Burrow until the DE was past Burrow. That's a great win for Deculus- NOT a bad block. Why is it a win? Because he did stay between DE-QB but by doing that and riding him upfield it both opened up a passing lane (guess what, if that S had gotten over Burrow may have needed that outlet and lane) AND it opened up a running lane just in case Burrow had to pull it down.
As a OLman, OL coach, and QB you love it when an OT can ride a DE behind you like that. It is the exact opposite of a fail.
This post was edited on 9/16/21 at 11:11 am
Posted on 9/16/21 at 11:33 am to NFLSU
quote:
Agreed, you look off safeties in your drop and let the motherfricker fly.
The first gif to Chase against Florida has a single high safety who bites up to pick up CEH in the seam. The other two gifs have no safety help over the top. Basically all three gifs show press man coverage on the outside. The first play by design moves the safety due to the route combination by Chase & CEH. It was real easy for Burrow on these throws to make the decision to throw to the receivers on the outside against press man. It's a different story if the coverage is cover 2 or cover 3. Your proposition only works against cover 0.
This post was edited on 9/16/21 at 11:42 am
Posted on 9/16/21 at 1:18 pm to misey94
Until this OLine thing is figured out Peetz (if he has a brain) will have to adjust the play calling to quicker developing plays like quick slants, screens, dump offs etc. Another option is a middle screen to the rb once the blitz comes in.
Posted on 9/16/21 at 1:20 pm to misey94
Move the pocket equals only having to defend 1/2 of the field
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