Throwing the ball on 1st Down

Protection and field position

quote:

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We couldn't protect Burrow in the Florida game.

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and the RPO slowed down edge rushers where TE's couldn't.

Both are true.
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1st Downs: 5 for 14 (36%),[50 ydr to Jefferswag]
2nd Downs: 8 for 11 (73%)
3rd Downs: 5 for 9 (56%)

#'s above include sacks (which don't go as attempts) and an attempt called back due to penalty to show where we are trying to pass, and when it's working.

2nd downs are money. We seem to try longer passes on 1st down, hit one every now and then. I'd rather see that reversed- shorter passes on 1st, leaves 2nd down wide open for run, short pass, long pass. But I would say that 1st down passing, even though not efficient, loosened up the run game. Specifically the RPO run game.

quote:

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One thing that really helped us keep throwing the ball on first down was how effective we were running on second down. We were consistently able to get into 3rd and 5 or less pretty much the whole second half.

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And note, by my count (which may be wrong), we threw on 3 each 3rd-shorts. That is also a break in tendencies. I remember 2 distinctly and they were high% throws to WRs; 1 to Dillon in the flat.

If you are going to break tendencies, and throw on 3rd-short, that's how you do it... until they counter it.