247 Article about how Shea could improve the offense
The bar is pretty freaking low. If he can actually be a part of the offense that helps us win games it will be a game changer.
Hmm who has been saying Gentry is going to have a major year?
GREEN MAN!!!
Hey, no sexy bits!!!
I appreciate some of the deep diving this article does. I question some of its applicability, because it doesn't seem to account for talent (ie, Shea's success to the right side, under 10 yards, how much of that is due to whom he's throwing to) or offenses, which are widely different. At least, it seems, he can make throws to physical locations listed, so that's good.
This stat caught my attention:
Michigan's playaction pass usage dramatically dropped last season after Wilton Speight went down against Purdue. Averaging the output of John O'Korn and Brandon Peters, it comes out to somewhere around 26% of the team's passing snaps overall. The numbers for each quarterback were varying but none had much success.
This seems strange to me, because after Speight went down Michigan started to run the ball more effectively as they transitioned back to gap blocking.
Speight had the best grasp of the offense, of course, but PA isn't supposed to be complicated--it's something that can help QBs that are having trouble with more complex reads. It would seem to make sense to include more of it, not less.
So that leads me to consider possibilities why such a reduction in PA attempts would occur:
- The OL plain couldn't block PA plays effectively and the QBs risked getting killed (remember John Navarre getting destroyed at MSU on that one PA call?)
- The switch to gap blocking, done midseason, did not allow for a corresponding installation of play-action calls that used Michigan's new running action. If you show gap when you run and zone when you do play-action, that's a pretty obvious tip. Thus, the plays aren't as effective.
- O'Korn and Peters, or perhaps the receivers, weren't making good reads and the plays were guaranteed disasters.
- The offensive staff forgot about play-action and didn't realize they were doing this.
Given that O'Korn and Peters had trouble with reads anyway, and that the OL had blocking problems anyway (some of which could be deal with by rollouts), and given that Michigan's offense became more run-heavy as the season went on, I strongly favor option 2.
It's weird regardless, but option 2 both fits the facts on the ground and helps answer those who question why the offensive plays don't seem to "fit together." It also seems true, or at least I recall learning, that zone blocking does a good job setting up play-action with relatively conventional pass blocking, one of the potential motives to install it in the first place. Moving away from it may have hamstrung the play-action game last year.
You can do really tricky stuff like pull guards on PA using gap blocking schemes, but those take work to install and the shuffling can make pass blocking more complicated. So option 2 makes lots of sense to me. And suggests that next year, with just one scheme all season, things will be better.
Didn't we run play action on like 4th and 20 one time? I don't think 4 was the issue. And like you said, PA should simplify the reads for the QBs. I think OL blocking was probably the biggest issue in that regard. Shea and Ed Warriner are, without a doubt, the 2 biggest keys to a successful season.
PA on passing downs gets attention when it doesn't work, but this isn't unusual for Harbaugh. That night game at Minnesota, for example, was won by a Speight TD on a PA call on a clear passing down. The play fit the criteria the coaches wanted (presumably, route combo, read, depth of routes, etc) and the coaches called it. People wouldn't have the same kind of reaction if it was a straight drop-back with exactly the same action by the receivers, but because there was that fake hand-off, fans tend to focus on it.
That said, I do find the reduction in PA calls interesting in part for that reason: the coaches are willing to call PA even in situations where the run fake isn't likely to have much effect.
1) If under center, the QB will lose, for a substantial amount of time eyes on the defense. Most PAP routes would require the QB to then find the safeties and make their reads based on that, but it's possible O'Korn and Peters weren't very good at this. Recalling the bowl game, Peters had some curls that he hit for 8-10 yards off play action that he seemed most comfortable running, but those aren't prototypical down the field reads. The QBs may also have struggled with pocket presence off play action protection.
2) If the protection is done to actually influence the LBs and safeties to read run, the protection is just not as good as straight dropback. There's a reason all teams kick-slide or vertical set their OL on dropback pass pro--it's just better protection.
I'm guessing PA is usually run with only 2 recievers out in route, with one possible extra pass down option if they aren't open. With just 2 recievers, hopefully their is only 1 safety to read, as the other would hopefully be sucked down into run coverage.
but I've seen 2 quite a bit. Occasionally 4 if one of the blocking backs has nothing to do and slips out
Wangler to Carter vs Indiana was off Play Action because Bo didn't have a straight dropback pass in the offense.
Sometimes the route tree the coach wants is only installed in a PAP scheme. (And not a pap smear, which isn't a funny joke but I'm cutting off the snark at the pass. No pun intended. Oh forget it.)
I would say if he can beat last years 9 TD passes we'd be in good shape....like if he could avrage 2TDs a game I don't see how we lose with our D.
Excellent insights relying on data. This would hold up well during the season, and it is pure ambrosia in the dull days of the off season.
And hit receivers.
And have said receivers catch the ball while in bounds.
And, not drop the ball or fumble.
Then maybe, maybe we'll have a decent offense.
Replay officials notice that the receiver actually touched his first foot down in the end zone.
Thanks for taking me back to that Wisconsin game.
goddamnit...
I remember a few of those dropped passes but geez. Does anyone have some insight as to whether or not our new wide receivers coach(es) are certain to fix this? I suspect that with more experience the drops become completions.
Well, all of the receivers were really young, and our best receiver was hurt most of the year. Crawford, the worst culprit, will play less of a role this season. So the question to be asked is, will DPJ catch more of the passes thrown his way?
I think the answer is yes. Coaching? Sure, but just plain experience and reps also.
Black had an outright drop. I think he batted it down trying to run before he grabbed it. I have to imagine the freshem to sophmore leap for recievers will be big. Crawford doesn't seem to be the answer, and I don't think he will have a late resergence in his career. Should have kept his name as Dylan (as a fellow Dylan, I think this was his biggest mistake).
Last year with a young recieving group. They were coached by a grad assistant. This season getting coached by a former head coach. He talked about every practice having them learn how to get better releases something that they struggled with. They def have a couple of homerun hitters with DPJ and Black. this offense can be explosive by the end of the season
I think people writing of mcdoom too soon. Hes got great hands his problem like many of the other recievers was getting seperation from the line. At worst he can be a depth guy used in certain packages. like a percy harvin type of player
Okorn had 18 of his 151 pass attempts dropped. He caused all 18 with his bad reads.blah blah blah.so it is decreed by his higness brian of arbordale.
The Joe Milton effect.