The Matt & Seth Show: Alternatives to Dive
Matt Demorest, Realtor and Lender and I have brought back our (sometimes-)weekly video short. The purpose of these is to show you something on film that you as a fan will be able to pick up on when you see it in the future.
This week we talked about Michigan's favorite short yardage play, Dive, and how they've developed a pair of complementary edge runs for short yardage situations to keep defenses from selling out against it. If you're in the housing market, Matt's the guy.
There is nothing after the jump because it's video content.
October 18th, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
This topic got me thinking: Should Michigan make use of the recent implementation of the "Tush Push" in <1 yard situations and how long before this rugby scrum is standard practice in all levels of football? FB/HB Dive plays are great but there's usually about 3 or 4 yards before the back makes contact with the defense where anything can happen i.e. fumble, back slips, interior OL misses a block, etc. As Seth mentioned, backs also need vision to hit the right crease to slip through the line of scrimmage. The flip side is you might need a QB who has some bulk and the play may lead to injuries.
While folks debate the legality of the style of play itself, it does seem to have some merit to extend drives when you have a badass OL/pin ball running back like the top programs do.
October 18th, 2023 at 6:39 PM ^
Having watched many NFL games this year, I can say that the tush push is not all it's cracked up to be. Only the Eagles have fully mastered it. Other teams that try it are stopped nearly as often as they succeed, from my observation. That said, I hate the play and think all pushing behind the line should be outlawed. I do, however, love watching Michigan RBs and the O-line boys push a three yard gain into a 10-yard gain.
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