WTKA Roundtable 9/30/2021: Pillow Soft Coverage
Things discussed:
- Why does Michigan play so scared and soft? Why are we playing off coverage versus Noah Vedral?
- Rutgers sold out to stop the interior run game and M had no Plan B: ran Bash once (twice). RBs didn’t bounce when they had some opportunities.
- How good is Rutgers? Good on D, terrible on O.
- Seth: Michigan never takes Rutgers seriously. We could have just run the things they ran.
- Cade talk: Don’t know what happened in his head. If you have to turtle because he can’t throw after a hit, put in the backup.
- Struggles vs Power Read/Inverted Veer: No time to coach up Mullings because offense kept going three-and-out and they were right back on the field again.
- Offense was the big issue, and the offense died because they had no plan but to push a good defense off the ball. Michigan doesn’t run a zone read correctly: they’re reading it before the snap. Zone read options messed us up on defense too.
- Sam: Do you coach around a QB situation. Brian: Do you have to coach around your starting quarterback?
- Can you teach McNamara to zone read please? After the snap. It has to be after the damn snap. Not asking for Denard; can you get him up to Noah Vedral level?
- It seems ridiculous to not fix a problem you know you have until it causes a catastrophe.
- Wisconsin: excellent run defense; same problems we have on offense.
- Late shout out to Aidan Hutchinson.
[Hit the JUMP for the player, and video and stuff]
You can catch the entire episode on Michigan Insider's podcast stream.
Segment two is available here. And you can watch the video here:
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I mean that’s just a lot of faith in Dan Villari that I don’t believe I share.
September 30th, 2021 at 11:27 AM ^
Michigan's defense doesn't know how to stop a zone read because their offense can't run it well enough to legitimately practice against
September 30th, 2021 at 11:36 AM ^
Was Steven Threet Michigan's best QB at reading an end?
September 30th, 2021 at 11:43 AM ^
All I can say is that I am truly praying that Saturday goes exactly opposite of what I fear is going to happen. This coaching staff has to understand the stakes Saturday right? They have to open up the play book right? We're not gonna run inside zone 45 times for 40 yards right? Please someone......... anyone reassure me on this!!!
September 30th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
Prepare to be disappointed.
September 30th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
I know.......... : (
September 30th, 2021 at 12:09 PM ^
We've all seen Harbaugh's teams on the road against teams with a pulse, right? I want to be optimistic, and I will, in fact, be physically present at Camp Randall for the game but I am not expecting a win. Wisconsin is favored and Harbaugh is something like 0-10 as the underdog at Michigan. Here's to hoping we start to change that!
September 30th, 2021 at 12:04 PM ^
Cade was a top quarterback. The fact that they are suggesting that he can’t play QB is a harbaugh and program issue. The idea that it’s a personnel issue when it’s happening every year is bonkers. The coaches need to be better.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:08 PM ^
To be fair, this entire stance about McNamara turtling is based on a half of play in which UM threw the ball 5 out of 12 times on 4 drives.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:22 PM ^
Also to be fair, when Cade has thrown this year he's been very effective outside of the 2nd half of Rutgers.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:59 PM ^
Yep. I know that the most recent evidence has some additional weight but QBs can absolutely go 1-for-5 over a stretch and not be because they are bad forever. And I'd argue his second-half struggles were in part him missing some plays and also his WRs doing him no favors.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:54 PM ^
Please don't be a sheep. Those saying Cade cannot play QB doesn't know what the fuck they are talking about and should not be reporting on football. Worse, if they are reporting on football, and you are following/agreeing with their take, you should not be watching football.
September 30th, 2021 at 2:01 PM ^
Sam was talking about (and kind of defending) how the coaching staff may have turtled the playcalling because Cade had a few bad throws. But if you're going to turtle because your starting QB, who was a 4 star recruit and has been in your system for 3 years, was off for a couple of drives, then I'm not sure how this bodes well for anything in the future with this staff and team. Plus, we throw so few times in a game that it's probably hard to get into a rhythm.
Also, the idea that the coaches lost faith in him for the missed TD at the end of the half is crazy. And I'm not saying they did or didn't lose faith in him. The crazy part is if they actually did lost faith in him over that. All over a throw that is about 6 inches off target. Would be an incredibly short leash and lack of faith in your starting QB.
September 30th, 2021 at 2:08 PM ^
I agree with the roundtable that Cade is seemingly getting some calls from the sideline and is reading the D before the snap. However, I think he’s doing it on runs and passes. I think he’s wanting to get the ball to his first read and that 1st WR or TE was covered in the Rutgers game quite a bit and he moves to the 2nd read a bit late and the throws were a second late or he was double clutching the 2nd read and again the throw is late. But by that time, he couldn’t fit the ball there as the defender was able to recover due to the ball being a bit late.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:23 PM ^
Except Devin Gardner is saying the same thing every week--that Cade is playing terribly and doing things that you can't have your starting QB do and constantly shackling the OC by turning wide open receivers into incompletions at a startling rate.
October 1st, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
I haven't listened to those podcasts but had only heard on here that he was critical after this weeks game. What was so bad about his first three games? And I'll also get back to a point a lot of us make on here; if you recruited this guy who was a 4 star QB, and he's been with your system for three years, and he's not performing, isn't some of this on the coaches? Added to the fact that the QB position has been a disappointment for 6 years.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:07 PM ^
I know the official company line around here is that UM is fucked against Wisconsin but I'd like to note that last year's game was stacked against UM for a number of reasons that aren't in play this year.
- Wisconsin had basically 3 weeks to prepare for UM because they played Illinois then missed 2 weeks for COVID before playing UM. So they had a ton of time to stay healthy and prepare.
- UM, by comparison, came into the game down both of their starting tackles and their two starting ends, including first-rounder Paye. They were also down, I believe, at least one LB and Milton was apparently hurt as well. That's not the case this season.
- Wisconsin has already played both ND and PSU - I doubt they have anything hidden/waiting for UM in this game they haven't already broken out. So the offense we've seen from them is about what we should expect. Obviously they can run it better and things can happen, but they're much more of a known quantity. And the issues at QB seem real and unlikely to change in a week.
- UM is much better offensively at this point and shown the ability to run and throw the ball; last year's game they were coming off a game where IU snuffed out their entire offense and UM clearly didn't have a plan.
Things can still go upside down but there are far fewer unknowns.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:13 PM ^
How dare you bring up facts in the face of all this BPONE. I know it is easy to feel comfortable and resort to old habits at the first sign of trouble, but each season is its own story. People will certainly generalize memories as time passes.
With that being stated, there better be 8 man boxes with press coverage from the corner(s) with a single high safety on defense and a offensive play book that is more than 5 set plays....
September 30th, 2021 at 12:18 PM ^
FWIW, I expect this to look like a 1991 Bears-Giants game, but it also seems obvious to me that Michigan has a chance. Having a chance doesn't mean winning, of course, but this is doable.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:47 PM ^
Yes, M has a chance as long as Mertz is forced to pass every once in a while.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:58 PM ^
True, but honestly UW looks like one of those late-era Dantonio MSU teams that had a solid enough defense and a bad offense that had to win ugly and, if you applied enough pressure, would usually start making mistakes.
September 30th, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
Wait BronxBlue is ThiccStauskas??
September 30th, 2021 at 4:54 PM ^
Reasonable points.
Sure hope you are right.
Note that Brian picked UM to win.
September 30th, 2021 at 9:24 PM ^
And he was the only one to pick Michigan! Brian the optimist.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:25 PM ^
There's a huge range of outcomes between last years shellacking and a Michigan win. They surely are worse and we surely are better but that could still very well end up as a loss.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:11 PM ^
I feel like there's a lot of overreaction to a small sample of plays and some baffling idea that the second half we just slammed the ball into the line every play and didn't trust the quarterback.
The playcalling was 50/50 between run and pass in the second half until the last meaningful drive. If Cade hits a couple of those passes, the offense is moving much better and the same playcalling looks good for punishing Rutgers with easy passes for good yardage.
Instead Cade missed 2 easy throws and one tougher throw to All that could have easier with a better read.
The last drive came in a situation where Cade was clearly struggling and we quickly had the ball in field goal range. The choices are put in a true freshmen QB who hasn't played all game, try to run and settle for a FG if you get stopped, or throw the ball with a quarterback who's struggling.
I think the fake zone reads were obviously not great calls, but otherwise they made some calls to give the passing game a chance to make plays and Cade missed his spots, uncharacteristically.
The idea that the playcalling and offense are in shambles and we have no hope to score on Wisconsin is a huge overreaction.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:22 PM ^
While you are correct on the balance of play calls in the 2nd half, it was the lack of variation in the running plays that was so frustrating. In the UFR, Seth counted only 3 plays that even attempted to attack the edges for the whole game. In addition, no jets, no sweeps, no reverses. Very little to no attempts to take advantage of the openings provided by the defense as they sold out to stuff the inside running game.
As for the passing game, I put this all on Cade. As you noted, there was an overall balance in the run/pass play calling, but pretty much every pass since the missed TD at the end of the first half were off. As DG noted in his podcast, Cade was double clutching, not stepping into his throws, and getting happy feet in the pocket. All very bad signs that a QB is not very comfortable in the pocket and precludes to a poor passing performance.
September 30th, 2021 at 1:43 PM ^
They didn't attack the outside early in the first 4 second half drives, and in retrospect it's clear it would have been a good idea, but looking at those first 4 drives again:
Drive 1: 2 runs, one on first down after the O was moving the ball reasonably in the first half, one on 3rd and long that mirrored a playcall Devin Gardner was gushing about that got them a first earlier in the game. I'd prefer them throw on the third and long, but it's not some coaching abomination that they didn't.
Drive 2: 2 runs, second and third and short. Running behind your line on 3rd and 1 is not a bad call. Michigan should get that more often than not. Maybe could have run the end around on 2nd and 3, but is that really a horrible playcall?
Drive 3: all passes
Drive 4: could have attacked the edge, but still were set up in a 3rd and 5 that should have been an easy first down.
I don't disagree that they could have attacked the edges better, but this isn't some disaster of a offensive playcalling that means we clearly can't play with Wisconsin, etc. Or that Gattis is a bad OC, etc. Certainly not that we should play loose, without care if we win or lose against Wisconsin as Seth suggested.
The offense is solid and has the potential to be great if Cade can maintain a better rhythm or we otherwise get solid QB production Cade has shown much of the time.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:04 PM ^
It's not "could have attacked the edges better." It's SHOULD HAVE. The small number of plays we ran simply isn't a valid excuse. When pretty much the entire stadium can all tell that Rutgers was stacking the box and giving us the edges and our OC doesn't even run there one or two times earlier in the 2nd half as a constraint there's a big problem.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:51 PM ^
You bring up good points without making excuses. The no Plan B might come from the missing jet sweep plays or a reverse or two. AJ Henning wasn't utilized much except on Special Teams. We will need to see more WR involved in some of the play calling.
We know Cade's throwing was off and some of it was WR or TE missing their spots. Cade did not throw well against Washington either, but there was no need to force it since the running game was unstoppable.
Agreed that JJ should not make a start in a tough away game environment but should be ready to step in if Cade's throwing is off. We all want to see the offense execute better and for all 4 quarters.
September 30th, 2021 at 1:50 PM ^
They tried to get a couple passes to Henning but Cade put the fade way too short and skipped the out.
They could have mixed in an end around but that feels very hindsight-driven. There were few opportunities to do so in the second half and none of the play calls in the first 4 drives of that half seem particularly egregious:
3rd and 12 isn't a good down for an end around. Maybe second and 3 on drive 2? Maybe one of the first two plays of drive 4, but even those had the offense set up for an easy 3rd down conversion that Cade skipped.
That's maybe 3 plays that, in hindsight, might have been good places for an end around.
Getting kicked off the field so quick and then the D allowing long, time-consuming drives meant the O just didn't have a lot of opportunities to mix in more plays. If they'd completed a couple more passes maybe they would have pulled out a reverse as the drive continued but as it was they didn't execute.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:20 PM ^
Bet the under on this game!
September 30th, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
Is that Craig's phone buzzing through out the show?
September 30th, 2021 at 4:24 PM ^
Could have been Brian sneezing, coughing or clearing his throat. That happens throughout the show too.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:01 PM ^
Guilty of many things. I will admit some of them.
But I was in studio.
September 30th, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^
All great points. More than just the WTKA Roundtable raises these issues-"No Plan B" on offense. Then add to what QB Coach Matt Weiss had to say about Cade in the press conference, so what gives with that?
This Michigan football team better come prepared to go to Plans B and C because if Wisconsin does stop the running game, with no back up plans, put this game in "L" column for Michigan.
Am hoping or better yet, expecting to see a much more diversified offensive attack. By all means put the QB2 or 3 in there if Cade cannot execute those plays he needs to make.
September 30th, 2021 at 1:14 PM ^
I’ll say this, I don’t think Seth’s regression point applies to 2016 Wilton Speight, he absolutely battled through things, especially the last two games of that year despite physical limitations.
September 30th, 2021 at 2:31 PM ^
...and here is the double-edged sword. While it may be considered noble to battle through injuries and for a coach to be loyal to individual players there are other considerations to be had here. First and foremost is why is there not a replacement standing at the ready??? And secondly, this is a great team sport and a coach's loyalty to an individual player dare not stand in the way of a team's success. Michigan football is a storied, high level football program. These are faults of this HC and this program-not things to be excused...certainly not to be admired.
September 30th, 2021 at 6:59 PM ^
O’Korn went the distance against Indiana, and at that point, I think it would be fair to blame roster issues on the previous staff.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:27 PM ^
It was the next year he regressed. He was terrible before he got injured.
September 30th, 2021 at 7:00 PM ^
But it went off the rails when he went out. I’ve rewatched something of those games. He made mistakes (particularly in the red zone) but I think a couple of those losses turn around if he’s there.
September 30th, 2021 at 1:28 PM ^
I never related so much to Seth before this pod
October 1st, 2021 at 1:25 AM ^
Agree. Yep.
September 30th, 2021 at 1:33 PM ^
"In the UFR, Seth counted only 3 plays that even attempted to attack the edges for the whole game. In addition, no jets, no sweeps, no reverses. Very little to no attempts to take advantage of the openings provided by the defense as they sold out to stuff the inside running game."
For some reason I'm unable to respond to Believer's comment above, but this is the kind of thing that has characterized Harbaugh's tenure: one head-scratching decision made by the offensive staff after another.
September 30th, 2021 at 1:47 PM ^
Seth is 100% right - it's mental with this team now. Just fuck it - go out and play hard. Leave all the insecurities and neuroses back on the bus. Play like it's fun! Because it is! It's college football!
September 30th, 2021 at 4:17 PM ^
I don't think Seth is saying it's the players who have the insecurities and neurosis. I think after this many years of watching it, he's looking at the guys with headsets.
September 30th, 2021 at 9:31 PM ^
I agree- this certainly starts at the top. Motivation is not this staff's strong suit. But, the players also need to shake it off sometimes; too often they look dumbstruck on the sidelines.
September 30th, 2021 at 2:42 PM ^
Good lord, this was depressing to listen to.
September 30th, 2021 at 3:46 PM ^
What if we just used edge runs, sweeps, and end arounds as our base offense until we see a formation switch by Wisconsin? What honestly is the downside? A worse case scenario has to be pretty much what we already EXPECT from our inside run game right? Get them guessing outside with plays over and over testing the edge. Punt like you would anyway but maybe some big plays break?
September 30th, 2021 at 3:56 PM ^
Seemed like Sam was more than willing to blame our QB rather than the horrible play calling. Feels like his main goal is to protect Gattis from the criticism he definitely deserves.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:22 PM ^
Yeah, I got the same impression. But I don't think he's trying to defend just Gattis. Felt like he was defending the whole staff. Which is par for the course for him and I'm not saying he's wrong. He's very level headed, he knows who his sources are, and it doesn't benefit his business to blast coaches and be sensationalist. But Seth made some great points and asked some questions we all want to know answers to and Sam kind of went right around them. Why can't they run zone read? Why didn't they have a backup running plan? Why don't they run screens? Why no speed in space? And why don't you trust Cade? Those are all pretty valid questions in year 7 for Harbaugh and year 3 for Gattis.
I know he's the moderator and I'm sure being close to the coaches is how he gets the access he does, but it definitely wasn't all on Cade like he seemed to be inclining.
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