gsimmons85

*Edit*  sorry for the edit, but i had to rush off to practice,  i meant to say one more thing...    If you have a problem with me, feel free to drive south, till you hear someone screaming,  but you better ask somebody first, and bring your friends.. (joking of course, i would never advocate violence)


Over the past year  i have been posting less and less  mainly for a couple of reasons

1.  Time....  I dont have much, and as our teams gets closer and closer to becoming a power,  it takes more and more of my time. Not to mention the fact that im becomming more and more close to actually taking the plunge either to the college world, or the head coaching world.  Between that,  a 45 minute drive,  my undying desire to spend every waking moment with my 2 boys,  i really dont have much time to post anymore.


2.  Old dogs/new tricks....  Most people dont seem to be interested in being positive if they are by nature negative, and vice versa.. As i expressed last year (http://gsimmons85.blogspot.com/2008/11/unbelieveable-fandom-in-new-world-order.html ) it was becoming LESS enjoyable for me to watch michigan last year becasue of trying to temper the negativity around here..  Although its fun when we win, i have a hard time being around people that dont enjoy the process as much as the result.   If you are like that, that is fine, its my choice to move away from it..  I actually feel bad for people that have so much passion about things that they know so little about.  I admire the fact that many of you love football, in particular michigan football as much as you do.  I just wish people could learn to enjoy being a fan, and not try to comment on things they dont have a clue about.  but to each his own i suppose.  Im sure some of you regret not being invovled in football growing up, or now,  like i do about not trying to play at Air force,   i know it must be hard to not be able to effect the outcome like you wish you could.  Coaching is fun, football is fun, playing is fun, and being a fan is fun..  fortunatley for me, i get to see it from all the sides.  As a coach i get to be crazy psycho,  so that allows me to be calmer as a fan, i suppose.

3.   Lack of need....  The whole purpose i had around here was to offer a different perspective.  THere are others around here now that can offer that same perspective,  i might not always agree with those people, i think that just shows that there are many ways to skin a cat.  Without knowing the call sheets, the techniques being implemented, and the terminolgy,  its impossible to know exactly what is going on,  but there are others around here now that offer as much insight as i could.


Not that i will be missed, but being narcissistic like i am, i felt like telling people that i wont be posting around these parts anymore.  I think this past weekend really made me realize how bad people are at second guessing.  Maybe when football is no longer my career i will be able to look at being a fan differently  but right now,  i am struggling with taking my view point and consolidating it with this blog.  I choose to believe that people that know more about something than I do, will make the right descions..  My inclenation when i see s descion that i dont understand is to assume that someone knows something i dont.  If I  (with 20 years of experience, and a list of who's who among coaching circles  knowing who i am)  can not arm chair Qb, why cant others? Is something that i wont understand,  and thats ok.  this just isnt the place for people like me....  Just like i assume that pilots know more about flying then i do,  michigan coaches know more about michigan football than i do..


I cant be around people that question coaches on every matter and who's first thoughts are "what is he doing?"    It is like someone disrespecting my profession every day.   Are there bad coaches?  yeah im sure there are,  do coaches make mistakes?  yeah sure they do.   But in both of those questions nobody on this blog is qualified to answer,  no matter how much football you watch...

Morn me not,  for i am not dead,  just not going to post anymore...  

unless i do..

Later

G

 

Just a couple of things i want to say about the latest post from Brian. 

• I agree about the blame for the defense this year not being squarely on the coaches on the field right now.  I kinda agree with the lack of recruiting in the last years of Lloyd,  but i also think it has something to do with the lack of individula technique coaching going on by position coaches during the last few years of Lloyd's tenure.  There were times we got burned rushing three and their were times we got burned rushing more.  There were times we got stops rushing three and were times we got stops rushig more.  The last thing that is causing problems is the schemes right now.
•  The biggest difference from the defense this year and last year is the offense. Many of the same weaknesses are showing their faces this year, the difference is now the offense can respond.  Points per game are about the same (totally off the top of my head,  and im sure they could be wrong) 

• Also, Van Bergen was the backside defensive tackle… it's hard to imagine what his assignment was that could have prevented Indiana from running outside the other OT.
  This is EXACTLY why i try to harp on the fact that without knowing the particular play call, responsibility,  coaching point etc.  its impossible to assign blame, or praise for most players on most plays.   Its fun to do so,  but its just impossible to do.  I cant even rate my own calls and players without refering to our call sheets from the game.`

anyway just soem observations from the latest post.  Im excited about the future for michigan, i still love the music   and the atmosphere that seems to be pretty wild from the couch i enjoy from.  Perhaps if i was season ticket holder, i would think differently...

Later,

G

ok watching the video of the first day of practice, from mgoblue... i thought id take you through the drills we are watching in order that they are apearing, what is being worked on, and what fundamentals are being emphasised.

3/14

http://mgoblue.com/multimedia/multimediacenter.aspx

starting from the first drill..

15 secs......dline board drill. (done here with a pad) punch and attack.. sometimes done with boards, and often times later in shoulder pads will be done against a live body... empahsis is on stance, and start, proper foot placement and step, proper weight distribution and wieght transfer, proper hand punch low elbow...... feet stay under arm pits straddling something to keep players from getting to narrow...

18 secs.... wr drill, catching the flair pass.. the maintstay andmost important route in a zone read offense.. proper stance and start, proper angle on release, proper hand placement on catch, seeing the ball in, tucking and get eyes up field and vertical after the catch...

21 secs... wr getting off press, proper stance tighten up stagger when defense shows press, proper foot attack, set up for the slap and rip, or slap and swim...

40 sec.....qb zone read play action.. proper footwork, hand placement on ball for the play fake, proper get away step, elbow tech. and release point on throw...

51 sec.... fumble recovery drill..... emphasis, getting down...surrounding the ball with body and arms, tuck to the side... DO NOT JUMP ON TOP OF THE BALL, surround the ball and attack and pull in...roll over it if neccesary under the pile, but do not jump on top of the ball..

53 sec... repeat of 15 sec drill

55.. oline block step technique... drive block, zone block... proper helment placement foot steps and hand attack placement..

110..... w drill... backpeddle, low arms pump off at 45 angles, dont hammer and nail your arms... shoulders over knees, do not lean back... eyes ahead, when you see the cone in your periphial vission, quick chop your feet to gear your momentum into a forward motion, like pushing in the clutch, quick hard chops, then drive out, drop your hips to stop, drive lead foot towards the target...sprint through target, or form tackle...

120.... stalk block drill... db has attack your stalk block, proper hand placement is acheived... stop backwards momentum, sink hips, drive forward on the block.... low man wins...roll hips towards defender...

207.... pursuit drill.. up down on snap... find the ball, follow proper pursuit angles on the sweep...

230 dline, stance start drill... on the ball, move on movement, attack proper shoulder depending on technique gap control.... watching stance, foot work hand placement.. see ball out of corner of eye, eyes on target... attack the shoulder of the gap blocker, turn his shoulders..

240... qb zone read play action drill again... same as earlier...

248 under center. play action waggle pass.. proper get away steps, proper play fake, proper arc angle on the waggle, get shoulders square and up field... release point...

300 3 step drop passes... throwing mechanics.... ball placement... foot work..

340 zone read... eye placement, readding the backside de for give or keep... carring out fakes...

408 under center, zone stretch. proper get out... putting the ball in the belly carring out fakes...

424 more quick step drop stuff... same as before...

502... drive block drill.. low hips, quick steps, hands low, elbows low... driving till the whistle...

515 oline chute drill, zone blocks.. keeping low, low legs, getting to the proper level, attacking the defender... with proper hands and steps...

535 stance and start, proper first step, hand placement, and elbow level... punch...

545 w drill again.. drop hips when moving forward to stop quick...

hope this helps you understand what you are looking at a little better...

Later

G

Well it looks like i missed an interesting night last night. Overheard some people in the WLA say that I was the topic of a nice little post. Apparently I have made such an impression on people that there is a need around here to call me out personally for answering questions and giving my insights. I do not want to start another thread of attack, but I do want to answer some questions.

1. I liked Shafer at Michigan because i run a lot of Shafers schemes. I liked the idea of being able to follow the WOlverines over the next several years, knowing the terminology being used, the direction and the focus of the Defense, and such. I was supprised when he got the job, and was excited to tell people about what to expect over the years. Im sad to see him go, becasue i believed that if given time, he would have had michigans defense rolling, and i was excited about seeing someone at michigan who was going to emphasis technique and fundamentals.

2. I was a Michigan fan long before Shafer came around, and I was very excited to be apart of a blog community interested in knowing more about football, and offer another perspective. If by offering my perspective I offended people i appologize, as obviously it was not my intent. Still think that over the past couple of years I have been on the receiving in of many more attacks, then i have given out. But i appologize for any attack i have made, as one is too many.

3. Shafer not being at Michigan does ABSOLUTELY nothing to shake my confidence in my ability to break down a football play, to talk football, or to coach football. It has never been about proving myself on here. In fact its all been about talking Michigan football.

4. I like this Blog, i like Brian, and I like the WLA.. So im not going anywhere.... sorry to dissapoint some of you...

5. I like to talk about Skull cracking, Butt-kicking, weight-lifting, football stuff, becasue that is a big part of my life. In all reality i am exactly like i am in here, a nice guy with a pretty big heart, but kinda crazy. Im new to the world of internet tough guys, and bullying, so i am not very good at it, and most of the people that have a problem with me are much better at writing then I am, so be it. If anyone REALLY has a problem with me, im not too hard to find...

Later

G

this was my latest repsonse to the "my thoughts on who might be DC" thread... I figured i would repost it as a diary....

for those of you that have followed the season, and listened to what was happening, this is a rehash. For revisionist wanna-be coaches that didnt really pay attention, you might learn something.

1. 4 vs 3 man front. Shafer is a 4-3 guy. However shafer likes the 3-4 okie defense, ESPICALLY vs spread teams. Most of the top dc's in the country use some type of nickle package against spread teams, unless they have safeties and lb's that play well in space. SO shafer ran a lot of 3 man fronts against the spread teams and as his nickel package. All dlmen prefer 4 man fronts becasue they are dlmen, and they want them and their buddies to make plays, and believe that they can. But straight 4 man fronts, against spread teams is suicide unless you have lb's that make big plays in space (michigan did not this year) the other alternative is that 4-2 nickle that shafer used some as well getting thompson off the field for harrison. The fact that michigan was not good on 3 downs had ZERO to do with scheme and everything to do with the fact that our lb's and safties were not very good in coverage. doenst matter if we had 50 dlmen out there... the 3-3 exepriment was something the rr people wanted to try, and that was the perfect week to do it.. nothing at stake, wr turned qb who we didnt think would be able to throw, etc. it didnt work, so be it... The less spread we saw, the less 3 man fronts we ran, except in passing situations... becasue the best way to blitz is with deception, and the 3 man front offers more deception and flexablity of coverages..

2. this year vs last. 2 words, englemon-adams. In shafers system these would be the top two safties in the country. michigan lossing them was huge, and no defense can survive the type of safety play we had this year, unless their lb's were studs. I have never seen a defense of michigan implement as many coverage schemes as this year, and that was 100% due to the fact that shafer was trying to cover up major personal issues at safety, and LB....

3. THe wings fell off the freekin plane. IT is ok to have an opinion but dont say "we couldnt tackle or cover, but the rest is on shafer" no we couldnt tackle or cover, thats all that has to be said. It doesnt matter if it was tenuta, veneables, Amato, Gruden, etc. just like it takes time to implement a zone read offense, it takes time to implement the techniques needed to run a complicated defense. Shafer was a frustrated coach that couldnt spend the time teaching the fundamentals that were sorely lacking as the season progressed.. and it became more and more evident that there was not the personel to fill the holes that were hurting us. Look for major improvements next year. if we dont see it, then you can START to talk about coaching... but even then, it took me 4 years at this school to really implement the type of defense that we can run now.

coaches have to be able to fit the right schemes vs offenses, and shafer did that. Then coaches have to teach the fundamentals and the techniques to implement thier system and give the players a chance to make plays, and that takes more than a season to implement.

very seldom was michigan out of possition to make a play, that speaks more about players than coaches, obviously... the coaches for the most part had kids in places to be successfull, but by sometimes a very small margin, did not exectue well. When a lack of exectuion happends on offense you lose yards, when it happends on defense you give up td's... simple as that...

Ok,

 Im not a coach, i have never played football but i watch it all the time. 

 Would that statement make it easier for me to make my point.  The past couple of weeks, while still trying to be a calming force around these parts, i have been critized for being a coach, who has lived football his entire life, who runs shafers schemes,and likes to help fellow michigan fans get a different perspective.I dont ever claim to be anything other than what i am.  When someone asks me a football question i answer it,  could there be another answer?  sure, but as a football coach you know what you know, and you do what you do.  There are 20 ways to skin a cat, and i just happend to be good a skinning it the way i do.  Doesnt mean im smarter than anyone, doesnt mean i know more about michigan than anyone, but i would think at the very least, it would be at least feasable that i know a little about football. 

There, have at it,  give me the  "anyone can see that"  and "i dont have to be a coach to know_____"  and "if you think _____ you must not be a very good coach"  and all that crap. 

The one thing i will admit, is that i will always give the benefit of doubt to a coach first,  becasue thats what i do for a living,  just like former baseball umpires dont yell at umps as bad, usually.  Or former policeman are less crtical about the pigs. etc etc.   So sure i may overly defend coaching sometimes,  but that is what it is.  If you dont like it dot read my stuff.   I think im pretty open with everyone about who i am, what i do, and all that stuff.  I could very easliy make stuff up to look more knowledgeable, or demand to know everyone elses exerience with college football, and post resumes to make my point.  But i dont really care about that, i know i set myself up for people to be able to attack, but thats just kind of my personality, i dont really give a crap about anyone elses feelings about me.

Now about the coverage stuff.    Shafer isnt a stack guy, but the stack was used this week, as a way of trying to stop what was assumed to be a fast qb, who problaby couldnt throw,and a farily good run game.  It has been stated before, by numerous people, the 3-3 stack is a run stopping odd front. and for the most part it did its job.   The 3-3 stack is a good defense against a spread formation,  as it keeps 6 in the box, while still putting people on the perimeter for contain purposes. You are limited in coverage though when you run the stack,l which is why i dont like to run it very often.   Obvioulsy this isnt the way shafer likes to attack spreads,  he is a two safety guy.  But MICHIGAN SAFETIES ARE NOT GOOD.  and lb's are not good at coverage, and when michigan played press man a majority of the time the other week, they still lost.  So shafer tries what RR and his staff wants him to try,  why not try it now?  why not try it against the one team that you might be able to win agaisnt and find a way to keep big plays from happening with a new scheme? them maybe you have found something that you can pull out agin against OSU, or at least give OSU something else to think about.   I truely believe that shafer and RR both are feeling the pressure to show that they can try new things, and not be stagnit.  Its almost impossible to get better fundametnally during the season, becasue of constantly having to put so much time into installation, and game prep for the upcomming team.  When you hear a coach talk about "returning to basics"  thats when they have basically given up trying to win, and instead are more interested in making the team better fundamentally, for the future.  Im sure RR and his staff would like to do this, but as you can see, the michigan fan base, and the michgian family is not interested in seeing imporvement, they are interested in results.  So i see Shafer and RR as being a product of the problem with an impatient fan base, and an impatient comunity that is demanding wins NOW.  therefore they are trying to schematiclly overcome the obvious fundamental problems that michigan defesive football has had for the past several years.  

 

Has he blitzed a ton?  yes,  has he playd a lot of press man? yes  Has he played a lot fire zone coverage? yes..   has he taken away fades by playing an outsidee shade, only to see seams exploited time and time again for big plays, which created easier opportunites to score, than having to complete 20  short outs?  yes..   has he tried to play inside shades, only for corners to be beaten time and time again on fade routes? yes...   

the one guy on the field that throws int's is the qb.   therefore eyes on qb if you are a corner playing zone coverage,  sure trent is lined up on an inside shade a bit,  to discourage a easy vertcal realease. Also the Qb at the snap of the ball sdoesnt knwo weather you are playing off man, or bail technique, of course knowing how BAD michigan corners are right now in playing man, i would assume he knows its cover three, but if its not, then that corner will be able to make a play on yoru out call, and it might be a pic six.  but once the reciever goes vertcal he should be working to get "on top"  and trying to squeeze him to the sideline...  his main problem on that screen was opening the door, and not getting on top of the reciever, as far as  "no way he can turn all the way around and make a play on that out" way of talking about the zone turn to the QB,   corners every day work on zone turns, and t-step drives,  its exactly what you are suppose to do,  1 guess as to who teaches the t-step drive step as good as anyone?  The back foot is planted at a 90 degree angle directly back,  then the outside foot  serves as the "drive step" at the direction of the cut,  We use terms  like "get your foot in the biucket" and "drive off the T" to talk exactly about how we want it to be executed,   its very easy for a corner with good fluid hips, but trent (like i have said a million times) does not have fluid hips.   trent isnt very good,  and isnt going to make a play on that.  AND HE IS NOT USUING HTE TECHNIQUE THAT HE IS BEING TAUGHT, to try to make that  play. BUt  id  rather it be like that,   then to give up an  an easy hit to a vertical seam.  An out route, is a lot harder ball to throw for an unproven QB, than an easy slant or skinny post....   first throw a combine coach asks a young qb to throw, is an out accross the field.

The other issue is that trent has no safety help, therefore he cant be over agressive on the out,  but that is the price you pay for running a 3 deep look... but its not designed to stop that throw its designed to stop the big play,  which michigan has given up far too much this year.   I know it doesnt explain everything, but i felt like i needed to defend a bit that i see a lot of bad techiniqe, and knowing how shafer teaches, i know its not what they are being taught to do.  Is it mistrust?  is it players not trying, or players not beleive in shafer?  or is it just a bunch of guys who are feeling a lot of presure to succed, not being able to call on muslce memory to play the techniqes becAuse they have only been taught it for less then a year?  i think its problaby more the latter.

You are also inthe picture pages, seeing the difference between a well exectued out route pass and catch, and a poorly run, poorly thrown hitch route...    Trent would have been in much better position to play the hitch route, expicallly if he had threet throwing it at him.