2016 Disappointments

Submitted by UMVAFAN on
Aside from the outcomes of the Iowa and OSU games, my biggest disappointment has been Harbaugh's deployment of Peppers on offense all year. The wildcat was stuffed over and over again to the point where many of us thought Harbaugh was continuing to run it as way of setting up a big play for the future. The regular season is now over and no such spectacular play resulted. What happened to the misdirection plays of 2015 with Peppers lining up in standard sets as a running back or split out? Frankly, the wildcat ended up being a detriment to the offense because it became very predictable, and in some respects, prevented the offense from getting in a rhythm. There were many times that Speight looked frustrated getting yanked to the sideline for Peppers, or worse, Shane Morris. I hate to say it, but the offense would have been better without Peppers this year given how he was used. But, in the end, this is probably a good thing. After the Hoke years, for Harbaugh to get this program to the point offensively that gimmicks and trickery aren't necessary for offensive success is quite an accomplishment. I just wished we used our generational talent more wisely.

George Pickett

November 28th, 2016 at 10:03 PM ^

Meh. Given that the offensive line couldn't run block against anybody with a pulse all year, it makes sense to try your most explosive player a few times a game in the wildcat.  What's the alternative - Deveon Smith churning out 2 yards?

The most disappointing thing was the offensive staff repeatedly turtling late in the 4th quarter in big games.

ijohnb

November 29th, 2016 at 10:05 AM ^

was not just a Taco Pants issue, Chesson Pants really disappeared after the pre-conference schedule and Darboh Pants started dropping pretty much everything at about the Iowa game.  Even Butt Pants became vulnerable to crucial drops as the season wore on.

GoBlue101994

November 29th, 2016 at 1:19 AM ^

I felt Butt, Darboh and Chesson dropped too many open passes this year as well however.

Especially in that Indiana game. It's amazing to me how many people hold O'Korn responsible for a bad performance, or blame the weather. They all 3 dropped key passes in that game.

Darboh is no funchess, but he seems to drop many deep passes that hit his hands, Butt has dropped some key passes in recent weeks.

By no means am i saying they are terrible players, but seriously just think about all that for a minute.

That being said, I really hope two WRs step up like these guys did when we didn't know who was next. I think we are screwed next year in terms of who we are throwing the ball to.

ST3

November 29th, 2016 at 11:50 AM ^

Does that include the #3 ranked rushing defense in the country, Wisconsin? Because we gained 162 yards (sacks adjusted) against them. I think you have to run block fairly well to gain over 150 yards in a game.

Yes, we struggled with #15 ranked rushing defense OSU. But they knew Speight couldn't throw deep so they played the safeties up and stacked the box. The surprising thing about that game is that we only ran one jet sweep in regulation. It went for 9 yards. They never went back to that play until OT. If we couldn't stretch the defense vertically due to Speight's limited downfield ability, some jet sweeps to force them to respect the edges was necessary. It worked over and over for Wisconsin against OSU. I don't know why we didn't do that more. Nevertheless, we still gained over 100 yards (sacks adjusted.)

Colorado was the next highest ranked rushing defense we played. I'd say the #33 ranked defense has a pulse. We put up 182 rushing yards on them.

As I pointed out in my board post yesterday, we gained about 800 more yards rushing this year than last. I don't think our schedule changed that dramatically to feature only defenses without a pulse.

The problem I have with many of your posts is that you just say stuff without backing it up with any facts or data. Anybody can get on the internet and talk out of their ass. Try backing up your assertions with actual stats and maybe I'll believe you.

yoyo

November 28th, 2016 at 9:45 PM ^

I wish we'd line him up in the slot or have him throw a pass after rolling out or just be used as a decoy. It seemed like we put him out there just for the sake of doing it.

BursleyBaitsBus

November 28th, 2016 at 10:38 PM ^

It's hard for me to accept that Lloyd Carr and Mike DeBord's dinosaur asses were more creative with Charles Woodson than Jim Harbaugh was with Jabrill Peppers. 

 

LIKE COME ON MAN!

Just look at the tape from 1997 if you're running low on ideas! 

LINE HIM UP AT WR, ANYTHING!

 

Oh and where did Rashan Gary go? I guess he's still being held by an Olinemen somewhere without a single yellow flag in sight. 

(cries in the corner) 

jmblue

November 29th, 2016 at 8:49 AM ^

There is a bit of revisionism about the use of Woodson on offense in 1997. He had a total of 14 offensive touches (11 receptions and 3 rushes) in 12 games. Now, he made ample use of those touches, gaining 246 yards and three touchdowns, but he was very much a situational guy who played just a handful of snaps a game on offense, and was strictly a WR - he basically filled the Chesson role in a limited capacity.

 

The Baughz

November 28th, 2016 at 9:46 PM ^

I felt like he was trying to win Peppers the Heisman while trying to win every game. Really can't blame him for that. He's the best athlete on the team. I am more disappointed that there were no reverses or passes off that. The creativity level from Harbaugh seemed to dissipate the last few games.




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Mr. Yost

November 29th, 2016 at 12:01 AM ^

I agree. I can't see it now because of Saturday...but a solid year. Remember how it started on January 1 as well. Plus Rashan Gary. Plus finding a QB for most of the year and the future.

I wasn't able to even really post until today. I avoided the site altogether.

I'll never be over it. It'll be right there with Kordell and last year's MSU game. As I explained today, I hate all losses, they make me sick to my stomach - I can't watch football for awhile...they stay with me. However, the losses that should be wins. Or the ones where it's fluke plays or I feel cheated out of, I'll never lose my anger for those.

I was at the Michigan/OSU game where DG missed the 2-point play, it hurt like hell and I was sick all weekend...but you know what, in my heart I knew we played our asses off and for the most part, it just is what it is. We snuck out a game in UTL I that had to be a heartbreaker, last year we had that stretch of wins where every game was a heart attack.

However, those were legitimate - even the losses.

That fucking MSU play was beyond a fluke wrapped in a missed false start call. We all know what happened Saturday. I can't accept those. I'll never accept those. They were both bullshit and not just because of how they ended, the whole game. Intent to deceive, kicking Bolden out of the game on some bullshit, the personal foul on Harbaugh, missed call after call on Saturday. Awful, the entire game we played our asses off and it was just awful.

Those are my snowflakes that have nothing to do with anything...glad I got it out though. Now I can go to bed and try to sleep for really the first time since Thursday night.

mgoDAB

November 28th, 2016 at 9:53 PM ^

Well I wouldn't say we never saw a spectacular play from the Pepcat. The reverse to McDoom against MSU was one hell of a play that gained ~30 yards, but other than that I can't recall anything out of the ordinary.

It worked like a charm when we first deployed it against Wisconsin, but as the season wore on it became clear that Peppers was going to keep it 80% of the time. It was really only executed well once when Peppers got a 15 yard gain out of it against MSU. I'm surprised that we didn't see more sweeps from Peppers either from the wildcat or as a receiver, and we never really saw many plays late in the season in which he was used as a decoy.

laus102

November 29th, 2016 at 12:41 AM ^

but it seems like Chesson never really recovered from some secretive injury, or Speight just bonded more with Darboh, like Rudock tended to connect more with Chesson than with Darboh.  

Upside:  Speight has seemed to be very comfortable throwing to Perry :)