Are we under utilizing Grant Perry and DPJ in the short passing game?

"Chipping" was the word used all week?  I think if we had a strong line we would see more but we just don't.

Next time we win the coin toss we better go on defense.

Our receiver routes are either too long, take too long or something. It doesn’t bode well for us in oct if struggled to get separate from NW’s DB’s. Something isn’t right. Quicker play routes are needed. We also NEVER attack the seam, why? 

There's more to this question than, "Harbaugh has been surpassed ....." or "Patterson is too short .....", etc.

Fundamentally, Harbaughffense is run-centric. That's probably fine or to him it's fine and he really doesn't care what we think.

I was surprised to learn that v. neb and NW, the run game averaged just over 6ypc. Did it look like that to you v. NW? Not to me it didn't and I was there. Frustrating was the immediate feeling I dealt with for 3.5 quarters watching Higdon get stuffed on first down or 4th and 1 more times than I can count ...... actually it was probably way less but my subjective in-game perceptions were influenced by that sense. I bet the UFR will show us a different story, objectively, about the effectiveness of the run game and why there isn't more passing - short or long.

Runs probably won that game or set up pass plays that contributed. The real time player data sheet that is on the sidelines and available to Harbaugh (not to us) to decide on what plays are going to be productive v. NW given down and distance is a part of the play calling process. From all appearances, the run game that sets up the PA or the RO was working from JH's perspective and that's what he called about 65% of the time v. NW and Neb.

I'll also be surprised that the short passing game to the middle of the field is NOT in the playbook. We just haven's seem them because, (1) they are high risk for turnovers or injury to a player and (2) If they are being run in practice, diabolical Harbaugh is either saving them for the right time/need/opponent defense or smart Harbaugh knows that the offense hasn't got these plays down quite yet. Keep practicing them. 

It also seems like we use very little pre snap motion of Collins, DPJ, or Gentry. We line Collins and DPJ up wide everytime. We don’t look for mismatches, Gentry is a mismatch for everybody, with our struggles in the RZ, you would have thought we would see Gentry lined up wide for a jump ball, put some pressure on the defense, but no. Our offense is too old and contains little to no imagination. We will struggle in October unless something changes.

I'd say this. The coaching staff knows what it's doing. They will do what they have to with their personnel when these big games are here. You don't show your hand and good plays days before a game like Wiscy and Sharty. You bank on those idiots in Lansing not using their heads and doing their due diligence of Michigan's playbook. You bank on their intelligence and their capacity to not look back further than a couple games. Something tells me their unhealthy obsession with The University of Michigan will override their brain power though. Here's to hoping Mork gets hit by a car and breaks every bone in his legs so he cant coach anymore. 

It feels like we have seen the Cliff Notes version of the playbook so far.  You can see where the foundation is being laid with reps of base plays, with nuances to be built over time.  The reality of 20 contact hours/.week is that there is limited time to rep plays. I, for one, would rather run fewer plays well than many plays with high variance results.  Minimize mistakes, lean on your defense, win the game.  This approach generally works, but it certainly is not as pleasing to the eye as watching, say, Beilein's offense.  

Yes

I wonder the same, worry we won’t see anything different and hope it’s the ol’ rope a dope. We kept hoping there was a special set of plays for Peppers but they never materialized. But, the OSU gameplans have been good. Time will tell, of course.

OSU went to the short passing game last night and let their athletes #makeplays to win. I thought it was a good adjustment to what PSU was doing. 

At this point, what would  compel a top-flight receiver to come to Michigan?

I do think Michigan has elite playmakers at WR and QB. I think the play calling is fine. At times, it is the execution that leaves something to be desired. How many times do you see one small thing be the difference from a big play or converted 3rd down? Last night we seen a drop pass on a perfectly thrown ball, a WR just needing to put head down and turn up field to make line to gain or missed block that prevented a big play or a penalty. The only thing that will improve the small things is repitition. I do see improvement with Michigan since the ND game. Yesterday was a HUGE confidence boost for this team. No it was not a top 25 win on the road. But that will come. Michigan loses that game in 2016 and 2017. That game will make Michigan's victory this year in East Lansing possible. A lot went wrong and they still won. Michigan will know, whatever happens in East Lansing, they will never be out of game.

Who knows. I think so. Perry used to be able to get open on pretty much any slant. I just can’t figure out the passing game. It looks like the receivers all run flys on every play. Even when there is protection from the Oline, Shea just seems to be waiting and waiting for someone to get open. Even the short routes seem to me long throws across the field that take a bit to develop. Watching OSU run screens and short passes to give the WR some space make me wonder what in the world UMs passing game is trying to accomplish some times. 

The offense would benefit from some slants and screens

They under utilize the short passing game in general.  All the other dumb offense hot takes are over played and boil down to not finishing drives with TDs.  My main issue is with predictable run calls and pace as well as with the lack of a short passing game.  All that said, the pace at which they play makes everything bigger than it should be because they dominated after they were down early.  Warinner also deserves a raise.  If you would have told me Runyan would look like an average B10 starter and mitigate the Gaz left mostly one on one after ND I would have thought you were insane.  They won the battle upfront when they weren't telegraphing the offense, and even when they were sometimes.  People just need to enjoy the wins and let the team develop.  If/when they beat the rivals it will be amazing to see everyone's hot takes change.  Until then the overstated disappointment is insufferable.  If it's that bad go the fuck away and watch something that doesn't make you miserable.

Yes... for example a third down corner fade to perry yesterday as opposed to Collins. Why not give your throw more margin for error.

another. Other teams kill us with slants why not do that while driving down field and let perry get 5-7 yard chunks. 

And of course Evans. Should be getting 4-6 targets in the passing game per game, not per season

Grant Perry Yes 

DPJ No 

Harbaugh hasn’t got a clue on how to get the ball to his playmakers. Why don’t we try slants or screens?

When the opponent's go to a dime defense, they actually get to put 10 DBs out there against Michigan, so it is really 11 on 17.  Because of that, we rarely see receivers running in space with no one around them.  

Wait...is that just what it seems/feels like when I am watching Michigan games? 

yea easy answer is that harbaugh's offense (if that's what you even call it) flat out sucks and its very disappointing

Yes 

Michigan has a short passing game?  Who knew

For the love of the most high. We always over think things.  For one, we cannot afford certain things to happen.  We were down 17-0.  That changes the way any offense operates.  Conservative calls are due to the fact that if; Michigan turns the ball over one more time the game would’ve been essentially over.  Our playbook has more to it.  You cannot say that one game Harbaugh plans the best game ever and then say he forgot how to run an offense.  Is it nauseating yes.  But he isn’t entertaining us on purpose.  Bo Pelini was fired for only winning 9-10 games a year and now they are undefeated backwards.  Our offense will get better and of course there are better plays to come in the near future.  Some people would complain if they landed in paradise on accident.  Oh boy.

Definitely looking forward to this week's offensive UFR. Did we stop running Down G or did Northwestern just consistently have it stuffed?

We don’t run any crossing patterns with WR’s.  We are always throwing either the bomb or throwing to the boundary with the WR’s.  We don’t get them in space.

Yes

Until they get rid of Pep they’ll underutilize a lot of people. There are no short passes or seemingly no hot routes in his offense. The Colts fired him for a reason, predictable and vanilla offense. 

Slants and quick outs are 3 step drop patterns.

When we run shotgun 2/3 of the time, those plays aren't as much of an option.