Michigan Pass Blocking Woes in a Chart

Submitted by EastCoast Esq. on

I'm no expert, but I think this may be part of the problem with our passing game.

h/t Garrett Fishaw

 

Here's how Michigan's offensive line has fared in pass protection this season, based on our Pass Block Efficiency Rating pic.twitter.com/WMszBtimgy

— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) September 18, 2017

 

I Like Burgers

September 19th, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^

Would be curious to know if Speight is actually holding on to the ball longer this season or not.  I'm sure someone somewhere charts that.

If he is holding on to it longer, then that would seem to be more confirmation that the WRs just aren't getting open fast enough.

umfan323

September 19th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^

Maybe they are open .. A truly good QB can throw his WR open .We have all seen wide open players and he take a second too long and it’s a sack ,incompletion, completely over throws them ... In my opinion he plays scared and he hesitates instead of just throwing the ball

I Like Burgers

September 19th, 2017 at 11:24 AM ^

Yes, if you have an extrememly elite QB like a Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, it doesn't matter who your WRs and TEs are or how good they are.  That type of QB can fit a football in a mailbox.  But there are only a couple of those kinds of QBs in CFB: Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph (who are both 5th year seniors BTW) are probably the best two, and then you have QBs like Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold (who has 6 INTs already).

So guess what...BREAKING NEWS...Michigan doesn't have a cream of the crop truly elite QB.  Shocking, I know.  He's going to make mistakes, he's going to miss guys, and he's going to need help from the rest of the offense.  Deal with it.

ldevon1

September 19th, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^

Really that good? They play in a pass happy offense that will allow him to get great numbers. His receivers are really good, and they haven't played a team with a pulse yet. I'm not saying that you think he is great, but lets see how he fares against a little better competition. 

Squash34

September 19th, 2017 at 2:04 PM ^

The dude is a multi year starter, a school career record holder, and throw like 3 picks last year. I watch a a lot of college ball every weekend and i think he is most likely the most under valued player in the country. Its not just the system he plays in. He almost always put the ball where it need to be. I think he has a very good shot to win the heismen this year and be the first qb taken.

I Like Burgers

September 19th, 2017 at 2:36 PM ^

The fact that he even said "they have really good WRs" illustrates my point.  James Washington is really good, but Oklahoma State lost 4 of their top 5 receivers from last year, plugged in a bunch of new guys and they are even better than they were last year.  A truly elite QB can make any WR look good -- just like the parade of nobodies Brady has played with over the years.

And OK State isn't just a pass happy offense.  Justice Hill is a better RB than anyone Michigan has had in a really long time.

Squash34

September 19th, 2017 at 9:16 PM ^

Yeah I have watched most of their games, manly because if you like sports betting you have to pay attention to Okla St. Their offense is the best, or one of the best in the country, and they have gotten tiny spreads and pretty low over unders.

That being said, it is a complete offense that has a very good run game, one of the kids (not sure if it was Hill) made a few runs that had a little Barry Sanders to it. It is a complete offense, for sure.

MFanWM

September 19th, 2017 at 1:28 PM ^

My hope was that there would have been more reality to the rumors of spread passing formations with 4-5 receivers and shotgun.  On a lot of these passing plays we seem to be reverting to the slow developing play action passing which 1, requires more time which is limited, 2, places an emphasis on 1 or 2 max reads and 3, requires Speight to focus on a fake prior to reading.

Not that everything should change, but my vote would be some change-ups to the tempo and play calls to use more shotgun spread and short passes to help spread out the defense, target guys like Perry and Gentry more often and build up some confidence with Speight.

Squash34

September 19th, 2017 at 1:58 PM ^

Yeah the idea that "good" college Qbs are consistantly throwing guys open in not accurate. If a college QB is consistantly throwing guys open he is elite.

Hell, Wilton has thrown a few passes this year that have been on target and before the wr gets out of his break. This is considered an "NFL throw" because you have to do that in the NFL. However, even this is not considered "throwing guys open". Throwing guys open is throwing a ball to a guy who is covered but intentionally throwing it to an area that makes him reroute to get open. You really dont see college guys doing this consistantly very often.

I Like Burgers

September 19th, 2017 at 2:40 PM ^

Mostly because it also takes a good WR to be able to look early enough for the ball and reroute themselves.  For all we know, some of the missed throws (obv not the high ones) Speight may have been trying to do this, and the WR just didn't adjust. But then it get blamed on the QB for not throwing it to the guy.  I feel like I've seen a few balls (to Crawford I wanna say) where I thought if he had just looked sooner, he could have adjusted and made a play.

Fezzik

September 19th, 2017 at 3:08 PM ^

That is not an NFL throw. It's is a timing throw that is practiced and expected to be made during the WR's break. This is a D1 level throw. If a QB waits until after the break its considered a late throw. An NFL throw is hitting a deep out on a line from the right hash to the left side of the field.

EastCoast Esq.

September 19th, 2017 at 2:05 PM ^

somewittyname dug her own grave. Her initial opinion questioning Ulizio was valid, but then she replied to every response with snark and sarcasm.

This Blog can be harsh if you don't drink the punch, but somewittyname fanned the flames.

TIMMMAAY

September 19th, 2017 at 2:08 PM ^

If you go back and look again, everyone instantly started in with snark, talking down at her, and basically calling her a chicken little. She was exactly correct. This board is going to shit. If you aren't 100% homer-licious, then you'd better have a long standing reputation or you will be flamed. 

FauxMo

September 19th, 2017 at 10:57 AM ^

Good God, the boards is a fucking bummer today. One sad post after another. I'm expecting some to make a thread to post pictures of dead puppies... 

uncle leo

September 19th, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^

There are big concerns on this team, and the 3-0 record doesn't speak to those. Michigan's been fortunate so far to play a couple minnows and a pretty poor SEC team. 

This stuff needs to be ironed out, and in a hurry, or they will be losing games more than they should in this conference.

Illinois started 2-0. Should people in Champagne have kept their mouth shut and just said, "Hey, we are 2-0, all is right in the world"?

It's okay to look into the details about the games. And if you haven't been squirming or yelling at your TV, especially the last two weeks, I don't know what to tell ya. The team has been very underwhelming against games that should have been put to bed in the 3rd quarter.

I Like Burgers

September 19th, 2017 at 11:31 AM ^

The concerns have been the same for the last 8 months: OL is going to be a problem, and the secondary might be a problem.  We've seen the OL be a problem and that's not going to get fixed anytime soon.  The guys are just too young and inexperienced.

The secondary we'll know more about after the Purdue game.  They haven't played a passing offense worth a damn yet.

Most rational people predicted 9-3 heading into the year because of those issues.  Those issues haven't gone away, appear to be accurate, and 9-3 should still be your expectation.  They are going to lose some games due to youth and inexperience.

Blue in Paradise

September 19th, 2017 at 11:50 AM ^

Although I make the same mistake from time to time - even on this thread.  You are exactly right although I would add that they could get hot and go 11-1 or get cold and go 8-4.

Any of those scenarios are plausible and I am fine with them.  2018 is the year we become a whirling death machine that reloads year after year.