Minnesota Snowflakes: The Offense

Submitted by LSAClassOf2000 on

This will be your repository for thoughts ans hot takes regarding the offensive performance in our game versus Minnesota. 

The Man Down T…

November 4th, 2017 at 11:40 PM ^

I know Peters had some bad passes but he's definitely a step up.  He's running the offense
efficiently and doesn't make those critical mistakes that kill us.  O'Korn wasn't able to do that.  He makes the costly mistakes over and over.  We'll have some pain with Peters but long term it's going to be good.

stephenrjking

November 4th, 2017 at 11:48 PM ^

It's hard to make any kind of analysis with how little the passing game was needed, but Peters appeared to struggle at times. Protection was subpar, of course, but he seemed to hold on to the ball too long, and while there were several good throws there were also a couple of bad misses.

It was nice that passing wasn't needed, but it would've been nicer if he could have been reliable at connecting on play action, and after the (great!) first drive it was clear the coaches didn't trust him to avoid catastrophe.

Not a problem with this game. But we have two big ones left and someone needs to hit passes in those games.

Maynard

November 5th, 2017 at 12:04 AM ^

I thought he looked good when running bootlegs or rolling out. The pocket left much to be desired. I would have really liked some more downfield throws for some good reps but when you're rolling up almost 400 yards on the ground I guess beggars can't be choosers.

Definitely needs to be a point of emphasis next game though no matter what. Can't go into Wisconsin and OSU with the same strategy.

xtramelanin

November 5th, 2017 at 1:15 AM ^

locked on receivers, no progression, short-armed at least 3 open receivers, and i'm not dinging him for the few that he threw in the dirt b/c the receiver was covered and that was the right read.  he also had no feel for those sacks coming.  so a freshman, growing pains, but a bit too much like o'korn when he was a flash on that first game, not so much thereafter.  still have high hopes but he was all sorts of meh today. 

victors2000

November 5th, 2017 at 7:31 AM ^

has a bunch of experience; he is who he is going to be as a quarterback. Brandon is just starting out so a lot of his issues stem from that. I think the short-arming comes from nervousness, hopefully that goes away by the Wisconsin game although I don't believe it as I type it. Madison is going to be rucous. He has a steep learning curve, but he is definitely a step up from John.

stephenrjking

November 5th, 2017 at 1:22 AM ^

I think he hasn't made those mistakes because he hasn't been asked to make the same plays. His primary downfield throws have been really simple: mostly 10-yard hitches and waggle plays. He's made some nice throws on these plays, but it hasn't exactly been complicated to pick those out.

Yeah, we shelved a lot of the playbook when it became clear that we could run with impunity. But the game wasn't truly out of reach until midway through the second half, and Peters never really had to read coverages or find guys over the middle. But he's going to need to do that in Madison and against OSU if we want to win those games and he is raw enough that the coaches aren't willing to even give him a chance at that kind of throw to learn in action. 

For Peters to develop this stuff he has to do it in a live environment, study the film, and work on getting better. You don't want the first time he really challenges coverages to come in the last five minutes of a game we're trailing against OSU's athletes. 

ScooterTooter

November 5th, 2017 at 9:49 AM ^

I thought he had like 2 seconds before an unblocked man was planting him into the earth and the offensive line was standing around looking apologetic. 

It also doesn't make sense to me that the coaches don't trust Peters. Peters (albeit fortunately) is the only one not to throw crushing, terrible picks in his first couple of starts. 

Doc Mango Gibbs

November 4th, 2017 at 11:41 PM ^

Passing game still shockingly awful.  Running game making huge improvements.  Not much else to say. 

bamf16

November 5th, 2017 at 10:20 AM ^

This! I went through the drive charts, and here's what it looks like:

First Half

1: 3 passes, TD, 7-0

2: 1 pass, TD, 13-7

3: 1 pass

4: 0 passes, TD, 20-7

5: 3 passes, missed FG

Second Half

6: Sack, no other pass attempts

7: Sack, no other pass attempts

8: 2 passes, TD, 27-7

9: 0 passes, TD, 33-7

10: 2 passes

11: 1 pass

Peters threw 5 passes in the second half but was sacked twice and took a hard hit, and people are criticizing Pep Hamilton for the offense not opening it up more in the second half with a 3+ possession lead and a freshman making his first career start.

Not a good showing by the Guards in pass protection, but an even worse showing from some of the fans who post here.

 

Bambi

November 4th, 2017 at 11:42 PM ^

Run game looks fully weaponized. Pass game looks fully de-weaponized. Need to be able to pass the ball to have any success vs Wisconsin/OSU.

jgoblue11

November 4th, 2017 at 11:42 PM ^

was meh. but peters still put us in good position early on. zero turnovers. for a third string QB starting, I was literally never worried this game. beat Maryland!!

SeattleWolverine

November 5th, 2017 at 12:05 AM ^

Yeah, weird situation though. Obviously we need to develop the passing game but if you take out the 3 sacks we ran for 394 on 34 carries, which is 11.6/rush. So...how do you not just run the ball given that, and the difference in our OL run blocking vs pass pro? 

MGoBlue96

November 4th, 2017 at 11:42 PM ^

If they can establish an identity as a team that is going to mash you in the running game, that will at least give them a fighters chance against Wisky and OSU, assuming the passing game is not a  disaster. Hard to get a read on the passing game tonight because why pass when you are opening those kind of holes in the running game.

The Oracle

November 4th, 2017 at 11:55 PM ^

To beat good teams, they have to be able to throw the ball. After the first drive, they didn't make much of an effort to do so. They didn't need to in this game, but it would have been nice to see more of an effort made to throw the ball, since they'll need to be able to do it if they want to beat Wisconsin or OSU.

Fezzik

November 5th, 2017 at 12:20 AM ^

We had an identity last year. This offseason we made a major mistake attempting to reconfigure our identity into something we aren't. We overrated our passing ability and thought we could plug and play a plethora of freshmen wide receivers into a successful spread game. We also veered area from the power run game with spotty success. Finally...we are returning to our bread and butter of Harbaugh's first two years here and its looking quite promising. The pass blocking is still a mess. Peters is still an unknown but giving hope with occasional solid plays and more importantly, no turnovers. Not only did we run down their throats but did so with a back up guard. We are only an average passing game away from being a true conference contender. Everything is coming up Milhouse. Go Blue!

bronxblue

November 4th, 2017 at 11:42 PM ^

I don't know how much to take from passing game. This looks not demonstrably different than O'Korn games in the box score, but it felt much better in person.

Running game is going to blitz Maryland next week as well.

SeattleWolverine

November 5th, 2017 at 12:11 AM ^

Limited attempts, but nothing heart stopping on the incompletions or decision making. The sacks weren't really held all that long. Production might match what O'Korn did but he already shows better decision making than O'Korn as far as not throwing it to the completely wrong guy and not trying to do crazy stuff to escape the pocket too soon. O'Korn was a turnover/bad decision machine. At least Peters gives a better change to beat WI in a 16-13 game that has the same feel as the MSU game because he seems less likely to have turnovers. 

bamf16

November 5th, 2017 at 10:27 AM ^

Don't forget the pass to McDoom negated by a penalty we'd be talking about a lot had Michigan lost this game, which was Bushell-Beatty drifting pretty far past the LOS on a pass play, which was one of the dumber plays I've seen in awhile.

 

And was it Bushell Beatty who whiffed on the block on that screen to Evans? That was a damn good play call, but horrid execution.

lhglrkwg

November 4th, 2017 at 11:43 PM ^

He's going to have to be relied on a heck of a lot more vs Wisconsin and OSU and just letting him hand the ball off until then seems like a disservice to Peters because he's going to get a rude awakening in Madison having to suddenly pass 20-30 times against a top defense

The young man needs some realy game experience (passing the ball, not just handing it off)