Peppers role on offense moving forward

Submitted by Real and Spectacular on
I'm really excited to see how we incorporate Jabrill on offense the rest of the season. I was surprised he played as much as he did against Rutgers on offense because I assumed we wanted to keep him off film. But since I know Harbaugh is so calculated in everything he does, I wonder if he deliberately put offensive plays involving Jabrill on film as a set up, and will design plays that break tendency off of what he did before. We have a rare offensive talent that likely won't around after this season, and I think Harbaugh knows he has to take advantage of that. I'd put the odds at better than 50% that he throws a TD pass this year and I would bet he ends up with more than 600 yards rushing/receiving.
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1VaBlue1

October 18th, 2016 at 9:59 PM ^

Peppers is playing on offense because he's a playmaker, and the offense needs playmakers.  Yes, JMFH is judicious in setting up his plays, but the Rutgers usage was not that.  He was showcasing a supreme talent in front of his family and friends.  Going forward, Peppers will get offensive snaps because the offense will need the help.

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Hard-Baughlls

October 18th, 2016 at 10:00 PM ^

15 touches against OSU.  I think Peppers in at QB with Evans and McDoom behind him would be a deadly read option.

Then put him in the pistol behind Speight to keep the defense honest.

I think a wheel route to Evans with Peppers in at HB would be deadly.

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stephenrjking

October 18th, 2016 at 10:12 PM ^

A few touches in each game forces opponents to account and plan for him, and runs like the Flash run against Rutgers are a powerful psychological tool against future defenders. Think, which is better: OSU defenders seeing him at QB in a zone read formation wondering, "what are they doing here?" Or OSU defenders seeing him at QB thinking "holy cow this guy is fast and he might run this way?" I'll take either. But that Rutgers run just set up every other play in the playbook.

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Bo Glue

October 19th, 2016 at 1:07 PM ^

Heisman trophies don't grow on trees. Harbaugh wants Peppers to get his

It also wouldn't hurt with recruiting. "Look, we got the #1 recruit two years in a row, and the last time we got the #2 recruit he won the Heisman." It's crazy, but not out of the question that some day he will be able to say that.

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BeatOSU52

October 18th, 2016 at 10:15 PM ^

May have been more than thought vs Rutgers on offense because the coaching staff knew they had a bye week coming up.  I'd personally like to see him get limited playing time vs crappy Illinois to save him for Sparty. 

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Hard-Baughlls

October 18th, 2016 at 10:26 PM ^

1) Would Peppers be the best every down running back on this team and by how big a margin? Now that we have 3-4 backs with complimenting skill sets (Evans, Smith, Isaac, Higdon), and we have some breakaway speed there that maybe we weren't expecting at the beginning of the year, does this group make up for what we lose by not putting Peppers at RB?

2) For the OSU game, on defense, does Peppers simply spy Barret the whole game and make his life as a runner miserable?  Just force him to beat us with his arm, and/or force them to beat our great front 6-7 with a power running game?

 

 

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Michifornia

October 18th, 2016 at 10:45 PM ^

C- through 6 games.  Amazing but understandable coming from him.  Only someone that talented can expect even more from himself.  As a fan, that means we are going to see the best Peppers possible against ohio.  Can't wait.

GO BLUE!!

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bacon

October 18th, 2016 at 10:57 PM ^

Peppers can't just not play on offense until the OSU game and suddenly play a bunch. He needs reps and game experience. So what if they know what he can do, he's the best player on either team. Let's see them try to stop him.

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BoFlex

October 19th, 2016 at 12:46 AM ^

How do you guys think Peppers will be used in the NFL? I've definitely seen some mock drafts that are extremely high on Peppers, but they seem to be in disagreement on what role he can fill.

Some mock him as a LB, but note that his size (6'1" 205lbs) can raise some durability issues. Other drafts have him projected as a safety, but points out his relatively weakness in coverage as a limiting factor.

Does anyone see Peppers switching to offense as an "Offensive Weapon," and blaze his own trail?

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blueblueblue

October 19th, 2016 at 9:38 AM ^

If you care for the player himself, you should want him to go. Otherwise you are just being selfish. Peppers has done his best for this team and program. He is a great ambassador now, and he will continue to be in the NFL. Wish him luck as he moves on and takes advantage of an incredible opportunity - one that may be lost if he stays. 

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bklein09

October 19th, 2016 at 1:39 AM ^

Peppers being from NJ was the reasoning behind his offensive plays against Rutgers. Harbaugh was allowing him to show off in front of his home state. Plus he's gotta start piling up those stats if he wants to make it to NYC. Harbaugh is about winning first and foremost, but he's also about taking care of his players if the opportunity presents itself. And Rutgers presented it all night.



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bklein09

October 19th, 2016 at 1:51 AM ^

I hope he is drilling the zone read daily from now until OSU. If he can get the pull/give decision down 90% of the time, I just don't see how a team can defend it. Keeping contain is damn near impossible, and if you worry about that too much we can gash you up the middle with smith or Isaac. Would love to see us march down the field against OSU a couple times like that.



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leftrare

October 19th, 2016 at 8:41 AM ^

It's funny that as much as JH is adamant about sticking with one guy as his QB, in reality he's progressing toward a QB platoon. Just instead of Okorn, it's Peppers.

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dragonchild

October 19th, 2016 at 9:31 AM ^

I think he clearly prefers to have one guy, but neither is he anywhere near as inflexible as he's reputed to be.  When T. C. Ostrander went down in his first year at Stanford, he played Tavita Pritchard and stuck with him until Pritchard himself got injured.  But in that game, IIRC, Pritchard was OK to go back in but he stuck with Ostrander.  He seems to follow more of a hysteresis pattern, where the QB has to reach a point where he can't recover on his own to get the hook.  Granted some of this was driven by the deplorable shape of Stanford's roster, but he also benched Smith for Kaepernick when Smith himself did quite well under Harbaugh's tutelage.

In both cases where Harbaugh's "adamant" one-QB policy was in play (Luck and Rudock), the starter really had no peer.  Speight is the first guy in quite a while who's supposedly had serious competition, but neither has he given Harbaugh any clear reasons for benching him.

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funkywolve

October 19th, 2016 at 11:39 AM ^

Not sure I'd say Harbaugh 'benched' Smith.  Smith got hurt and was out for a while.  Kaepernick played well enough that Smith lost his job.  

When you say Harbaugh benched Smith, I get the vision that Harbaugh replaced a healthy Smith with Kaepernick.

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dragonchild

October 19th, 2016 at 12:11 PM ^

My point is that Harbaugh didn't go back to Smith as soon as he recovered.  It's the exact same thing he did with Ostrander and Pritchard.

Again, it's hysteresis.  He'll put the starter on a VERY long leash to the point that injury is the most common reason for demotion, but it's not like he's going, "How dare you get injured, I don't care if you're feeling better, eat bench."  He'd prefer his QB figure things out on the field, but neither is he a loyalist if the replacement outplays the starter.

I think he's capable of yanking a QB if he plays badly enough, but having been a QB himself, I think he's very slow to pull that trigger.

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Dano1984

October 19th, 2016 at 8:45 AM ^

But I've always believed we'd get a higher return with Peppers as a full time offensive player. But whatever. Good defensive player...great in the run game. 

 

But God damn man he'd be dynamic as a full time offensive player. Whatever. 

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Blue Dispatch

October 19th, 2016 at 9:13 AM ^

When serving up a spicy meal, depending on who is at the table you can add more or less..

 

Of course for hated neighbors and little brothers you would use lots of peppers just for fun.

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Chris S

October 19th, 2016 at 9:28 AM ^

I would bet money that Peppers starts at quarterback against either MSU or OSU and gets around 30 snaps. Throwing, running, handing off, and taking the victory knee.

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GoBlue519

October 19th, 2016 at 10:01 AM ^

I think we will see a very heavy dose of Peppers on offense in every game for the rest of the season.  They don't really need him on O against the weaker teams but Harbaugh seems to be pushing the Heisman talk so he has to back it up with results and big numbers for Peppers.  

I think he will be everywhere in the first half of the MSU game until it is out of hand.  I think Harbaugh will let him run wild and will want to completely embarrass D'Antoni and pound home the message that the tide has turned and tough times are ahead for Sparty.  

Against OSU, more of the same but he will be needed on both sides of the ball for the entire game.

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Sten Carlson

October 19th, 2016 at 10:27 AM ^

I mentioned this elsewhere, but I put $100 on Peppers for the Heisman @16-1 a few weeks ago. From here on out I'm positive we're going to see a lot more Peppers on offense, especially if games are tight. Why not? Harbaugh wants to win, and putting the ball in the best player's hands is the way to do it. This is (likely) his last chance to call plays for the best football player he's ever coached. To Harbaugh, it's a win-win-win-win situation. By ramping up Peppers on offense The Team is in a better position to win, Peppers is in a better position to win the Heisman, he personally gets to be in a position that is super fulfilling/exciting and one he may never be in again, and lastly, college football as a whole is better because he let the most dynamic player in the country show what he can do. It's going to be a blast to watch!

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blueblue

October 19th, 2016 at 11:33 AM ^

That's the way Harbaugh reacted to JD intercepting that pass instead of knocking it down to end the Wisconsin game. The greatest plays are more important than winning. As a coach you're never going to chose a great play over a win, but in the long run you tend to take the win for granted, it recedes into the background. Woodson's int against State has far eclipsed the game itself. I think Harbaugh looks at jabrill and thinks, this is one for the ages and I have a moral obligation to Football to let him fulfill his destiny.

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TheReal_GR3

October 19th, 2016 at 10:56 AM ^

I don't have a problem seeing Peppers on offense and putting the film out there. At this point there is a lot of film to watch on a ton of different guys and that will stress anyone that is preparing for us. I am sure that when will hit The Game we will still have some tricks left to pull out. 

What I am happy about is unlike under Hoke we won't get to The Game an finally see all the things we were looking for all season that we should have seen before to make sure we were winning games. 

I do think it is good to have Peppers running more and more things from QB and any other place on offense to get nice and comfortable before he faces OSU and hopefully other top teams. 

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TheReal_GR3

October 19th, 2016 at 10:56 AM ^

I don't have a problem seeing Peppers on offense and putting the film out there. At this point there is a lot of film to watch on a ton of different guys and that will stress anyone that is preparing for us. I am sure that when will hit The Game we will still have some tricks left to pull out. 

What I am happy about is unlike under Hoke we won't get to The Game an finally see all the things we were looking for all season that we should have seen before to make sure we were winning games. 

I do think it is good to have Peppers running more and more things from QB and any other place on offense to get nice and comfortable before he faces OSU and hopefully other top teams. 

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blueblue

October 19th, 2016 at 11:23 AM ^

Harbaugh wants Jabrill to win the Heisman. He wants recruits to watch him win it, and wants them to see his coach advocating for him throughout the season.

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WeimyWoodson

October 19th, 2016 at 12:02 PM ^

when he kept downplaying Harbaugh's Heisman level season, where he kept preaching the team and how Harbaugh didn't even care about winning the Heisman.  Harbaugh knows in this day and age all positive attention you can get the better, especailly for future recruiting.

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trueblue262

October 19th, 2016 at 12:52 PM ^

Last game, he was needed on that first play that he broke to 3 yard line. He provided a jump start. I think that he was used after that only because they were in Jersey. Harbuagh is not going to play a guyon offense for shits and giggles. Or even to build up a potential heisman resume. The Team, The Team The Team.

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