Red Zone this week
While Rutgers is among the national leaders in total defense (13th), I noticed they are last in the Big Ten in % of TD's allowed in the red zone: most of them rushing TD's. Interesting and hopeful, given Michigan's recent struggles in that part of the offense.
November 1st, 2022 at 2:41 PM ^
I clicked on this, saying to myself, "this is going to be a bad post."
I was not prepared for... this, however.
November 1st, 2022 at 3:45 PM ^
I clicked only after guessing whether this would be a thread about a new Mountain Dew flavor, and if not whether it would be worse than a thread about a new Mountain Dew flavor.
November 1st, 2022 at 4:13 PM ^
I clicked hoping to see Scott Hansen and the Octobox!
November 1st, 2022 at 4:14 PM ^
I thought it was going to be about Scott Hansen, the Commercial-Free Football God of the NFL family of television networks
November 1st, 2022 at 2:43 PM ^
in broad strokes there are two ways to rack up defensive stats against rushing attacks. one is hyperaggressive LBs and the other is Monster Beef up front.
In the case of Rutgers only two players listed as DL are among their top-12 tacklers. One is 250 lbs and the other 290 lbs.
in this way they are like the opposite of MSU who is built to clog you up in the RZ.
November 1st, 2022 at 2:46 PM ^
I noticed they are last in the Big Ten in % of TD's allowed in the red zone: most of them rushing TD's.
If that's the case, I would expect more red zone success, but I doubt we change up our approach much (at least in terms of putting new wrinkles on film). We should be able to pave Rutgers and Nebraska, and although Illinois's defense will likely be tough (similar to Iowa's), I just have a hard time seeing their offense doing much damage. In other words, I feel like we can beat all three teams with the same approach we've been taking, even if red zone issues persist.
The key will be what they have gameplanned for OSU. The coaches definitely schemed up wrinkles last year, and I hope they're doing so again, because I have a hard time seeing FGs cutting it, especially if we can't get after Stroud with organic pass rush...
November 1st, 2022 at 2:48 PM ^
Agree - hoping to see some turnaround in this area the next couple of weeks, but it won't necessarily be telling. Better tests after that.
November 1st, 2022 at 2:54 PM ^
We have 7 more games to work on the RZ offense.
November 1st, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
80 - respectfully, I would say two more games to "shift it up a gear", and a third game to "shift it up another gear". If they continue their quality of play in the next four games - then, they could play in the B1G CCG - which would be similar (or perhaps, identical) to the Illinois game. After that - they definitely need to be in the highest gear possible.
November 1st, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
Don't need to be "hopeful" against Rutger.
There won't be a lot of Red Zone success this week, because we'll be running through it and passing over it more than operating out of it.
November 1st, 2022 at 3:09 PM ^
If anything, I hope the team can get some mojo back... and carry that mojo forward.
But I'm not thinking Rutgers is going to present the same challenge to overcoming redzone stumbles as Illinois may and OSU certainly will.
It's a glorified scrimmage.
November 1st, 2022 at 3:13 PM ^
Their defense is #34 on F+ which is much worse than the #13 on static stats, but still pretty good for Rutgers (#89 overall).
November 1st, 2022 at 3:42 PM ^
It seems as if there are two issues the offense is perceived to have.
The first, as you point out - is RZ efficiency. Can they be more effective at TD's than relying on Jake Moody for a FG.
The second is - the passing game. This seems to apply to both the RZ and "longer field" game.
The next two games seem to be ideally situated in the schedule. Michigan will be a solid favorite, and will likely use what has worked - the ground game - to build a foundation and lead. Now, what we see from the passing game after that will be interesting.
Ball security will be of paramount focus to any Harbaugh coached team. And, there is a balance of "game speed" to gain confidence in certain things (like deeper routes) while not "showing" too much, too early which would allow future opponents to analyze and prepare for everything the O can do.
So, what's going to happen? Well, lol, I'm not on the staff - but, I would expect to see a bit more of the depth of the O over the next two or three games.
November 1st, 2022 at 3:45 PM ^
I hope we don't see Blake Corum at all in the 2nd half.
I hope Anthony can get some reps too so we can see what he can do.
November 2nd, 2022 at 9:27 PM ^
So does Harbaugh (re Anthony). Isn't that what he said in a presser? He's the HC FFS...make it so.
November 1st, 2022 at 3:57 PM ^
I want them to run Orji-Cat with Mazi Smith behind them to push the ball carrier across the line in goal line situations. I think that would be nearly unstoppable at getting 2 yards.
November 1st, 2022 at 4:16 PM ^
I just heard a Sparty say on the radio that it was a 14 to 7 game.
Apparently our field goals no longer count. Must always go for it on 4th down in the red zone now.
November 1st, 2022 at 4:55 PM ^
Guess MSU prevailed 10-0 back in 2012, too...
November 1st, 2022 at 5:35 PM ^
We are going to run all over rutgers including TDs, as noted in the MSU game, we dont have the big dominating WR to go to in the redzone , so we try to run the ball or go to a TE or throw it short. MSU and other Big ten teams are built to stop the run first making it difficult to just power it in . We will be fine until Ohio State probably where we will be faced with finding another way to score in the redzone.
November 1st, 2022 at 7:30 PM ^
We can solve our redzone problems whenever we want. All we have to do is throw the ball once in a while, maybe even past the line of scrimmage, into the endzone, or occasionally on first and second down.
November 1st, 2022 at 8:01 PM ^
I'm hoping for lots of passing in the Rutgers game, including in the red zone.
Give the passing game some in-game reps when we have the chance.
So that it is ready if we need it.