Quick, horizontal passing--an answer to Speight's woes?
After last week's game, and especially after reading TomVH's article for ESPN on Speight's accuracy issues, I've been wondering again why we don't see more quick, horizontal passes. After all, with a QB in shotgun and 3-5 WRs spread wide, you can get the pass off before blitzers can get to the QB. And you also prevent the defense from stacking the box.
To my layman's eyes, this seems like a good (partial) solution for a QB who is pretty accurate when he's got protection and very inaccurate when under pressure.
Obviously I know very little about calling plays compared to our staff, but do you guys--and especially those of you with coaching experience--think that might be a good way to use the numbers we have at WR and TE, mitigate the inexperience of our RG/RT, gain yards and build our QB's confidence?
Alternatively, why avoid doing this, or only do it occasionally? I assume there are good reasons, I just can't think of them.*
Thanks in advance for your answers.
*I remember in 2013 when almost everyone (including me) was calling for Borges to run bubble screens, then when we did in 2014, it turned out we were not good at them.
September 13th, 2017 at 1:47 AM ^
i am pretty sure the coaching staff is working on the things they believe will work. its called game planning. i think i will just relax and enjoy the games.
September 13th, 2017 at 3:04 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 6:47 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 7:32 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 7:59 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 9:15 AM ^
Combine this with our dozen new wide receivers and tight ends...well...it isnt going to be "seemless".
People need to chill the f*ck out.
September 13th, 2017 at 8:20 PM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 1:08 PM ^
I'd feel better about the youth argument if it weren't a redhsirt junior having accuracy issues.
Year 1 and 2, I get it. But Year 3 and 4, I expect play to be at its best. And maybe it is. That's the concerning issue here.
September 13th, 2017 at 7:28 PM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 1:32 PM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 4:04 PM ^
"People forget this is the youngest fbs team."
Nah... I realize that.
I also realize OSU was one of the youngest teams in FBS last year - and beat us and made the CFP.
September 13th, 2017 at 5:27 PM ^
Did you stop reading after the first sentance? Because the point is that it is important for young inexpernced teams to face adversity in early on wins so they are prepared when it happens on the road verse good teams later in the season.
Clemson, Osu and Bama were all the youngest teams in their conferance last year in regards returning players. All 3 had early season struggles while the young guys got there feet under them. Hell, Saban went on a rant about how embarrased he was after their week 2 win and Clemson was in a bunch a very close games early. Young teams will have games where they can not get out of there own way. Its about what they do to overcome the adversity.
September 13th, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^
The answer to this is simple. Look over to the sidelines. Realize that RichRod nor Hoke is there anymore. Breathe deep. Smile.
The answer to Speight's woes are to realize he had one bad game on the road against a tough defense. He played well enough against Cincy. At Harbaugh's press conference he mentioned that Speight was 58% against Cincy. Harbaugh tracks this stuff like the fierce competitor he is. He is not playing favorites or politics. He is being very analytical about this. He knows Speight is his QB because of all the metrics he tracks during spring and fall practices and games. He surely wasn't happy about 44% against Florida, but they have a solid defense, and I'm sure Jim had the occassional bad game in his college and pro career. It's so nice having a guy in charge of things who actually played the position, unlike Al Borges.
September 13th, 2017 at 7:46 PM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 9:29 AM ^
was the time between it became 17-14 and 24-14. I was worried one more Speight turnover would have me in the fetal position on the floor
Otherwise, I was fairly relaxed and frustrated. For long periods of the game, it looked like a 10 point lead might as well have been a 40 point lead
September 13th, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
That's enough to worry a person. Also the fact the Cincinnati messed up a couple potential big plays was enough to make a person nervous.
September 13th, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^
National Champion Clemson only beat Troy by 6 points (30-24) in week 2 last year. They should've lost to NC State and they did lose to Pitt.
I'll take 13 more 22 point wins thanks.
September 13th, 2017 at 11:58 AM ^
Cincinnati... not so much. I'm certainly not saying you're a Pollyanna since I was not seriously worried about losing last week either. But I am very concerned about Speight's inability to grab the reins of the offense and continued propensity to make at least three drive-killing mistakes per game - especially against the 2nd-worst team we're gonna play this year. It was aggravating to watch, especially on the heels of our offensive sludgefarts to end last season.
However, you know who else is concerned about this? Harbaugh and Speight. They're going to do their best to fix the offense going forward and the braintrust we have now is the most likely and qualified one we can conceivably have to attempt this. As fans, that's really all we can ask.
September 13th, 2017 at 1:10 PM ^
How do we know Cinci isn't a team with a pulse? Maybe Austin Peay was their "sleepwalk" game and Michigan was their Superbowl?
Really we just ought to stop overreacting to early season games.
September 13th, 2017 at 3:25 PM ^
Maybe Cincy does have a pulse, but there wasn't much to indicate up until Saturday that they did.
I don't think it's overreacting to say that I'm still concerned that Speight's having accuracy issues and making drive-killing mistakes that, if not cleaned up, will cost us against better teams. I'm not saying bench him for the waterboy, but you are what your record says you are and there've been too many bouts of prolonged ineffectiveness for the last 5 games he's played. It's understandable given the departures and overall youth on this team and the throughput is also not where we would like it to be at this point. I hope he and the offense can find their way again. I think they *can* and I am 100% they're doing their level best to get all 11 guys working in concert.
September 13th, 2017 at 2:38 PM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^
this is great perspective. Not ever game will be perfect. Still need a larger sample size to make judgement on this team.
September 13th, 2017 at 1:24 PM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 2:50 PM ^
Yeah, it was amazing to see people worried about Cincy to the degree people were. This wasn't Hoke-era "not as good as we all hoped" exposure. It was a bad couple of quarters against an overmatched team. We see that every week in college football, and virtually every time the better team pulls away.
September 13th, 2017 at 8:34 PM ^
More like you were able to relax all of last year? Starting with the very first pass he threw.
September 13th, 2017 at 4:20 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 6:52 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 8:34 AM ^
That play is great, but only works with a QB who is a real threat to run, Speight clearly isn't that. On the otherhand, does OSU ever run a play similar to this? If not, they are seriously missing out on an opportunity.
September 13th, 2017 at 8:58 AM ^
Oklahoma got them at least twice on the pop pass.
September 13th, 2017 at 9:45 AM ^
I missed that. You think they would see what it did to them and utilize it. Mayfield is at least a threat to run (has had like 7 games with a run longer than 10 yards), but he certainly is no JT Barrett on the ground.
September 13th, 2017 at 9:28 AM ^
of. Meyer has always ran a "jump pass" that is a variation on this concept, but he almost exclusively runs it near the goal line.
September 13th, 2017 at 10:05 AM ^
Maybe you should relax and not post.
September 13th, 2017 at 1:53 AM ^
No, working on his footwork both in and out of the pocket is the answer.
Gonna be a process.
September 13th, 2017 at 7:37 AM ^
I think that footwork is 90+% of Speight's issues with occasional inaccuracy. Setting one's feet in the pocket is generally much easier than setting one's feet on a scramble - hence his occasional floated passes.
September 13th, 2017 at 8:30 AM ^
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September 13th, 2017 at 8:57 AM ^
There's something to that. HOWEVAH, I don't recall Speight having to adjust to the pocket collapsing as the O-Line gels (especially on the right side). And he is also working with young receivers who may not always be running their assigned routes in game situations. There are a lot of moving parts here.
We see NFL QBs float passes when flushed from the pocket on occasion. Let's give him a few more games before writing him off as having reached his ceiling.
September 13th, 2017 at 8:58 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 2:20 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 5:40 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 7:21 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 7:26 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 8:31 AM ^
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September 13th, 2017 at 8:40 AM ^
I miss Milton Friedman.
September 13th, 2017 at 8:48 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 9:38 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 10:01 AM ^
the waggle.
Seriously, run the damn Waggle.