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 10:21 AM ^
"... hardest offense to prepare for ... " .
That is a bit of a two edged sword though - it's hard for both opponents and our own team to prepare for.
September 13th, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 9:49 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 10:15 AM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 10:35 AM ^
Seems his pluses are decision making, understanding defences and seeing the field.
Seems his struggle has been accuracy.
Calling quick hitting plays that require accuracy and less thniking seems more problematic. I would rather see Wilton overshoot an WR he finds in an opening than sailing a quick hitter over a WR's head into the waiting arms of a clueless Saftey.
I have no idea how QB's improve accuracy, but I think Wilton could be a special QB if he can do that.
September 13th, 2017 at 10:36 AM ^
For an offense like that, you need to be able to get the ball out quick. He doesn't seem to have as long a delivery as Henne, but it still seems long.
Also, in a quick passing game, the WRs and QBs need to be on the same page. There's too many new WRs for me to believe they're on the same page yet. But I definitely agree on more screen passes and throw in some QB waggle also.
September 13th, 2017 at 1:24 PM ^
Speight is not a quick spread thrower who struggles with the deep ball. He's very much a post-snap read, pro-style QB who struggles with consistency, but is probably better than average at pocket awareness/mobility and route progressions. He misses as many short throws as long ones, because he's accurate when he steps into his throws and sails it when he doesn't. He's also not particularly quick on the release.
If anything, the quick horizontal game would seem to minimize his strengths while doing little to correct his weaknesses.
September 13th, 2017 at 3:37 PM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 4:52 PM ^
September 13th, 2017 at 4:52 PM ^
September 14th, 2017 at 2:02 PM ^
While rewatching games from last year over the summer, saw MANY examples of Speight struggling mightily on the types of throws you're suggesting may help him. Good suggestion, but only in theory.