I look at the jet sweeps and WR screens almost like how running plays open up the pass. The sweeps and screens keep the CB's from crashing in, and also keep the Safeties honest focused on the edges first. As much as the plays sometimes irk me and I wonder why we keep running them, they are likely part of the reason we were getting 6 yards a carry running inside. Also against a team that is very thin across the front 7, forcing the big boys sprint sideline-to-sideline has an impact as the game goes on. Like Saban said, once the big boys tank runs out, they can't refill for a couple of days.
How effective Alabama's screen passes/jet sweeps were at Ole Miss
- Thread starter JustNeedMe81
- Start date
I have no problem with a certain number of those type plays and some/most not working. Your setting something up. I get it. But that many when other things are working but being largely ignored? Head scratching material. Can't argue w/the final outcome.
b/c they make the S not only creep up, but also outside so they can't come in as quickly to support an inside run. Then when we have an inside run, and also have the WR in motion for the jet sweep, the S has to follow the WR instead of crashing inside.
I get what you're saying. Trust me, I do. And to a point I agree. But the coaches on the sidelines calling plays are having to walk a fine line of success now and preparing for success later in the game. They can't always call plays in a vacuum. While they are dealing in the here and now of the game they are also forced to set the stage for what they want to do later. It's truly like a chess match with the other def coordinator. I wouldn't want their job. A good analogy would a boxing match. You throw those perceived meaningless jabs and not very sexy body blows early on in the match to set the stage for the haymaker later on.
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That's why I said it was frustrating. We fans only see the end result though and often we miss details. (Unless you've played and/or coached, which I have not). Anyway, I get what you are saying and don't necessarily disagree, I'm just admitting that I don't know what I don't know (if that makes any sense).
I thought Alabama would come in and try to RPO the Ole Miss defense. Basically use their speed and aggressiveness to their disadvantage. I think Lane was even setting that up a bit with all the wide and short stuff. Move them sideline to sideline then leak guys behind the defense who they thought were decoys or blockers. Heck, on the very first drive Hurts missed a wide open Hentges in the endzone on what was pretty much a textbook example of using motion and pocket movement to cause a supposed decoy/blocker to get lost in the coverage.
The thing that made the RPO and screen fake game fail was that Ole Miss seemed to believe that they could stop the run with their nickel front and play "prevent the deep strike" on the backend. I don't think the gameplan was really to use the screens to gas their linemen like some have asserted. We seemed to expect Ole Miss to cheat their rover nickelback up and get their strong safety involved in the run game. Ideally all that short stuff would get their guys jumpy and the run focused playcalling would eventually lead to guys wide open deep with screen and sweep fakes. They didn't do that after seeing FSU burn them to a crisp while attempting to do just that to stop Dalvin Cook.
Instead, they dared a shaky looking run attack to beat them and it led to 334 rushing yards.
The thing that made the RPO and screen fake game fail was that Ole Miss seemed to believe that they could stop the run with their nickel front and play "prevent the deep strike" on the backend. I don't think the gameplan was really to use the screens to gas their linemen like some have asserted. We seemed to expect Ole Miss to cheat their rover nickelback up and get their strong safety involved in the run game. Ideally all that short stuff would get their guys jumpy and the run focused playcalling would eventually lead to guys wide open deep with screen and sweep fakes. They didn't do that after seeing FSU burn them to a crisp while attempting to do just that to stop Dalvin Cook.
Instead, they dared a shaky looking run attack to beat them and it led to 334 rushing yards.
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I get it. I'm same as you, trying to understand some of the rationale behind some of the decision making. For example, RTR91 brought up a good point - how did the motion on jet/screen plays impact the running game? In other words, when we did run successfully, was there pre-snap motion that had the defense think and react in a way that opened up lanes for the running game. I hadn't even consider that aspect of it.
Might be the best point I've ever read on this forum about the subject. Well said, BB. There's a lot more to the modern college football game than running together and smashing heads or even playing basketball on grass.
Don't think you'd ever admit it, of course, but given their and our prior performances, I expect we were expecting to have a more difficult time running up the middle on Old Miss than we actually did. To some extent we wore them down. But our reset offensive line performed better than I expected it to. And frankly, Mississippi didn't seem as strong up the middle as I expected, either.
I'm not going to violate mine or the board policy, but suffice it to say I think we have gotten less than text book blocking from the WR position on a few of those bubble screens/jet sweeps.
I'm not going to violate mine or the board policy, but suffice it to say I think we have gotten less than text book blocking from the WR position on a few of those bubble screens/jet sweeps.
Well, I was wrong. Per Saban, the wide plays were run with an intent of wearing out the Ole Miss defense so they could be run against in the second half. A part of me recognizes that it worked. Another part of me really believes that they didn't need to be worn out to beat them that way - that you could have run up the middle against their defensive alignment from snap #1 in the game. But the only important thing is that, again, it worked and the good guys won.
So, Kiffin was not "being Kiffin" - he and Saban had a game plan and it worked.
Roll Tide!
So, Kiffin was not "being Kiffin" - he and Saban had a game plan and it worked.
Roll Tide!
I can't disagree but I'm sure it will be addressed. We were running into each other in many phases of the game.
Man I know. It really really stinks that Ardarius Stewart got hurt by his own player that was trying to block for him.
Ole Miss did a good job of being aggressive against the WR/TE blockers on those screen plays. Normally our blockers out there get some movement going that springs the play but Ole Miss was stonewalling them and blowing up the plays by not allowing the blocking to develop at all.
sometimes, there is some clarity in the game thread
link
(from the last page of the first half game thread - admittedly posted as a smart arsed remark after the first half)
me said:
I gave up on the first half game thread when the score hit 24-3 and so many people went negative.sometimes, there is some clarity in the game thread
link
(from the last page of the first half game thread - admittedly posted as a smart arsed remark after the first half)
i was busy pumping sunshine
You were late to the thread, if memory serves. :biggrin:
Sorry if this link was already posted but coach pretty much sums up why we were going to those plays. Pretty much what other posters were noting as well: CLICK HERE
"They've got pretty good speed on defense and they trapped us down pretty good on the edges," Saban said. "We came back and ran the ball inside off of some of the same motions and the same formations. That's what you folks don't sometimes get the grasp of on the jet sweep. Now you're handing the ball and running a counter the other way and they're all running out there because you ran the play in the first half, [and]now you bust them on this play. But you all don't see that. You just see, 'We ran that play good so why don't we run it more?'–Coach Saban
"They've got pretty good speed on defense and they trapped us down pretty good on the edges," Saban said. "We came back and ran the ball inside off of some of the same motions and the same formations. That's what you folks don't sometimes get the grasp of on the jet sweep. Now you're handing the ball and running a counter the other way and they're all running out there because you ran the play in the first half, [and]now you bust them on this play. But you all don't see that. You just see, 'We ran that play good so why don't we run it more?'–Coach Saban
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