Problems/Fixes for our Offense

[Ark-Tider]

Re: Old habits can be hard to break (offensive production)

I believe JPW plays better in the 4th quarter drives because he isn't thinking anymore, he's just reaciting like he's supposed to. Thoughts? Opinions?

I questioned in another thread the time needed to throw the ball in a 3-step and 5-step drop. Some think that 3 seconds is plenty of time to scan the field and throw the ball. I think we shorten our routes in the hurry up because of the prevent defense. JPW looks alot more effective in a 3-step quick pass play. He doesn't scan the field but he usually gets his feet set and throws going forward. I sure would like to see more dump passes to the tight end and RB's as well as some slant passes to the WR's. It only makes since to build the play calling around JPW. Even though the WR's are the strength of this team, it will do no good if we can't get the ball to them. JMO

 

[TideFan in AU]

Re: Offensive offense.

In the I if your QB wasn't having a good game you could just hand it to the back 40 times and play for field position and time of possession. We won many a game doing just that when Stallings was here. In the spread if your QB isn't having a good game the offense doesn't work, period. Maybe I'm old-fashioned but I would always like Alabama to be a tough, no-nonsense, run first and pass later type of team.

That only works though if you have a dominant offensive line, which you were the first to admit we don't have. Stallings had awesome O lines to work with.

 

[Ark-Tider]

Re: Offensive offense.

Our "D" played well, except on the QB runs, but we kept them on the field too much. A few first downs would have gave them some rest.

One thing for sure...our defense will be in great playing shape down the road. If our O gets to clicking I look for the d-fense to really stand out.

 

[thunderz7]

Re: Offensive offense.

Stallings had O-lines that barely got it done,
he had great D's that won in spite of his O's.

We complained about Jim Fuller the whole time he was at Bama,
through Perk, Curry, Stallings and Dubose.

Before the rule changes to legal holding, legal use of hands and extending the arms, Fuller was as good an O-line coach as any, anywhere;
the year the rules changed was the year he came to Bama, Perk's second year;
Jim forgot all he knew about the old style of blocking in favor of the new rules and was never the O-line coach he had previously been again.
So we complained, like we always do.

Now we have guys trying to get over the Connelly Syndrome.
Pass blocking is some better, but our QB also has Connelly Syndrome and gets "happy feet" too early at times, having been hit too often, too quick, in the past.
Zone run blocking has not improved, still very inconstant.
The few times we use assignment power blocking techniques, it seems to work far better than our zone blocking does.

In the past Cardwell has been a much better shotgun snapper than Caldwell.
AC is also having problems with QB under center, getting beat off the snap.
AC proved himself at guard as a frosh, but I don't see practice every day.

In 92 we complained all year, until after the Miami game, then we forgot all the stuff we were gripping about.

T7

 

[NavyTider]

Re: Offensive offense.

That only works though if you have a dominant offensive line, which you were the first to admit we don't have. Stallings had awesome O lines to work with.

If your offensive line isn't dominant, then you DEFINITELY can't try to win the game throwing the ball. You're just going to get your QB killed. At least in the I you've got the FB to try and pick up an extra defensive player. We try a lot of running plays with only a single back, so if the line doesn't make every block, the play is busted. If your offensive line is hurting you can try to run screens, but you can only go to that well so many times before the defense starts to catch on.

You are correct in saying that is what people want; however, I believe these types of offenses are a huge reason that we now see so many "upsets". When a spread team is hot, they can score a lot, but when they are not hitting big plays, they look very average or awful.

I agree with this statement. The spread works if your skill players are faster than their counterparts on the defense. If the defense has the speed advantage, then it doesn't. Florida is a good example of this. When they're faster, they look like worldbeaters (see Ohio State game last year). When they don't have a speed advantage, they look very average (see their last two Auburn games). The spread worked for a while because defenses were used to seeing power-based offenses and were vulnerable to finesse. The Big Ten still suffers from this. However, when you know the spread is coming and you have time to prepare for it, it seems to be very easy to scheme against.

 

[Proxigean Tide]

Re: Offensive offense.

I agree with this statement. The spread works if your skill players are faster than their counterparts on the defense. If the defense has the speed advantage, then it doesn't. Florida is a good example of this. When they're faster, they look like worldbeaters (see Ohio State game last year). When they don't have a speed advantage, they look very average (see their last two Auburn games). The spread worked for a while because defenses were used to seeing power-based offenses and were vulnerable to finesse. The Big Ten still suffers from this. However, when you know the spread is coming and you have time to prepare for it, it seems to be very easy to scheme against.

I came to this same conclusion after watching USF destroy WVA on Friday night. A fast defense with time to prepare can render the spread offense harmless. If you can bring pressure off the corners and clog the middle, everything breaks down.

 

[bamacpa70]

Re: Old habits can be hard to break (offensive production)

Not singling you out by any means but people need to change their way of thinking. I do not know how many people that post on this board have actually played football beyond the middle school level or played any sport beyond the high school level. Coaching changes, philosophy changes and system changes in football do not happen over night. You do have your exceptions but they are few and far between. Most of the time when you have a complete overhaul of a coaching staff and the new staff's philosophy is polar opposite of the last you're going to have a transition phase that could possibly get quite ugly.

Because you've got players having to mentally make the transition. Transition of unlearning philosophies from the previous regime to new ones of the current regime. The old philosophies have become natural and involuntary so it's much easier to do them than do what is currently being taught.

Yes, it gets frustrating (lord knows I was ticked off last night) but at some point common sense and logical thinking has to come in. Not too many programs have coaching staff overhauls that include philosophy overhauls and not have bumps in the road.

Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State have all done it. OSU with a coach from a lower division. Florida had a pretty good first year year under UM, and talk about a total change of philosophy.

Make all the excuses you want, this staff did not take over 5 weeks ago. This staff has had 9 months to get these kids to understand what they need to do.

It is absolutely ludicrous to blame the lack of effort and intensity on the previous staff.

 

[dvldog]

Re: Old habits can be hard to break (offensive production)

Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State have all done it. OSU with a coach from a lower division. Florida had a pretty good first year year under UM, and talk about a total change of philosophy.

Make all the excuses you want, this staff did not take over 5 weeks ago. This staff has had 9 months to get these kids to understand what they need to do.

It is absolutely ludicrous to blame the lack of effort and intensity on the previous staff.

Easy now unless you played football beyond middle school.