- Joined
- Oct 21, 2011
- Messages
- 15,655
Offense
OC - Coley:
Good: I start here because it's almost impossible to judge yesterday's game in a vacuum. Clearly, our sights are set on UF. I am unable to accept that we'll avoid the middle of the field as much as we did yesterday. In fact, I expect to see the opposite. We didn't see a single crossing or drag route hit the entire game. Mark that down as a concept I think we need to use next week. A lot. I think I saw one solid combination route the entire night. Mind you, I've only re-watched the 1st half so far. I watched the game live and lots of things are missed in that setting. We had one play where Coley (WR) faked the bubble screen block and went vertical. That's basically the extent of wrinkles we saw from routes. My favorite thing that I saw yesterday was an indicator that we are committed to running the ball. Some of you guys told me I was f'in crazy for wanting and expecting a 30% increase in rush attempts. Others told me I was an idiot (I am, but that's besides the point) to expect Duke to get the 226 carries I projected. Unless there's a health issue, I think we'll hit both marks. Easily.
Bad: Can it be that Coley is this simplistic? Of course, there are concerns. I wasn't a big fan of FSU's offense last year. Lots of people told me it was "jimbo's offense" and he was responsible for the plays. I found it hard to believe that many of the concepts wouldn't carry over. After all, it's what our OC has been exposed to for a considerable time. FSU's biggest problem, in my estimation, was running a disjointed system. While there are indicators, as mentioned, that we'll have a better identity in terms of running the ball, I'm just throwing my concern out there that the concepts will be too varied. We shall see on this one.
What it means for next week: I expect a totally different offense. That doesn't mean I expect better or worse results. It means, conceptually, I expect to see different things. I expect more pulling from the guards. I expect more drags/crosses underneath vertical patterns. I expect SOME use of the middle of the field.
QB - Morris:
Good: Strong arm is a strong arm is a strong arm. He should have had 2 more TDs. Plain and simple. The throw to Walford on the TD was one of the better throws I've seen him make. He took off once for a very positive play. I hope he does this more (and gets down, of course).
Bad: Obviously, he seemed a little erratic. His timing hasn't always been his strong suit. His feet get a little wild in the face of a rush and he tends to widen that stance, which leads to accuracy issues. More worrisome, I've already heard a bunch of comments from people close to the program who are worried about his reaction to Coley's (WR) 2nd drop. I didn't see it because I was at the game. I saw it on the replay of the first half. People will mention Marino, Brady and other fiery QBs who came off the field and yelled at everyone. That was perceived as "leadership." Great. The thing is those guys are hotheads and those reactions were in their nature. Yesterday, we saw Morris react in a way that was outside of his traditional nature. Maybe he's more accountable now - with himself and in holding others to a standard. However, as one person told me, "Morris makes plenty of mistakes and doesn't react that way with himself, so when he got frustrated and vented it out because of a teammate, maybe we're seeing someone who is expecting things to be easier than they will be because of the hype he's received."
What it means for next week: If we see the same Morris, we get smoked. I anticipate we'll see the usage of more of the field, so obviously that should help him. My biggest concern for Morris is, and probably always has been, the little things: anticipation, touch and making decisions pre-snap. My hope is he'll look more comfortable scanning the field and adjusting when his predetermined looks aren't there.
RB - Duke:
Good: We are blessed. That's the second coming of Ladanian Tomlinson. Balance, seeks contact, burst and natural instincts. Appreciate it all.
Bad: He got about 5 more carries than I projected and would have wanted for him. I get that an injury can happen at any point and we can't control it. I just don't think it was necessary for him to get 20 touches yesterday. That's splitting hairs, though.
What it means for next week: I think we're going to see him in a lot of different spots this upcoming week. I'm sure we'll talk about that more as the week goes on. He's such a fantastic zone runner, but some of our OL struggle like **** in zone blocking. It's a weird mix. Not sure how they're going to reconcile those two things.
RB - Clements:
Good: On his 11 yard run, he looked like the guy who'll get 85-90 carries and spell Duke as an actual RB (instead of the hybrid-type role that Crawford seems to be better suited play).
Bad: Less than 4 yards a carry is worrisome, but it's early.
What it means for next week: Would be surprised if it means anything for this upcoming week, but I think it means a lot for the rest of the season.
RB - Edwards:
Good: Burst, size, feet. Kind of impressive he can do any of what we saw considering he was held out for a time period.
Bad: Better lean and needs to fall forward. Not going to bully people at this level.
What it means for next week: I hope nothing. We shouldn't see him this upcoming week.
WR - Dorsett:
Good: Speed.
Bad: I remain unconvinced in his ability to create plays because of the same reasons we see him struggle in the return game.
What it means for next week: I hope to see him used vertically and use guys underneath him. Throwing at him in double coverage is ridiculous. I expect DEEP crosses from him and vertical routes. People respect his speed. Use it.
WR - Waters:
Good: Playmaker. The guy just makes plays. His once questioned speed is now an asset. His cutting ability is what makes him the player he has already become and the scary player he may eventually be.
Bad: Seemed like we didn't have a good plan for him and used him in the slot more than I would, but I guess that's part of the game plan we're going with.
What it means for next week: He needs to be targeted more. Plain and simple.
WR - Coley:
Good: Best burst out of a WR since Travis Benjamin. Really like him in the slot for certain routes, but he just needs the ball in his hands.
Bad: He dropped those two balls. The first one should have been caught, but was a late throw. The second one was egregious. He needs to get over that crap because we need him.
What it means for next week: I think his issues will result in us using him less out of the slot than what I hoped. I hoped to see some vertical routes (like his 2nd drop) against the Gates, but maybe now Waters gets those. I think they'll try to first get Coley on the outside and get him comfortable with a screen.
WR - Hurns:
Good: He catches the ball. He needs to run deep ins and slants.
Bad: He's a level beneath the other guys in terms of burst and ability.
What it means for next week: Deep ins and slants. Please. Get this guy as our reliable 3rd down converter.
TE - Walford:
Good: Looks big, athletic and productive. Held on to a great throw for the TD.
Bad: Not his fault, but they kept him out of the middle of the field. No bueno.
What it means for next week: Should see him used as a way to get Morris comfortable next week.
OL - Entire Team:
Good: When they lock you in, you're done. Solid in pass-protection. Good depth. We saw a bunch of guys step in.
Bad: Rotations are not my thing on the OL. Someone else (Awsi, I think) mentioned that the whole is less than the sum of the parts. That's a great description of the OL. They're individually talented guys and are playing beneath their total potential as a unit. Short yardage was scary. It seems you're asking guys to think when they shouldn't be doing any thinking. You're asking guys to do some zone blocking or pulling when that's not a strength. I don't know exactly how they quantify who gets more snaps with a certain concept, but I don't want to see Bunche pulling around looking for someone to block. Leave that up to Feliciano and Linder, please. I'd be more comfortable with less of a shuffle.
What it means for next week: Huge point of concern for two reasons: (1) I'm not sure they have any rhythm and (2) Morris sometimes doesn't help them in his drops and decisions. They're going to face an enormous test next week and those zone cutback lanes Duke glided through will NOT be there in the same way.
I'm tired of writing stuff. Cheers.
OC - Coley:
Good: I start here because it's almost impossible to judge yesterday's game in a vacuum. Clearly, our sights are set on UF. I am unable to accept that we'll avoid the middle of the field as much as we did yesterday. In fact, I expect to see the opposite. We didn't see a single crossing or drag route hit the entire game. Mark that down as a concept I think we need to use next week. A lot. I think I saw one solid combination route the entire night. Mind you, I've only re-watched the 1st half so far. I watched the game live and lots of things are missed in that setting. We had one play where Coley (WR) faked the bubble screen block and went vertical. That's basically the extent of wrinkles we saw from routes. My favorite thing that I saw yesterday was an indicator that we are committed to running the ball. Some of you guys told me I was f'in crazy for wanting and expecting a 30% increase in rush attempts. Others told me I was an idiot (I am, but that's besides the point) to expect Duke to get the 226 carries I projected. Unless there's a health issue, I think we'll hit both marks. Easily.
Bad: Can it be that Coley is this simplistic? Of course, there are concerns. I wasn't a big fan of FSU's offense last year. Lots of people told me it was "jimbo's offense" and he was responsible for the plays. I found it hard to believe that many of the concepts wouldn't carry over. After all, it's what our OC has been exposed to for a considerable time. FSU's biggest problem, in my estimation, was running a disjointed system. While there are indicators, as mentioned, that we'll have a better identity in terms of running the ball, I'm just throwing my concern out there that the concepts will be too varied. We shall see on this one.
What it means for next week: I expect a totally different offense. That doesn't mean I expect better or worse results. It means, conceptually, I expect to see different things. I expect more pulling from the guards. I expect more drags/crosses underneath vertical patterns. I expect SOME use of the middle of the field.
QB - Morris:
Good: Strong arm is a strong arm is a strong arm. He should have had 2 more TDs. Plain and simple. The throw to Walford on the TD was one of the better throws I've seen him make. He took off once for a very positive play. I hope he does this more (and gets down, of course).
Bad: Obviously, he seemed a little erratic. His timing hasn't always been his strong suit. His feet get a little wild in the face of a rush and he tends to widen that stance, which leads to accuracy issues. More worrisome, I've already heard a bunch of comments from people close to the program who are worried about his reaction to Coley's (WR) 2nd drop. I didn't see it because I was at the game. I saw it on the replay of the first half. People will mention Marino, Brady and other fiery QBs who came off the field and yelled at everyone. That was perceived as "leadership." Great. The thing is those guys are hotheads and those reactions were in their nature. Yesterday, we saw Morris react in a way that was outside of his traditional nature. Maybe he's more accountable now - with himself and in holding others to a standard. However, as one person told me, "Morris makes plenty of mistakes and doesn't react that way with himself, so when he got frustrated and vented it out because of a teammate, maybe we're seeing someone who is expecting things to be easier than they will be because of the hype he's received."
What it means for next week: If we see the same Morris, we get smoked. I anticipate we'll see the usage of more of the field, so obviously that should help him. My biggest concern for Morris is, and probably always has been, the little things: anticipation, touch and making decisions pre-snap. My hope is he'll look more comfortable scanning the field and adjusting when his predetermined looks aren't there.
RB - Duke:
Good: We are blessed. That's the second coming of Ladanian Tomlinson. Balance, seeks contact, burst and natural instincts. Appreciate it all.
Bad: He got about 5 more carries than I projected and would have wanted for him. I get that an injury can happen at any point and we can't control it. I just don't think it was necessary for him to get 20 touches yesterday. That's splitting hairs, though.
What it means for next week: I think we're going to see him in a lot of different spots this upcoming week. I'm sure we'll talk about that more as the week goes on. He's such a fantastic zone runner, but some of our OL struggle like **** in zone blocking. It's a weird mix. Not sure how they're going to reconcile those two things.
RB - Clements:
Good: On his 11 yard run, he looked like the guy who'll get 85-90 carries and spell Duke as an actual RB (instead of the hybrid-type role that Crawford seems to be better suited play).
Bad: Less than 4 yards a carry is worrisome, but it's early.
What it means for next week: Would be surprised if it means anything for this upcoming week, but I think it means a lot for the rest of the season.
RB - Edwards:
Good: Burst, size, feet. Kind of impressive he can do any of what we saw considering he was held out for a time period.
Bad: Better lean and needs to fall forward. Not going to bully people at this level.
What it means for next week: I hope nothing. We shouldn't see him this upcoming week.
WR - Dorsett:
Good: Speed.
Bad: I remain unconvinced in his ability to create plays because of the same reasons we see him struggle in the return game.
What it means for next week: I hope to see him used vertically and use guys underneath him. Throwing at him in double coverage is ridiculous. I expect DEEP crosses from him and vertical routes. People respect his speed. Use it.
WR - Waters:
Good: Playmaker. The guy just makes plays. His once questioned speed is now an asset. His cutting ability is what makes him the player he has already become and the scary player he may eventually be.
Bad: Seemed like we didn't have a good plan for him and used him in the slot more than I would, but I guess that's part of the game plan we're going with.
What it means for next week: He needs to be targeted more. Plain and simple.
WR - Coley:
Good: Best burst out of a WR since Travis Benjamin. Really like him in the slot for certain routes, but he just needs the ball in his hands.
Bad: He dropped those two balls. The first one should have been caught, but was a late throw. The second one was egregious. He needs to get over that crap because we need him.
What it means for next week: I think his issues will result in us using him less out of the slot than what I hoped. I hoped to see some vertical routes (like his 2nd drop) against the Gates, but maybe now Waters gets those. I think they'll try to first get Coley on the outside and get him comfortable with a screen.
WR - Hurns:
Good: He catches the ball. He needs to run deep ins and slants.
Bad: He's a level beneath the other guys in terms of burst and ability.
What it means for next week: Deep ins and slants. Please. Get this guy as our reliable 3rd down converter.
TE - Walford:
Good: Looks big, athletic and productive. Held on to a great throw for the TD.
Bad: Not his fault, but they kept him out of the middle of the field. No bueno.
What it means for next week: Should see him used as a way to get Morris comfortable next week.
OL - Entire Team:
Good: When they lock you in, you're done. Solid in pass-protection. Good depth. We saw a bunch of guys step in.
Bad: Rotations are not my thing on the OL. Someone else (Awsi, I think) mentioned that the whole is less than the sum of the parts. That's a great description of the OL. They're individually talented guys and are playing beneath their total potential as a unit. Short yardage was scary. It seems you're asking guys to think when they shouldn't be doing any thinking. You're asking guys to do some zone blocking or pulling when that's not a strength. I don't know exactly how they quantify who gets more snaps with a certain concept, but I don't want to see Bunche pulling around looking for someone to block. Leave that up to Feliciano and Linder, please. I'd be more comfortable with less of a shuffle.
What it means for next week: Huge point of concern for two reasons: (1) I'm not sure they have any rhythm and (2) Morris sometimes doesn't help them in his drops and decisions. They're going to face an enormous test next week and those zone cutback lanes Duke glided through will NOT be there in the same way.
I'm tired of writing stuff. Cheers.
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