Rutgers Offense: Lets start spreading the formation

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

While not exactly what I am talking about.. this is a decent video on beating coverages.. fast, simple.. and the main point is getting in the right formation for teh coverage. Others here have noted that we don't even send guys in motion to reveal is the D is hiding what coverage they will use despite what the D formation looks like.

My main point, borrowed from friend, is that we pull everyone in tight way too often.. run or pass. We need to run from the spread formation.. allow Monangai to beat one tackler rather than three.

 

[RUGuitarMan]

They could try to spread formations to get some running room. The big problem though is the OL , the last 2 weeks they are getting beat in the interior OL which is a major problem. RU has to win Sat. If not, things could start to get ugly going into the bye. Captain Kirk is getting paid $1.4 M per yr.. He better earn it this week. He needs to get a little creative and smarter using his players.

 

[mildone]

I think such changes are far easier conceived and said than done. If players were chess pieces that simply did what they were directed to do without the possibility of mistakes, essentially puppets, then it would be easy to have them do whatever springs to mind instantly.

But players are human and not generally that quickly adaptable to entirely new approaches to the game. Especially college or younger players. But how often do even pro football teams switch offensive philosophies mid-season?

As such, I’m pretty sure that the offense can’t easily make wholesale changes in philosophy or approach mid-season. The OL in particular cannot suddenly start playing an entirely different type of game. Doing so basically throws away all the many hours of pre-season training and all the practice reps so far this season. It would also discard the value of all the film review where mistakes were highlighted and corrected.

It means the team is starting over at square one. Meanwhile we’d be facing teams that have all those thousands of reps and hundreds of hours of review.

Tweaks that largely align with the team’s approach all season and retaining the value of the experience gained from all those reps and all that film review seem much more doable. Much lower risk.

I’m not saying it cannot be done, or is never done. But it’s a very high risk thing that, IMO, can be done more easily with teams filled with elite 4 and 5 star athletes who can rely on talent to overcome the loss of experience with the new system, as they rebuild a half season’s experience and growth.

For us, I think we’re probably stuck with our general approach for the season, better or worse, and any major schematic changes will have to wait for the off-season.

 

[beaced]

-100 percent

 

[gef21]

The issue is going to be they still will just play man free press coverage. Our issue isn't people in the box, it's us giving up penetration to 4 rushers. They can keep 6 in th box vs our 7 and probably stop the run.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

I think such changes are far easier conceived and said than done. If players were chess pieces that simply did what they were directed to do without the possibility of mistakes, essentially puppets, then it would be easy to have them do whatever springs to mind instantly.

But players are human and not generally that quickly adaptable to entirely new approaches to the game. Especially college or younger players. But how often do even pro football teams switch offensive philosophies mid-season?

As such, I’m pretty sure that the offense can’t easily make wholesale changes in philosophy or approach mid-season. The OL in particular cannot suddenly start playing an entirely different type of game. Doing so basically throws away all the many hours of pre-season training and all the practice reps so far this season. It would also discard the value of all the film review where mistakes were highlighted and corrected.

It means the team is starting over at square one. Meanwhile we’d be facing teams that have all those thousands of reps and hundreds of hours of review.

Tweaks that largely align with the team’s approach all season and retaining the value of the experience gained from all those reps and all that film review seem much more doable. Much lower risk.

I’m not saying it cannot be done, or is never done. But it’s a very high risk thing that, IMO, can be done more easily with teams filled with elite 4 and 5 star athletes who can rely on talent to overcome the loss of experience with the new system, as they rebuild a half season’s experience and growth.

For us, I think we’re probably stuck with our general approach for the season, better or worse, and any major schematic changes will have to wait for the off-season.

They put in packages of plays every week.. or, at least, they should.

The idea being..
-to target plays to opponent weaknesses as seen on film.
-to account for injuries on your side to maximize available talent abilities
-to run plays opponents have not seen

Of course, players should have the knowledge of the plays they have run many times on top of the new stuff.

 

[mildone]

They put in packages of plays every week.. or, at least, they should.

The idea being..
-to target plays to opponent weaknesses as seen on film.
-to account for injuries on your side to maximize available talent abilities
-to run plays opponents have not seen

Of course, players should have the knowledge of the plays they have run many times on top of the new stuff.

Yes, like I said, the team can tweak things and obviously does that kind of tweaking from week to week to try to put in stuff that will work well against the upcoming opponent's D.

But what I'm saying is that moving to an entirely different offensive approach, a wholesale different system, is almost certainly not doable. It seems like you're proposing we switch to a spread formation and run a spread offense. No?

I just don't know nearly enough about football to understand, from a coach's POV, what the difference is between what we've been doing all season long, with tweaks from week to week, and what you're proposing we do. It seems like a big difference to me. But again, I have no football coaching experience whatsoever, so I cannot say for sure.

Maybe @gef21 could comment on the gap between how our O has been playing and what you're proposing.

 

[gef21]

Yes, like I said, the team can tweak things and obviously does that kind of tweaking from week to week to try to put in stuff that will work well against the upcoming opponent's D.

But what I'm saying is that moving to an entirely different offensive approach, a wholesale different system, is almost certainly not doable. It seems like you're proposing we switch to a spread formation and run a spread offense. No?

I just don't know nearly enough about football to understand, from a coach's POV, what the difference is between what we've been doing all season long, with tweaks from week to week, and what you're proposing we do. It seems like a big difference to me. But again, I have no football coaching experience whatsoever, so I cannot say for sure.

Maybe @gef21 could comment on the gap between how our O has been playing and what you're proposing.

Every week they are going to pick plays they want to run, to take advantage of something they see.

The issue is that we can not block interior linemen very well at our LG spot and we can not handle speed rushers at the RT spot.

 

[beaced]

While not exactly what I am talking about.. this is a decent video on beating coverages.. fast, simple.. and the main point is getting in the right formation for teh coverage. Others here have noted that we don't even send guys in motion to reveal is the D is hiding what coverage they will use despite what the D formation looks like.

My main point, borrowed from friend, is that we pull everyone in tight way too often.. run or pass. We need to run from the spread formation.. allow Monangai to beat one tackler rather than three.

View embedded media

What!You dare to question El Kirko

 

[NickRU714]

Yes, like I said, the team can tweak things and obviously does that kind of tweaking from week to week to try to put in stuff that will work well against the upcoming opponent's D.

But what I'm saying is that moving to an entirely different offensive approach, a wholesale different system, is almost certainly not doable. It seems like you're proposing we switch to a spread formation and run a spread offense. No?

I just don't know nearly enough about football to understand, from a coach's POV, what the difference is between what we've been doing all season long, with tweaks from week to week, and what you're proposing we do. It seems like a big difference to me. But again, I have no football coaching experience whatsoever, so I cannot say for sure.

Maybe @gef21 could comment on the gap between how our O has been playing and what you're proposing.

This is why I said in the offseason we needed to change overall offensive strategy.

As you point out, it takes years. Recruit players, install plays, change terminology and words.
The problem is many (including HCs - see scaredy-cat Chris Ash) don't want to live with the 1 step back to take 2 steps forward.


We were one of the most run heavy offenses last year.
We are one of the most run heavy offenses again.
A leopard isn't changing their stripes.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

What!You dare to question El Kirko

The number of times I have seen a Rutgers play and thought.. very smart call.. very smart wrinkle... a handful each season.. not each game.. each season. And, apparently, never to be repeated.

We had repeated swing passes to seemingly every RB in the Temple game last year for big gains and even a couple TDs iirc. Then where has that gone?

This season n.. we had AK do all three choices in the RPO in an early game... and it has not looked nearly as reactive to a defense since. make that 4 choices:
- He handed off
- He ran it himself outside
- He started outside then threw a flare to the TE.. when teh guy on the TE came up to stop his run. he hit him for a big gain
- He started that Flare pass thing and when DBs came up to cover teh TE because the LB came up to stop the QB run, he threw it deeper to an open WR.

Now THAT is a functioning offense.. and a simple one. What happened to that? Instead we get tyhrows to a covered TE where, if he doesn't drop it there's a guy on his ass for an immediate tackle.. little chance of a reasonable gain never mind 1st down yardage.

SMH (shakin' my head)

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Every week they are going to pick plays they want to run, to take advantage of something they see.

The issue is that we can not block interior linemen very well at our LG spot and we can not handle speed rushers at the RT spot.

I think that is the very reason why you spread teh offense and then run... not run every time, not that predictable.. but get those LBs worried about pass coverage where the distance between them might allow a single decent block on someone, another DL out of position stuting or buying fake.. then KM must beat one LB.

Instead, we have seen plays where we need 1-3 yards where we have a tight formation.. and then a WR come INTO the formation in partial motion.. to block, I assume, but instead he is just bring a safety (who might be deep help on him) and his DB over to help stop a run. And prevents the RB from bouncing it outside.

And that reminds me.. stretch the field.. throw deep early. Short play-action is okay.. but when there are no long throws then teh safeties feel comfortable keeping everything in front of them.. not worrying about deep help. Maybe we do that to set up 1 - 2 deep throws late.. but if we are behind by them then it does not really help. And if you want that tight formation.. then how about using it and then throwing WIDE out of it.. early.. stretching the field width-wise as well.. and how about a man-in-motion jet sweep.. to Black for example.. he is speedy.

These are very simple concepts that, no doubt, the OC thinks he is addressing.. but it is not shown on the field. he couldn't have a game plan that does not include these simple concepts.. he must call those plays.

BE AGGRESSIVE.