You are Jaguars OC Greg Olson.
It is in the 4th quarter of the Carolina game, and you are trailing by 8.
While Luke Joeckel isn't making anyone forget Tony Boselli, he has done a relatively decent job against the Carolina DE before leaving the game with an injured ankle.
His substitute, Sam Young, hasn't fared as well. Frankly, he's been beaten like a rented mule, and most of the pressure on Bortles has come when he entered the game.
What plays do you call?
You are behind in the 4th quarter. While there is still time, we need points pretty quickly.
The situation calls for 4 wide and throwing it all over the place, right?
All of your pre game scouting shows that Carolina's nickel and dime backs can be had.
But your LT is hurt and his replacement can't block anyone.
Do you go four wide and leave your LT to try to block the DE when you know he hasn't?
Do you go 3 wide leave a TE in to help block the DE, leaving yourself less able to attack the secondary you scouted and determined to be vulnerable?
Do you make your rookie RB chip, limiting his availability as a check down?
Do you shift protections to the left, even though your pregame scouting shows they sometimes slant to your right? What if they played against their own tendencies and showed blitz to the right? Do you allow the QB to audible, switch protections to the right, leaving your vulnerable tackle one on one? Does that include route adjustments? Do they become hot routes and they break it off underneath to beat the blitz? What does that do to the play you deemed appropriate under the circumstances?
Oh yeah, the receivers whose routes you may be adjusting, have been dropping passes and not getting much in way of separation all game.
What play works?
I run the ball.
Edit for kindergarten.
Power O, Tank/22 personnel.
You had success running the ball earlier in the game, but you are behind and time is becoming a factor.
You can't spend too much time running the ball.
Of course, if you do this, there will be people who will say you are being too conservative. You still run the ball?
I bench Blake Bortles whom appeared rattle in the 2nd half after throwing his 2nd pick. I realize that the game is going to be a loss but show that no position is guaranteed on the team if you fail to perform (knowing full well that Bortles gives you the best chance to come back & win the game) but hope that it can be a rally point for the rest of the Offense to play better.
Quote:I bench Blake Bortles whom appeared rattle in the 2nd half after throwing his 2nd pick. I realize that the game is going to be a loss but show that no position is guaranteed on the team if you fail to perform (knowing full well that Bortles gives you the best chance to come back & win the game) but hope that it can be a rally point for the rest of the Offense to play better.
That sounds like a horrible idea.
I wouldn't have waited until the 4th quarter to start runnin the ball.
I just wouldn't call a play where Yeldon is motioned out, runs an out pattern with all the DBs pressing. If we are going to spread the defense out, go no huddle. Bortles seems to be comfortable in it. Maybe the defensive end will get tired from running through Young every play
Quote:That sounds like a horrible idea.
Does it? What if the weak blocking by Young caused Bortles to be injured for the rest of the season?
What sounds like a horrible idea was keeping Luke as the LT to start the season IMO
Quote:Does it? What if the weak blocking by Young caused Bortles to be injured for the rest of the season?
What sounds like a horrible idea was keeping Luke as the LT to start the season IMO
Probably should just release him, we don't want him getting hurt. Luke is the best LT on the team.
I feel like this is an interesting response to everyone hollering about the playcalling/Blake kindergarten comment, but I'll bite for the fun of it.
How much time is left? If it's under two minutes and you need to march down the field in a hurry, I say you likely take your chances with Young matched up 1-on-1 with whoever the DE and have the RB delay leaving pocket for a check down just in case Young absolutely whiffs. The RB blocks if need be, but can leave the pocket if Young holds his block. You're also banking on Bortles's mobility to move around the pocket where he can escape someone who has been partially blocked.
They're likely playing two deep safeties and LBs a bit off the line of scrimmage if this is under two minutes, so I'd place a TE (Harbor) and you're best WR (I still say Robinson) inside on the 4 WR set and have them work the seam hoping they can split safeties/LBs for 1-on-1 coverage. Perhaps one shallow post (Harbor) and another running an out route (Robinson). Whatever side has the out route will also have the outside WR (Greene) running a deep post towards the safety hoping to pull him towards this WR. This could leave some open field along the sideline if you can time the pass perfectly to the WR running the out. The other outside WR (Hurns) runs a go route just in case the other safety sinks in to defend the shallow post leaving CB defending the go route on an island. If he drops back deep to defend the go route, you can to hit the shallow post down the seam just past the LBs assuming the didn't drop too far.
Obviously this isn't taking into account anything other than a simple dime package, but I think this is what I would go with.
Quote:I feel like this is an interesting response to everyone hollering about the playcalling/Blake kindergarten comment, but I'll bite for the fun of it.
How much time is left? If it's under two minutes and you need to march down the field in a hurry, I say you likely take your chances with Young matched up 1-on-1 with whoever the DE and have the RB delay leaving pocket for a check down just in case Young absolutely whiffs. The RB blocks if need be, but can leave the pocket if Young holds his block. You're also banking on Bortles's mobility to move around the pocket where he can escape someone who has been partially blocked.
They're likely playing two deep safeties and LBs a bit off the line of scrimmage if this is under two minutes, so I'd place a TE (Harbor) and you're best WR (I still say Robinson) inside on the 4 WR set and have them work the seam hoping they can split safeties/LBs for 1-on-1 coverage. Perhaps one shallow post (Harbor) and another running an out route (Robinson). Whatever side has the out route will also have the outside WR (Greene) running a deep post towards the safety hoping to pull him towards this WR. This could leave some open field along the sideline if you can time the pass perfectly to the WR running the out. The other outside WR (Hurns) runs a go route just in case the other safety sinks in to defend the shallow post leaving CB defending the go route on an island. If he drops back deep to defend the go route, you can to hit the shallow post down the seam just past the LBs assuming the didn't drop too far.
Obviously this isn't taking into account anything other than a simple dime package, but I think this is what I would go with.
1. Yes it is. Thanks for your input.
2. For the purposes of this hypothetical, let's assume that we stopped Carolina on that long drive in the 4th quarter, and there is anywhere between 5-6 minutes remaining. After about a 45 yard punt, we start the ball around our own 20. We have two timeouts remaining.
3. Keep in mind, earlier in the half, we used Yeldon as a receiver, and the pass wound up being the pick 6 for the TD that lost you the lead. It's safe to assume that they have adjusted to Yeldon in the flat.
4. Interesting route combinations, but again, the receivers have not been dependable in gaining consistent separation all game, nor have they been consistent catching the football.
Since Kuechly is out of the game with a concussion, I attempt a wheel route to Clay Harbor because even if it's overthrown, it loosens up a defense that has been sitting on every underneath route for the entire game.
I just run the uptempo 2 minute offense and let the chips fall where they may.
The slower stuff doesn't seem to be working, plus it is more fun to play and watch.
Why not? What's the worst that could happen? The Jags lose?
Quote:Since Kuechly is out of the game with a concussion, I attempt a wheel route to Clay Harbor because even if it's overthrown, it loosens up a defense that has been sitting on every underneath route for the entire game.
Interesting option considering we seemingly ignored TE all game long.
Harbor is, for the moment, the 2nd TE since Thomas is out.
Are you running 2 TEs? Even though all of your prep leading into this game shows 4 wide is the way to go at this point?
Yes, an incompletion on a long wheel route conceivably loosens the defense, but it also puts you in long yardage on second down.
Besides, based upon what one of the posters said in the other thread, if the results were bad, then the playcall was bad.
Quote:Interesting option considering we seemingly ignored TE all game long.
Harbor is, for the moment, the 2nd TE since Thomas is out.
Are you running 2 TEs? Even though all of your prep leading into this game shows 4 wide is the way to go at this point?
Yes, an incompletion on a long wheel route conceivably loosens the defense, but it also puts you in long yardage on second down.
Besides, based upon what one of the posters said in the other thread, if the results were bad, then the playcall was bad.
Two TEs. Lewis stays in to block and give Blake time. X WR runs a post to the middle of the field to take the CB with him and hopefully draw the Safety. Harbor takes the wheel along the sideline. I could be wrong, but Harbor seems to be the quicker TE with Thomas out. Sure he has had a case of the dropsies in the preseason, but you gotta give him a shot at redemption. Their LBs kept our TEs in check for most of the game. When their best one goes out, you have to challenge the next man up.
Quote:Two TEs. Lewis stays in to block and give Blake time. X WR runs a post to the middle of the field to take the CB with him and hopefully draw the Safety. Harbor takes the wheel along the sideline. I could be wrong, but Harbor seems to be the quicker TE with Thomas out. Sure he has had a case of the dropsies in the preseason, but you gotta give him a shot at redemption. Their LBs kept our TEs in check for most of the game. When their best one goes out, you have to challenge the next man up.
What kind of coverage are you expecting from them that you are calling this route combo?
Quote:Since Kuechly is out of the game with a concussion, I attempt a wheel route to Clay Harbor because even if it's overthrown, it loosens up a defense that has been sitting on every underneath route for the entire game.
I agree with this.
Also, don't forget Bortles can use his legs and actually roll out (which is his strength) instead of being a sitting duck in the pocket.
Since the issue with the play calling was the whole second half, I would have stuck with the run more. Also, I would immediately throw the 3 yard out route out of the playbook. If we are looking to get a short pass to a RB, bring the RB back a few yards like you see done by every other team. What's the best case scenario for that 3 yard out? 5 yards? Worst case scenario is a pick six. Doesn't make sense. High risk, low reward.
Even when we were down by 8 points, we didn't need to be in a hurry up and score mode. We had a whole quarter to work with.
Run the "run 'n' gun" offense using Blake and Nick Marshall as the QBs.
#WIN!
Quote:Two TEs. Lewis stays in to block and give Blake time. X WR runs a post to the middle of the field to take the CB with him and hopefully draw the Safety. Harbor takes the wheel along the sideline. I could be wrong, but Harbor seems to be the quicker TE with Thomas out. Sure he has had a case of the dropsies in the preseason, but you gotta give him a shot at redemption. Their LBs kept our TEs in check for most of the game. When their best one goes out, you have to challenge the next man up.
Quote:What kind of coverage are you expecting from them that you are calling this route combo?
Thanks Kotite and SpeedyG for your input here.
A few points.
1. The overall effectiveness of passing from a 2 TE set is based in part on the run look that it presents to a defense. If there is an equal or close to equal possibility of run or pass, that personnel grouping has more likelihood of success. But with about 5 or so minutes left in the game and you are down by 8, the defense knows it is increasingly a passing situation. Aren't you kind of spitting into the wind with that personnel grouping?
2. Having your TE running a wheel route and the X running a post, those are two long patterns. Even though Harbor is pretty fast for a TE, he is still slower than most WRs. Longer patterns take longer to develop, especially with a TE running them. If it takes longer to run the pattern, it takes longer for the linemen to hold their blocks, something the team showed it couldn't do well in the 4th quarter. Do you still run that play? What if they show blitz? Do you instruct Bortles to audible, altering the routes and the protections, or do you leave the playcall as is?
3. As Speedyg pointed out, your choice of playcalling is based in part on what personnel and coverage you are expecting based on the scouting of their tendencies. Would your choice of this playcall differ if your scouting indicated Carolina is more apt to play, say, a four across coverage that takes away deep outside routes, as opposed to man?
Honestly, by the end of the game I didn't care what they called. I'm not mad about anything in the 4th quarter. The team was defeated by then. I know that I'm picking on the Pick 6 play because of execution, the route trees and everything that is always easier in hindsight. The lack of adjustments and poor second half play isn't a 2015 issue. It has been like this for the whole Gus tenure.
It is easy to get all spun up on one Sunday when you have a decade of mostly crude to compare it too but honestly this team has not shown much to lead me to believe they have the players developing. Could that change? Absolutely but I'm waiting to see it. I just don't think the complete overhaul and no free agency with a poor draft in year one of the rebuild lends to the comment this team is "built".