I don't think Sam liked the Play Call

[Savage Husker]

 

 

Right, but is Sam really going to say that every time the Huskers come out in 2TE or do something "pro style"? If not, I don't understand it. Armchair playcaller is a tacky game.

 

how comfortable is Tommy under center and dropping back? How successful is he and/or how many correct reads does he make? Those are a few things I'll look out for tomorrow and going forward.

He rolled out. What does it matter that he was under center?

There is a difference in comfort between taking snaps under center and dropping back making reads as opposed to taking a snap out of shotgun. Is he better at one or the other or is he equal at both?

[ColoradoHusk]

 

 

 

Right, but is Sam really going to say that every time the Huskers come out in 2TE or do something "pro style"? If not, I don't understand it. Armchair playcaller is a tacky game.

how comfortable is Tommy under center and dropping back? How successful is he and/or how many correct reads does he make? Those are a few things I'll look out for tomorrow and going forward.

He rolled out. What does it matter that he was under center?

There is a difference in comfort between taking snaps under center and dropping back making reads as opposed to taking a snap out of shotgun. Is he better at one or the other or is he equal at both?

 

Also, the play call was a play action pass, so TA has to turn his back to the defense for a few steps. That is one of the hardest things to do in a play action pass, is to be able to read the defense after turning back towards the defense.

 

Watching the play again, TA has 3-4 seconds of standing in the pocket waiting for the play to develop. Then he feels the rush from his left, and rolls right. 3-4 seconds is a long time for the QB to be able to read the defense and make a decision. If that isn't enough time, then I don't know why such a long developing play is called at that point on the field. If anything, that play call would be effective inside the 10 yard line, where TA can easily throw the ball away if the initial read isn't there.

[zoogs]

I think Sam points out something interesting when he says that Tommy just wishes he threw the ball harder. I'm not sure that's the right takeaway. It should be he should've made a different decision. Those 3-4 seconds that he held onto it made a big difference. You'd like for your QB to be decisive and take what is there at this point, which he would have if he executed the play correctly.

 

When you accept the play breaking down and improvise, it's a live by/die by situation. In this case TA still could've thrown it away -- or run for 1 or 2 yards, maybe more. All of those would have let Nebraska live for another play. I hope that's the point coaches make clear and it's something he learns. Not the right time to take that risk.

 

Also, I think that throw to the corner would've been pretty tough to complete. Probably a less easy interception, but you never know. CB could've gotten into position to make a play on the ball, I think. If it's a fast ball it's low and right in the CB's path. If it's high the CB has more time. There's a tight window there maybe but probably not very advisable to try.

[zoogs]

Okay, here's something also a little dangerous: the screencap game. But hopefully, it will show the play we are discussing as well as why Riley indicated he liked it.

 

 

5 at the line, plus at least 3 LBs taken out of the play watching. NU has 7 on the line with 2 TEs, one on each end.

 

2 DBs to account for the lone WR; one deep, one on the left and running with him.

 

That leaves one guy still "in" this play, the ? guy. He is pretty far out of position for Cethan and might even be heading in the wrong direction (hard to tell).

 

Cethan and Cross aren't just open, nobody is in their neighborhood. Everyone has been frozen or neutralized. (Bad defense? Not really. Just a playcall the offense won).

 

Cethan is actually still blocking in the first still. He's going to release into wide open space soon, which Tommy should have been watching for.

 

 

Here's Tommy standing tall in the pocket; he's there quite a while before bailing. But he's not looking to his play, to the left where there are two options wide open (Cross is not visible and Carter barely is) for at least a first down. He's looking at the 2-on-1 situation deep downfield with his WR Taariq. That seems like a clear mistake.

 

Okay, it's a mistake; that's not the end of the world. He clutches and hesitates too long and he loses the play because he's forced to roll out. He can still run for it. Sometimes you have to cut your losses. A good QB learns from these moments and gets better in the future. And despite the mistake, Tommy still did incredible stuff just leading up to this, so please don't interpret this the wrong way. Very proud of the way Tommy played and competed overall.

[ColoradoHusk]

I like screen grabs, zoogs. Cool stuff. You are right in that Carter and Cross are coming open, it's just that Tommy isn't looking at them. Maybe Tommy is trying to look off the safeties/LB's, but I have never thought that was a strength of TA.

 

From the people that have been critical of the play call, I think it mainly has to do with the call being the first play in OT and the field position doing so. On Monday, Ganz said that typical "throw back" passes (like this play call) work great around the 10 yard line. It's just less space for the QB to read and less distance for the pass to be thrown.

 

In this play, even if Carter or Cross catch a pass thrown to them, they would have needed to rumble down the sideline to score. It seems like a high risk/reward type play to start out OT with.

[zoogs]

The goal isn't to score, though, right? It's 1st and 10 on the first play of overtime. It's not endzone or bust. If you can get an easy catch-and-run that's pretty good. And sets you up well if the defense is going to have to think about that the next time you go 2 TE in the I with Cross.

[ColoradoHusk]

The goal isn't to score, though, right? It's 1st and 10 on the first play of overtime. It's not endzone or bust. If you can get an easy catch-and-run that's pretty good. And sets you up well if the defense is going to have to think about that the next time you go 2 TE in the I with Cross.

Agree that the goal isn't necessarily to score, but IMO, this type of play design/trickery is done best in an area that you can score. Why not try simpler plays to move you down the field, get a first down, and get into better FG range?

 

Again, this is all hindsight. I am not trying to "bitch".

[zoogs]

Oh no, I don't think you are at all! No worries.

 

I guess I don't see this as a tricky play, really. Kind of standard playaction call. We run plenty of it. A late release isn't tricky; just a way to get a guy open and there are plenty of other ways we do that on every kind of play that might be considered tricky. And those plays would probably be more susceptible to interceptions! Well, maybe. Anyway, to me it did seem like a move down the field play, but I have to be totally serious when I add "but what do I know" as a disclaimer.

 

I mean, Sam is knowledgeable and has a lot of respect from me as a writer. And he didn't like it.

 

TA had a clear line of sight here. If that was the play design, it's kind of boggling that he only considered the deep WR, and did so for so long until the protection broke. I think he was just pressing a bit, trying to force something while they had the momentum.

[ColoradoHusk]

Oh no, I don't think you are at all! No worries.

 

I guess I don't see this as a tricky play, really. Kind of standard playaction call. We run plenty of it. A late release isn't tricky; just a way to get a guy open and there are plenty of other ways we do that on every kind of play that might be considered tricky. And those plays would probably be more susceptible to interceptions! Well, maybe. Anyway, to me it did seem like a move down the field play, but I have to be totally serious when I add "but what do I know" as a disclaimer.

 

I mean, Sam is knowledgeable and has a lot of respect from me as a writer. And he didn't like it.

 

TA had a clear line of sight here. If that was the play design, it's kind of boggling that he only considered the deep WR, and did so for so long until the protection broke. I think he was just pressing a bit, trying to force something while they had the momentum.

Good play design, people will disagree on the timing of the play call, very poor execution by the QB.

[Savage Husker]

Pre snap read

OLB reads hand off and steps up

OLB reacts to play action and mirrors Imani into the flat.

OLB is almost out of frame, but he is still in flat while Carter releases, Tommy may have even read that and realizes the OLB stayed home.

 

From there he scrambles right and throws the INT. Nobody was open and the play didn't develop the way it was intended to. Imani bouncing outside actually brings the OLB towards the release of where Carter should be open.

[URSS]

I don't know who was the primary read, but Allen was the only receiver that went downfield at snap. He was covered by corner and safety help over the top. Tommy was locked on Allen the entire play. Cethan released late and opposite side of Allen crossing the middle. If Tommy saw cethan, it should have been an easy dump off, depending where the OLB was, but Tommy was being rushed by DL and scrambled away from Cethan. Cethan and Allen were the only two options that play.

The replay I saw was from behind Armstrong. It looked to me that Allen was open at the throw but Armstrong just underthrew it. He may have tryiing to put too much speed on the ball and it went low. If he had put some loft on the ball to get over the corner, then the safety might have had time to close. If he thrown hard and a little higher, it would have been a jump ball. An over thrown ball would have been an incomplete pass out of the end zone. Then we would have a second & ten but we would still have had the ball. In my view, Armstrong did not execute.

[Stumpy1]

Tommy just needed to tuck the ball and run instead of trying to play hero. He had ample room and time to pick up 5-8 yds and keep the drive going. I just think he was caught up in the moment and made a very bad decision.

[ScottyIce]

I think Sam points out something interesting when he says that Tommy just wishes he threw the ball harder. I'm not sure that's the right takeaway. It should be he should've made a different decision. Those 3-4 seconds that he held onto it made a big difference. You'd like for your QB to be decisive and take what is there at this point, which he would have if he executed the play correctly.

 

When you accept the play breaking down and improvise, it's a live by/die by situation. In this case TA still could've thrown it away -- or run for 1 or 2 yards, maybe more. All of those would have let Nebraska live for another play. I hope that's the point coaches make clear and it's something he learns. Not the right time to take that risk.

 

Also, I think that throw to the corner would've been pretty tough to complete. Probably a less easy interception, but you never know. CB could've gotten into position to make a play on the ball, I think. If it's a fast ball it's low and right in the CB's path. If it's high the CB has more time. There's a tight window there maybe but probably not very advisable to try.

Um no. If he threw the ball harder (farther) it's a touchdown and we probably win.

[macroboy]

Wasn't that throw his 4th read? But yes, it must have been the play calling.

 

Throwing on 3rd and 1 earlier in the game and I am swearing at the TV.

Reverse on the last drive of the game (yes, I know, we scored) and I am saying bad words in front of my children (and dogs- they hate that).

 

This call? meh.

[shyndy]

That's kind of just who we have with tommy though, he's like a Brett favre. I mean if he does throw it harder it's a touchdown and we likely win