I can hear you already: "The game plan at Texas was sound it just wasn't executed properly because our guys dropped a bunch of passes." Well, it's true we dropped a few key passes, but a few unfortunate drops does not excuse an offense from failing to get into the endzone at all. If dropped passes were the problem, why didn't we just throw more? Even if we were dropping every other ball we threw, why not throw twice as many and you'll end up the same?
I know (hope) you're kidding on that last one. It's like saying, we ran the ball 30 times a game and averaged 5ypc. Why not run it 60 times a game and get 300 yards on the ground?
It wasn't that Texas was weak against the pass and we just had to sling it around. It was that the
gameplan would be to surprise Texas with these new route combinations and offensive looks, and hit 'em from time to time with strikes through the air. Texas was probably the best defensive we played all year, especially at that point before the team fell apart. And yet despite what we had on offense, the gameplan we took to them both in the 2009 CCG and in 2010, was one that gave us the chance to win.
Texas' plan on defense was simple as I recall. Load up and stop Taylor and dare him to hurt them through the air. When Lee went in, they started saying "They're gonna throw!" Taylor actually did expose them with his arm, against all odds, as we saw - only his receivers dropped the passes. How was Taylor able to expose the Longhorns defense to the point where they had to hold their breath and then say, "Wow, we got lucky" a couple times? Credit the scheme. And blame every coach for the lack of execution.
Sure, you could say "Watson is the OC". But Watson was the guy that installed the offense and installed the scheme that put us in the position of counting dropped touchdown passes in the first place. How much blame falls on the players? Or their positions coaches? I don't know the answer to this one, but food for thought. Helu fumbled on his own 20 yard line to give Texas a short field. Burkhead dropped one of the surest touchdown throws you'll ever see. Is that not Tim Beck's fault? (I tend not to think so, but you may disagree).
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It all comes down to the standards by which we are evaluating our OC. You can call these excuses for Watson all you want. In my mind, they are explanations and reasons qualifying an otherwise superficial evaluation of the OC. Saying "We had these bad games on offense, therefore the OC is really awful" is not the forest and the trees.
Throw out Watson's name, because Beck's name is already in his place. If similar things happen next year on offense, I hope you guys are consistent and hold on to the same arguments when Beck is the guy being talked out. I will probably hold on to mine and throw out these same "excuses" in his defense, as long as I think they are there.
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But seriously, did we do any rollouts last year or did I just miss them? They seem tailored (no pun intended) to guys like Martinez and Green.
No, they are
not tailored to guys like Martinez (Green, not sure about but somewhat doubt). Throwing on the run is a whole different animal from throwing stationary, and Taylor had enough issues with his footwork/mechanics/decision-making while standing still. Contrary to popular belief, speed is hardly the key asset in rollout passes or even pocket mobility. We will see if Taylor makes strides in these areas this year.
