Watson is not the problem

[Captain K]

Whoops!

 

[admo]

Along with the other coaches...I thought they said Eckler during the broadcast, but could be wrong :dunno but they did not mention Watson. Like i said don't need to get into a recruiting riff, but all the coaches recruit all players whether O or D, no reason to single out Watson again for the talent brought in here....

Ekeler was the lead, but position coaches are ALWAYS involved heavily in recruiting a player at a position they coach.

To the OP -- :thumbs

We faced one of the worst run defenses in the country today. We could not even average 4 YPC. People kept complaining to stick with the run. But yet when we face one of the worst rush attacks in the country and can not consistently run, we still find something to complain about?

I've said it for months when people kept calling for Cody - if he got put on the field the offense would be scaled back an immense amount. Well, guess what you got today? You have a QB with limited knowledge of the offense, who will need his confidence built and is trying to break things down on the fly. And anyone expected a good offensive showing today?

People may as well get it out this week, because next week will be REALLY ugly going up against OU's defense.

So do you think Lee should be starting? I think it's pretty obvious that it will be ugly on the offensive side next week no matter WHO starts. Our WR's can't get open, if they do they don't catch the ball. We are playing kids at RB that nobody expected to see the field until at best 2011, our offensive line looks lost. Our TE's are lost in the shuffle.

Not really sure where they go from here, but I think Cody deserves at least to play the next two games to get that experience and momentum.

Its okay, you can say Cody Green might not be good enough. Really, you can.

I mean its okay to mention the line, the backs, the coaches, the play calling. Just don't say "no matter who starts at QB". Go ahead, mention Green.

 

[moe]

Our offensive playbook weighs 20 pounds (300+ plays)...yet we run the same 8 plays over, and over.

Anyone remember OU last year? The defensive back that KNEW we were throwing a screen on the first play of the series, and he took it for a pick-6? Better get used to it!

I don't want Watson fired - but for god's sake man....dumb it down a bit. That, or stop running the f'ing bubble screen every 7 offensive plays!

That...or just comprise your playbook of 8 plays. One or the other.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

 

[admo]

WCO is controlled short passing game. We've been running it for years. We do not have burners taking 5-7 yard slants and turning them into 20-30 yard plays. We dont have that.

WCO puts three tight ends on a side after motion that indicates where we are running. There isnt misdirection.

Its short yardage safe calls, execute and move the chains. Just isnt happening with success.

Throwing down field and stretching the box is more pro-style with three wr-sets. We dont do that. Even if it looks like it.

 

[moe]

WCO is controlled short passing game. We've been running it for years. We do not have burners taking 5-7 yard slants and turning them into 20-30 yard plays. We dont have that.

WCO puts three tight ends on a side after motion that indicates where we are running. There isnt misdirection.

Its short yardage safe calls, execute and move the chains. Just isnt happening with success.

Throwing down field and stretching the box is more pro-style with three wr-sets. We dont do that. Even if it looks like it.

I feel like our playbook is from Tecmo Football. And when I say Tecmo Football, I mean Tecmo Football I. Four plays.

 

[chamrocck]

IMO the jury is out on the offense (we are just going to have to live with it for rest of season). We had to leave Watson in for offensive continuity during the transition to Pelini. Being depleted at RB (Castille gone, Burkhead hurt, Helu hurt) has hurt our RB play. We have below average QB play with Lee who probably can run Watson's offense fine in practice so they are reluctant to go away from him (until today). Green is young and doesn't have much experience obviously. WR's have been an issue for awhile as we continually did not recruit well there and it has caught up and become obvious. Perfect storm has hit us...can't rely on RB as our first and second string are hurt, QB is below average (unexpected with Lee, not so much with Green because he is learning), and we have no playmakers at WR (exposed but we all knew this pretty much).

The above being said I am still amazed that Watson hasn't changed it up some on offense. We all have seen this offense not work for several weeks and with some pretty poor playcalls going against sometimes what we have working in a game. This is troubling part for me and finally we saw a change to Green today. Can't be fixed overnight but what I think will happen is we need to see some new wrinkles out of the offense that must start to work. TE play, QB runs with Green, power formations. Look at other teams and you see when a QB change comes the style of play adapts to the strengths of the personnel. If Watson hangs his hat on these same plays that are not getting us anywhere, then I think he could be in trouble. But, if he is able to show improvement with Green and new sparks and wrinkles to the offense, then he will be fine. This is what I think Bo is grading him on. Of course, we got to get some W's...if not next off-season will be all about the new offense being installed in Lincoln.

 

[admo]

^ ha!

TECMO Bowl rocked!!

That was pretty funny Moe! :clap

 

[CHOPSKER]

Who has been recruiting these players that can't execute?

?

Well???

WATSON!!!!!

Nuff said.

don't throw that in there... guess who recruited Cody Green? it wasn't Watson <_< I don't think anyone wants to get into a recruiting battle here, there are guys on here that really know their stuff about the recruiting that goes on. And who has the final say on who gets a scholly? Not Watson Nuff said.

Cody Green is a freshman QB who just started his first game. He is HARDLY the problem! - If there is a talent problem on the the team - then you should call plays that can be executed at the talent level you have. Watson obviously ISN'T doing that! As the OC -- Watson is responsible for having or HAVING NOT recruited and/or TAUGHT the players on the offense how to execute the "Husker" offense. It's not getting done.

So Watson will need to answer why he hasn't:

A) recruited well enough to execute his offense

B) Taught the players HOW to execute his offense

C) adjusted his play calling to get SOME kind of production out of the O.

I predict he will be GONE at season's end. Hell, maybe Callahan would have been more successful if it weren't for Cosgrove. Bo won't let history repeat on the other end of the scale. I gotta have faith in Bo'.

PROVE ME WRONG ON THE FIELD HUSKERS!!! I would LOVE it they pulled their heads out of their arses and the O started clicking! But based on the past 4 games (-1 quarter) it seems like a stretch....

 

[Paul in WI]

1. Please explain Bill Snyder's offensive success at KSU in 1/2 season with KSU's personnel. This was a team that just scored 30 on OU.

2. Now, after you explain that to us, what was that you were saying about Watson--a man with a few years under his belt as OC at Nebraska? That's right, I didn't think you had anything to say.....

 

[BigWillie]

So do you think Lee should be starting? I think it's pretty obvious that it will be ugly on the offensive side next week no matter WHO starts. Our WR's can't get open, if they do they don't catch the ball. We are playing kids at RB that nobody expected to see the field until at best 2011, our offensive line looks lost. Our TE's are lost in the shuffle.

Not really sure where they go from here, but I think Cody deserves at least to play the next two games to get that experience and momentum.

I think you pretty much answered yourself.

It doesn't matter in the least who is under center. It's going to be ugly regardless.

We have a true freshman as our starting RB when 2 1/2 weeks ago he was set to redshirt this season. His backup was likely our 5th-6th string RB going into this season.

Our WR's have been handled horribly. The right people have not started all year. The substitution pattern has been awful. And when we finally get the better talent begin to get their chances, our best WR of them all (Brooks) gets injured.

Then we have Barney and his offensive line. When will Barney learn that mauling folks while showing our lineman little technique or leverage advantages does NOT work in todays world? Maybe 25 years ago when we were simply bigger and stronger across the board, this would work. But we do not have that advantage anymore. It's literally a little league style of coaching.

So really, it doesn't matter if we found available eligibility for Ganz or Taylor left, they would not do anything either. Which is why Green should start. Kid is gonna need to be mentally tough though, because there will be ALOT of bumps in the road to the end of this season. But there is no reason to keep him on the bench when it won't matter who is under center this season.

 

[HuckFoley]

1. Please explain Bill Snyder's offensive success at KSU in 1/2 season with KSU's personnel. This was a team that just scored 30 on OU.

2. Now, after you explain that to us, what was that you were saying about Watson--a man with a few years under his belt as OC at Nebraska? That's right, I didn't think you had anything to say.....

Post of the day.

Paul in WI just nailed it on the head.

 

[dtbugeater]

1. Please explain Bill Snyder's offensive success at KSU in 1/2 season with KSU's personnel. This was a team that just scored 30 on OU.

2. Now, after you explain that to us, what was that you were saying about Watson--a man with a few years under his belt as OC at Nebraska? That's right, I didn't think you had anything to say.....

Post of the day.

Paul in WI just nailed it on the head.

What Snyder has done at K-state is amazing. He has taken worse talent then Nebraska and made them win. That being said--HE IS BILL SNYDER. What he did at K-state the first time was amazing, what he is doing now is equally impressive. He is probably the best coach in college football when it comes to taking little talent and making something out of it. Watson is no Snyder--but we all know that.

But if we fire Watson, we don't get a Bill Snyder, we get another 4-6 years of rebuilding. That may be worth doing, but lets do it for the right philosophical reasons--not because "the play calling sucks".

 

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I just find it a tad ironic that over the course of the past few years while Watson has been here, most fans have been extolling his ability as an OC. Hell, just a few weeks ago, people were talking about how they hoped he never leaves the program. etc. Now all of a sudden people want him fired. I don't think Watson is the problem personally. The problem starts with the players. What I seen were players playing without attitude and passion. Players who were just going thru the motions. That's not the coaches fault. You can talk it up all you want but unless the players go thru with it, there's not much you can do except change personnel (which we seen happen yesterday).

And lets remember...Baylor is not the same Baylor anymore. Briles is a good coach. I even read on this very board, fans saying they were worried about Baylor beating us because they knew Briles has the Baylor program heading in the right direction. This game should not have surprised anyone.

 

[np_husker]

Let me see if I have this right--

the screen passes suck

the bubble screen sucks

our play calling is predictable

our players are not tough

we need smashmouth

we need option

why don't we run more

why don't we use the tight ends more

I'm sure there are more, but these are the problems most Watson haters are having (it seems).

My take:

Watson is not the problem, he has become the scapegoat. Let me first say that I am not a big fan of this system and I wish we never would have stopped the option--but this is what we have.

I was watching football all day today--and you know what I saw? screens, bubbles, runs out of the shotgun and draws. The same stuff Watson calls. It was working OK for most of those schools.

Maybe, just maybe, the reason we are getting "predictalble passes and runs" is because our offensive players are not capable of doing more.

Watson spends 80 hours a week doing nothing but offense for a division I program. Don't you think the idea of "throwing downfield" has crossed his mind. There is probably a reason he doesn't do it. That reason is probably because our receivers couldn't catch a cold and our QB's are young and inexperienced. They can't manage to hook up on most 5 yard passes--it is pretty hard to have "unpredictable plays" when your people can't execute a play right in front of them. Well then "just run up the middle". I think that idea has probably also popped into watson's brain at some point. If it was that simple don't you think he would do it? The reason we don't is probably because our O-line can't knock anyone off the line and most of our RB's are hurt or are Freshmen.

Let's put it this way Watson hater-- You are now hired to be OC, what plays are YOU going to call? Remember, most passes will not be caught and most runs will be stuffed behind the line. Good luck. Seriously, think about this. It is 3rd and 6, what are you going to call?

This offense was never going to be good. The reason we put up numbers early on in the season is because we were hiding our deficiencies. Now ever team (and any fan who has watched more than a couple games) knows them. We simply don't have the players--yet. I see glimmers of hope out there--but most of them are young kids just getting experience. Give them a chance to grow.

Watson may not be the right guy for this job, and this offense is probably not the right offense for Nebraska, but a lot of the anger and bitching at Watson is misguided. You are a fan, you have a right to your opinion, but you don't have a right to be a jack-a$$.

I am pissed that our team has sunk so low as to lose two straight and then look like crap against Baylor. I can't believe I just typed that. we have fallen so far... But changing coaches all the time is not how teams get back on top. :boxosoap

Good post.

 

[HuskerTrucker]

Let me see if I have this right--

the screen passes suck

the bubble screen sucks

our play calling is predictable

our players are not tough

we need smashmouth

we need option

why don't we run more

why don't we use the tight ends more

I'm sure there are more, but these are the problems most Watson haters are having (it seems).

My take:

Watson is not the problem, he has become the scapegoat. Let me first say that I am not a big fan of this system and I wish we never would have stopped the option--but this is what we have.

I was watching football all day today--and you know what I saw? screens, bubbles, runs out of the shotgun and draws. The same stuff Watson calls. It was working OK for most of those schools.

Maybe, just maybe, the reason we are getting "predictalble passes and runs" is because our offensive players are not capable of doing more.

Watson spends 80 hours a week doing nothing but offense for a division I program. Don't you think the idea of "throwing downfield" has crossed his mind. There is probably a reason he doesn't do it. That reason is probably because our receivers couldn't catch a cold and our QB's are young and inexperienced. They can't manage to hook up on most 5 yard passes--it is pretty hard to have "unpredictable plays" when your people can't execute a play right in front of them. Well then "just run up the middle". I think that idea has probably also popped into watson's brain at some point. If it was that simple don't you think he would do it? The reason we don't is probably because our O-line can't knock anyone off the line and most of our RB's are hurt or are Freshmen.

Let's put it this way Watson hater-- You are now hired to be OC, what plays are YOU going to call? Remember, most passes will not be caught and most runs will be stuffed behind the line. Good luck. Seriously, think about this. It is 3rd and 6, what are you going to call?

This offense was never going to be good. The reason we put up numbers early on in the season is because we were hiding our deficiencies. Now ever team (and any fan who has watched more than a couple games) knows them. We simply don't have the players--yet. I see glimmers of hope out there--but most of them are young kids just getting experience. Give them a chance to grow.

Watson may not be the right guy for this job, and this offense is probably not the right offense for Nebraska, but a lot of the anger and bitching at Watson is misguided. You are a fan, you have a right to your opinion, but you don't have a right to be a jack-a$$.

I am pissed that our team has sunk so low as to lose two straight and then look like crap against Baylor. I can't believe I just typed that. we have fallen so far... But changing coaches all the time is not how teams get back on top. :boxosoap

Good post. I think there are those "fans" that have gotten into the mode of "we have to fire someone" when we aren't winning. They don't put any of the blame on the play of the team, just the coaches. Coaches can only work with what they have with player personnel. Right now on offense we are hurting with injuries, don't have the best talent (being totally honest here), get stupid penalties that back us up at key times, and we are not executing (especially in the Red Zone). Period.

It also pisses me off when they call for Watson's head, yet have no names of anyone that would 1) want to come to Nebraska (with our recent history of turning over coaches) or 2) anyone that is even available. They just want to fire someone, but don't have a clue who the hell the replacement should be. Or who is even qualified to be in that position. They have no credibility in my book. They are good at attacking individuals, but have no team solutions. It would be much more constructive to come up with solutions with the personnel that we do have. Come up with how we can use the talent that we do have, how we can change what they are doing to become successful.