Question: Offensive play calling question

[Bama Lee]

He waits too long to decide to run.

Its almost like there is delayed processing

 

[Ole Man Dan]

Milroe often doesn't have a clue where his dump off route is....he also never throws to a hot WR when we all see a blitz coming off the edge, he never sees the blitz until its too late.

(This is where I'd like to say 'I Told You So'...)
but at this point, we make do with what we got.
I don't want to spend the off season dreaming of what could have been... Applies to our coaching staff also.
A lot of this is my fault, I expected better.

 

[Ole Man Dan]

Reading message boards regarding his pocket presence and his issues with reading the defense, some have suggested that Rees should simplify the offense to suit him. If his first read isn't there, take off and run! I actually think it's a great idea. football at its very essence, is a simple game. Milroe is a fast and physical runner in open space, let him do what he is best at.

Problem is his Running game seems to have slowed down.
I start counting when the ball is centered, by the time I get to 4 Milroe is on the ground. Our OL is not doing their job.

 

[Cruloc]

(This is where I'd like to say 'I Told You So'...)
but at this point, we make do with what we got.
I don't want to spend the off season dreaming of what could have been... Applies to our coaching staff also.
A lot of this is my fault, I expected better.

Yep, I gave up on what I was saying all season. Folks still want to say Milroe has had remarkable improvement. He's had some improvement, but things like dump off routes, hot routes, blitz pick up, seeing open receivers on intermediate routes.....its just not happening.

We are sink or swim with what we have though. I'd bet on at least 3 sacks on the LT vs Tennessee and another 3 on holding the ball too long and another couple on an open blitzer that seems invisible to everyone. I think I just called for 8 sacks.

 

[CrimsonBloodn62]

Problem is his Running game seems to have slowed down.
I start counting when the ball is centered, by the time I get to 4 Milroe is on the ground. Our OL is not doing their job.

I would think that any QB should get the ball out by 3 seconds or less to help and prevent from being sacked. Anything over 3 they are not finding the open WR or the QB needs to run or get rid of the ball.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Its almost like there is delayed processing

I think he wants so bad to make the big pass play. Then when it's not there, he hesitates.

 

[bamamc1]

It seems like the main issues with the sacks and running game are the lack of pre snap reads. There are never any adjustments, it just "here is the play, let's hope it works."
The one positive is Milroe just takes the sack and goes to the next play. He never tries some falling to the ground miracle throw.

Good Lord.

 

[BamaInBham]

The coaches need to make a change at left tackle. He is a spectator on most plays watching the defensive player blow by him and he looks surprised that he got beat. He is to big, clumsy and slow to play the position. If I'm a defensive player opposing him I would be chomping at the bit to run past him for an easy almost guarantied sack because Milroe will only run towards the sideline or backwards.

If we lose another game I say make a change at QB and play Ty or the true freshman the rest of the year to get experience for next year. Give Milroe the option to play running back or receiver where he can use his running ability.

Frankly, IMO, he has no running ability - none. Yes, he is fast and big and a good but overrated athlete, but he does not possess the most fundamental RB skills of vision, cutting in the hole, instinctive decision-making, etc. (IMO, RB skills are highly underrated, if not, totally overlooked.) Based on the few read options that I've seen from a good vantage point (I'm an amateur evaluator at best ), he is probably the worst reader I've ever seen. Likely why those plays are not called more often.

He's a good, sometimes remarkable, thrower of the football. I didn't say passer - though he is improving in that regard (after throwing 3 ints in a game and a half, he has thrown one int in the last 3 a half games, 75 passes, frankly not many even close). I won't go into most of the shortcomings that have been levied by some over and over - many with which I agree, a few I don't. I will just add that he has no feel for many aspects of the game of football, which is surprising for someone who played high-level Texas HS football and has been at Alabama into his 3rd year now. Sometimes when he is running he could gain significantly more yardage but just "floats" OOB, often a few yards short of what he could have easily gotten. We know it is not for lack of courage, he's taken some shots, knowing that they were coming. I just chalk it up to lack of "play" awareness. Also, the guess is that the coaches have impressed this on him. He does seem to have "game" awareness though.

His 14 yd pass to Niblack late on 2nd & 13 to essentially close the Ark game was a great throw. Some have criticized it as though it was dangerous, but if you look at the replay, while there were 3 defenders in the area, not one came very close to the ball, much less to intercepting it.

He's who Alabama has - the good and bad. However tenuous the decision, he's who the coaching staff has concluded is the best option. CNS has always appealed to the fan base to support the team - acknowledging that the fans are important.

On an unrelated positive note - Alabama looked more like a legitmate SEC offense than in any P5 game this season for almost 3 qtrs, running and passing almost at will (scoring 3 TDs and 1 FG on 4 of 6 possessions, with 13 plays and 55 yards on the 2 "dry" drives; then made 3 FDs on the game-clinching drive, keeping the ball for the final 5+ minutes).

 

[Big Bama1966]

Honestly the game is just too fast for him or to be specific it would be too fast for even Bryce or Mac at this point. Take a second and think about how the plays go... 1. Center snaps the ball and WAY too many times it is not a good snap which causes a delay. 2. The LT and in general the whole OL is playing like a swinging door which causes the play to speed up often less than 4 seconds. 3. Not having the ability to make the quick slant throws or to run an RPO offense make the play a do or die which causes sacks. 4. The lack of running game is really puzzling I mean the OL is massive but cannot open run lanes......... Which also causes pressure on the QB to make plays because we cannot establish a ground presence.
Overall, I wouldn't say it's so much of play calling issue as it is a player issue not doing their job. I have to tell you before NIL these guys played like they wanted to make money and now well it appears getting money before going pro has already taken its toll.

 

[Slowpoke Catracho]

Now that Art Briles has been found not negligible, does he go through the CNS rehab program as an analyst?

 

[Tubafore]

...

Now, why we can't just lean into the lack of protection and throw a screen over the pressure is a mystery that better football minds than mine can debate. Or maybe that pop pass behind the line JH did so often...something to let our elusive guys get out on the edge and work their magic.

Dear Coach Reese,

First off, Hi! I didn't know you visited these forums. Next, please stop getting ideas from me. Yeah, I'm glad they worked and everything, but I'm not what some would call educated in the ways of football. Anyway, welcome to Tidefans

-Tubafore

 

[Big Bama1966]

Not sure where this Rees has been, but the second half Rees is the OC that makes a difference in the season. What is truly my two most puzzling questions is 1. When the two clowns that called the game can see that JM MUST add the QB run to the game and JM tells them he is NOT a running QB???? I'm sorry but you are more of a runner than a passer so yes you might want to start thinking that way.... 2. What in the world is Kool-Aid doing back there on punt returns???? I was losing my mind last game and now again twice it could have easily cost us a game....... He either needs to catch the ball or sit down. You cannot tell me we don't have a WR that can fair catch every kick????

 

[Tenntiderman]

Maybe I’m wrong but I think some of that comes from Milroe’s indecisiveness, he hesitates to run a lot of times in the pocket which causes sacks and linemen downfield penalties.

-50 rushing yards in two games for an athlete of his caliber is not going to cut it.

I remember last year when Bryce was injured...JM went in and at times it looked as though he opted to run as soon as he got the ball. After that we heard that he needs to trust his O-line and look downfield. So now he has been coached to relax and read. Sometimes..he needs to run. Especially in 3rd and short. But I imagine..that JM is trusting in more than himself. I did not see or even hear the first half Saturday, but a couple of folks (UT fans) were dancing in joy about 13-0 over Bama. I assumed we were getting our collective butts kicked. In watching some film I have seen that wasn't really the case. Our D was playing tough. There was a fumble, and an interception that was not routine. But you know...in fairness? Their fans love their team like we do ours. They don't understand football is a 60 min game. Not 30. Their Head coach needs to learn that too.

 

[rtr90]

the way our offense works we could never snap quick like in Mac Bryce era

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Reading message boards regarding his pocket presence and his issues with reading the defense, some have suggested that Rees should simplify the offense to suit him. If his first read isn't there, take off and run! I actually think it's a great idea. football at its very essence, is a simple game. Milroe is a fast and physical runner in open space, let him do what he is best at.

So far the problem with that is most teams have put a spy on him to limit the yards he can get. I'd rather do designed QB runs where there is strategic blocking in place off the LT, RT or between the tackles.

 

[AWRTR]

So far the problem with that is most teams have put a spy on him to limit the yards he can get. I'd rather do designed QB runs where there is strategic blocking in place off the LT, RT or between the tackles.

That is the way to run him. If things breakdown it is what it is and he should scramble, but the designed runs for him in the second half of the UTe game we’re excellent.