Offensive problems/observations (merged threads)

[AlofBama]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

We are getting too cute with the playcalling around the endzone and on 3rd and short(2-3 yards). Let's do what we do best and play smash mouth football when it counts. I understand that McElwain thinks that the opposing D coordinator is expecting us to do that, and maybe that's why he calls pass plays so much. But if we aren't executing it, go back to what our strength is.

Right on! Also, put in T Cody and run behind him. I know we would have scored...do it on 3rd down if not on 2nd. TN will be a force in the future...they hit us hard. But remember Tiders, we have played 3 really good D's in a row...we have to be fatigued. Thank goodness for an off week. Still can't believe this game. I had written it off! RTR:

 

[EscaTider]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

Honestly guys... What did Gmac do wrong today.. he had several dropped balls and even more poor play calls.. I thought he played much better

I tend to agree with your line of thinking. He had a couple of throws that I'm sure he'd like to have back, but he didn't do anything to cost us the game. One play that really stands out was a drop by Brad Smelley early in the game on what would have been a first down inside the 30. Hopefully the off-week will help to get some things corrected.

 

[Brady]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

Execution, we have had way too many dropped passes.

But I'll also agree we are getting a little too fancy in trying to capitalize on what the defense is showing us as opposed to just "impossing our will" on the defense. I look at the USC game and think, everyone knew that Ingram was going to run but he ran anyway. It's worth a shot.

I'm thinking the rest of the bye week is going to be a big help

 

[JDog]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

I thought GMAC played better today also but he is still missing some reads. Honestly, the playcalling is just a mystery to me. I think it has been absolutely terrible for the past 3 weeks.

 

[HotWingsRGood]

Play Calling

Did anyone else get frustrated with the two incomplete passes to Julio when it was 2nd and t insid the ut 5??? Why, with a heisman candidate as a running back, a five star recruit serving as his backup would we throw the ball? The play calling has been suspect for three weeks in a row. When the ball is thrown to other receivers we move the ball, when it's thrown to Julio for the sake of throwing it to Julio, we don't have as much success. No stats to support this, but that's how it appears. Good win an all that today, but this was a bad day. 3rd and one and we can't get one yard??? Come on!!!!

 

[bamarebel]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

i dont think anybody thinks bama needs to change the qb
everyone is getting frustrated with the play but the biggest thing is the off week. It gives the entire team a chance to rest,
mainly the deffense and ingram.
Imagine how exhausted ingram is from this and last wk.
also the offense needs something done and the defense will certainly need to fix some things before LSU even though some of the play may be from exhaustion

 

[tidefanbeezer]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

McElroy played well.

There were a few drops that were costly. And our play calling down around the end zone was confusing. Not sure why we'd try and throw on 2nd and 3rd and short when we rode Ingram down the field. I also didn't understand the QB sneak on 3rd and 2 with Ingram averaging 5 yards/carry.

But our defense played great, despite being tired and special teams came up with big plays when we needed them. The bye week couldn't come at a better time.

 

[bmcklv]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

I think we're trying to hard to "not be predictable."

Instead, we are not getting into a rhythm run blocking or passing because, heck, we don't know what our identity is.

Agreed! The first drive of the second half. Great field position, 3rd and 2; my uneducated play call: Either a QB sneak or Ingram up the middle; twice in a row if necessary. Keep it north and south and you don't lose any yardage. Instead, they try to go east-west and then turn it up field. FAIL and lose 3 yards to force a punt. Same thing on the last field goal drive in the 2nd quarter: It's 2nd and 2 at the 4 yard line; you don't throw the ball into the endzone when the QB has been having redzone trouble. You give the ball to your money back, and run it north and south for 2 or 3 consecutive plays to get the first down at the two; then bring in Mt. Cody and run it 4 more times to get a TD.

 

[JAXFLBAMAFAN]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

Is it the QB's fault that we had about 5-6 dropped passes today? To change QB's going into the 9th game of the season during a championship run would not be beneficial. I understand your frustration, but do you really want a redshirt freshman leading the team going forward this season?

Read my post again. I never ONCE said or implied that a change was needed. I merely stated that the problem is at QB. ; )

 

[RedStar]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

It's a great thing I'm not a mod, because I would ban half the people who post on tidefans.

 

[bamarebel]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

nobody needs to forget that colin peek wasnt able to go
he really helps with the play action and run blocking

 

[BamaBay]

Re: Play Calling

I was yelling at the TV!

There was plenty of time and 2nd and 2 at the 4 and we should have just pounded it in and used up the rest of the half.

There have been times before that I have just shook my head when we stopped doing soemthing that was working and got fancy. It could have made the difference in winning the game.

 

[JTH]

Re: Play Calling

It has definitely been questionable at times.

 

[Brady]

Re: Play Calling

Why throw to Julio? The D had 9 men in the box and he was man to man. Julio is the best receiver on our team (although someone in the game thread implied he was at best our 3rd best). The first he dropped, the second was PI that was not called. If either one had been complete (or if we got the PI call) it would have been great playcalling.

 

[Mamacalled]

Re: Play Calling

Did anyone else get frustrated with the two incomplete passes to Julio when it was 2nd and t insid the ut 5??? Why, with a heisman candidate as a running back, a five star recruit serving as his backup would we throw the ball? The play calling has been suspect for three weeks in a row. When the ball is thrown to other receivers we move the ball, when it's thrown to Julio for the sake of throwing it to Julio, we don't have as much success. No stats to support this, but that's how it appears. Good win an all that today, but this was a bad day. 3rd and one and we can't get one yard??? Come on!!!!

I have said before, when I played wide out and the ball was thrown to me and hit me in the hands, if I dropped the ball it was my bad not the person who called the play. Also, if I had been interfered with and the official did not call it it was the officials bad and not the playcaller.

 

[BamaInBham]

Re: Play Calling

True it was poor play calling. The first pass was stripped by the DB. But in reality, why pass when you are gashing the other team; it was 2nd and 2. Running requires much less precision than passing. It was VERY poor play calling. Almost cost the game.

 

[Bud]

Re: Play Calling

no idea - we either get a 1st down or a td with two runs.

I thought....we get a TD here and I don't see UT getting two scores on us.

We need an off week very badly...

 

[Trobinson97]

Re: Play Calling

Why throw to Julio? The D had 9 men in the box and he was man to man. Julio is the best receiver on our team (although someone in the game thread implied he was at best our 3rd best). The first he dropped, the second was PI that was not called. If either one had been complete (or if we got the PI call) it would have been great playcalling.

I didn't imply it, I said it outright. So far this season Peek is our best receiver and he didn't play. Ingram is second and they didn't go to him. Don't confuse best with talented, because I don't think they are more talented than Julio. We've all been watching the same team all season and it's obvious that Julio is slumping. When he isn't getting passes forced to him while in double coverage he's flat out dropping balls. I am simply calling it as I see at this point. It could change and it's likely that it will.

As for the point though, as I said, it's all about context. We have a slumping Julio and a slumping McElroy and we get down near the goalline on the back of the running game. We needed two yards for a first down on second down with just over a minute left.

We could have run the ball, and even if we didn't score it would have had a higher chance of being successful than a pass. We had already passed to Julio and he dropped it, so why not get the first down at least and run some time off the clock? UT's defense was gassed at that point and our O-line was getting great push.

We could have killed two birds with one stone. A first down, with 3 more chances to stick it in while running enough time off the clock so that UT wouldn't have enough time to get down field for an FGA. We lucked out that UT missed the FG.

The play calling, specifically on that series almost killled a potential NC season.

 

[bayoutider]

Re: Play Calling

Did anyone else get frustrated with the two incomplete passes to Julio when it was 2nd and t insid the ut 5??? Why, with a heisman candidate as a running back, a five star recruit serving as his backup would we throw the ball? The play calling has been suspect for three weeks in a row. When the ball is thrown to other receivers we move the ball, when it's thrown to Julio for the sake of throwing it to Julio, we don't have as much success. No stats to support this, but that's how it appears. Good win an all that today, but this was a bad day. 3rd and one and we can't get one yard??? Come on!!!!

Just a reminder, Julio was the #2 recruit in the nation when he signed with Alabama. He started all 14 games last season and preceding the 2009 football season, Julio Jones was voted to the All-SEC Coaches' Football Team (first team), one of only four players to be voted such unanimously (along with Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, Tennessee safety Eric Berry and LSU offensive lineman Ciron Black. It's not like Julio is chopped liver.

 

[JAXFLBAMAFAN]

Re: what is wrong with our offense

I don't miss the fact that Gmac has only a 8 games under his belt now. He is still learning what it's like to play against SEC defenses.

He is accurate he just does not have the velocity to fit it into the tight places that are there.

The receivers are not getting enough space for the passing game to be consistently good.

I don't think Gmac was sacked today at all so he had time but either nobody was getting open or Gmac wasn't finding them.

On the other hand, UT's QB was throwing the ball on a rope and their receivers were getting open a lot.

I'm just curious as to what kind of changes can be made to make the passing game better.

Eventually the run game is going to get really really tough if the pass game does not come around.