Are we the only team in America that coaches can come out and have a really great plan for the first half, but have zero answers in the 2nd half for adjustments made by teams on both sides of the ball? It sure seems that way. We tend to look like one of the best teams in America in the first halves of games and like complete trash in the 2nd half. 3 n outs on offense, no blitzing and sitting on our heels in 2nd half on defense. This is why we haven't reached the plateau that we know we can get to this year. We did it against UGA, SC, and SMU. By this time in the year, we should have plenty of data of what teams are going to do and what works and doesn't work to attack those schemes. We also know what our team is good at and what we are not. We know all of a team's plays and they know all of ours for the most part.
Offensively
Our OL has been very good at pass blocking all year IMO with only a few exceptions. We were great against SC, UGA, and SMU. Cade has been great this year with his decision making on when to run, when to pass, etc. He has been getting better each week with the long ball. We are not good at perimeter screen blocking, outside Mafah runs, adjusting to man to man and blitzes on our route trees. We have had quite a bit of success on the end around runs with A. Williams and Cole Turner this year. We tend to have better success rushing the football on the pull blocking then we do straight forward in between the tackles, but mostly off guard. Cade has done a great job of finding open WR's down the middle of the field and sidelines. We haven't been as successful as I would like with our TE seam passes this year or TE passes in general with Briningstool against athletic LBs/Ss. I would like to see us go to 4 WR's against TX in some sets with Brown/Williams/Moore and Wesco. This would get a lot of speed on the field and get some WR/S matchups that would be in our favor. I would rather see a Wesco/S matchup then a Briningstool/LB matchup at this point in the season. Briningstool ISN'T a good blocking TE, so he is a liability on the field sometimes. Olsen Henry is a better blocker and WR IMO and should get more reps. It would open up our offense better. We get the lead against some good teams, and we tend to take the foot off the gas. All of the play calls go conservative and from what I have seen play right into the strengths of the defense we are lining up against in the 2nd half. We are and offense and we need to ATTACK for 4 quarters. That is why we hired you Riley, not to run up the middle or take a deep shot here and there.
Defensively
Our DT's have done a nice job of limiting, stopping the run up the middle. Woods has been getting a pass rush in the middle which has helped some. Parker has been tremendous all year at rushing the passer and playing the run game. We are extremely weak at our opposite DE position. I would like to see Sammy Brown slide into that DE position throughout the game. We could have him as a standup that could play DE/LB and be a hybrid type. He needs to be on the field all the time as a LB/DE. Carter could man one LB position and has been good, but could be better. Woodaz plays much better as the hybrid S/LB and needs to fill that role. We could really be multiple with Woodaz and Brown on the field. Lawson is our only other pass rusher that can get to the QB on a consistent basis, so he should be utilized in longer 3rd down situations unless we use Brown to confuse the offense. Not really sure who gives us the best rush defense on 1st and 2nd down amongst Hoeffler, Lawson, or Denhoff. Part of me says put Woods at DE on 1st and 2nd down and slide into DT on 3rd down and drop Brown down to DE. Our DB's are playing so far off WR's right now we are giving them the short passes most of the day. I would like to see more press man with Terrell and Hampton. Someone needs to get in Terrells face and tell him he is getting picked on a lot lately and that teams consider him the weak link in our secondary. He really needs to get back to playing lights out. Mickens has been a solid S for us in both the run and pass. However, Barnes is much better in the box than he is roaming around back at S. He is solid at stopping the run. He just doesn't have the speed to cover faster WRs'. Griffin is our best option when it comes to passing downs I would say, but both him and Barnes were playing so much better at the end of last year. Unless some of the young guys are ready to go at S, I just don't see a lot of great answers back there right now in containing WR's with the guys we have. The worst problem though about our defense isn't as much the players outside of DE and S, it is our coordinator. He usually comes in with a solid plan, but for whatever reason craps the bed in 2nd halves every week. He never makes adjustments and it has bitten us against the good teams lately. We are NEVER aggressive in the 2nd half. We tend to sit back and be passive on defense.
Offensively
Our OL has been very good at pass blocking all year IMO with only a few exceptions. We were great against SC, UGA, and SMU. Cade has been great this year with his decision making on when to run, when to pass, etc. He has been getting better each week with the long ball. We are not good at perimeter screen blocking, outside Mafah runs, adjusting to man to man and blitzes on our route trees. We have had quite a bit of success on the end around runs with A. Williams and Cole Turner this year. We tend to have better success rushing the football on the pull blocking then we do straight forward in between the tackles, but mostly off guard. Cade has done a great job of finding open WR's down the middle of the field and sidelines. We haven't been as successful as I would like with our TE seam passes this year or TE passes in general with Briningstool against athletic LBs/Ss. I would like to see us go to 4 WR's against TX in some sets with Brown/Williams/Moore and Wesco. This would get a lot of speed on the field and get some WR/S matchups that would be in our favor. I would rather see a Wesco/S matchup then a Briningstool/LB matchup at this point in the season. Briningstool ISN'T a good blocking TE, so he is a liability on the field sometimes. Olsen Henry is a better blocker and WR IMO and should get more reps. It would open up our offense better. We get the lead against some good teams, and we tend to take the foot off the gas. All of the play calls go conservative and from what I have seen play right into the strengths of the defense we are lining up against in the 2nd half. We are and offense and we need to ATTACK for 4 quarters. That is why we hired you Riley, not to run up the middle or take a deep shot here and there.
Defensively
Our DT's have done a nice job of limiting, stopping the run up the middle. Woods has been getting a pass rush in the middle which has helped some. Parker has been tremendous all year at rushing the passer and playing the run game. We are extremely weak at our opposite DE position. I would like to see Sammy Brown slide into that DE position throughout the game. We could have him as a standup that could play DE/LB and be a hybrid type. He needs to be on the field all the time as a LB/DE. Carter could man one LB position and has been good, but could be better. Woodaz plays much better as the hybrid S/LB and needs to fill that role. We could really be multiple with Woodaz and Brown on the field. Lawson is our only other pass rusher that can get to the QB on a consistent basis, so he should be utilized in longer 3rd down situations unless we use Brown to confuse the offense. Not really sure who gives us the best rush defense on 1st and 2nd down amongst Hoeffler, Lawson, or Denhoff. Part of me says put Woods at DE on 1st and 2nd down and slide into DT on 3rd down and drop Brown down to DE. Our DB's are playing so far off WR's right now we are giving them the short passes most of the day. I would like to see more press man with Terrell and Hampton. Someone needs to get in Terrells face and tell him he is getting picked on a lot lately and that teams consider him the weak link in our secondary. He really needs to get back to playing lights out. Mickens has been a solid S for us in both the run and pass. However, Barnes is much better in the box than he is roaming around back at S. He is solid at stopping the run. He just doesn't have the speed to cover faster WRs'. Griffin is our best option when it comes to passing downs I would say, but both him and Barnes were playing so much better at the end of last year. Unless some of the young guys are ready to go at S, I just don't see a lot of great answers back there right now in containing WR's with the guys we have. The worst problem though about our defense isn't as much the players outside of DE and S, it is our coordinator. He usually comes in with a solid plan, but for whatever reason craps the bed in 2nd halves every week. He never makes adjustments and it has bitten us against the good teams lately. We are NEVER aggressive in the 2nd half. We tend to sit back and be passive on defense.
