WR screens are a mainstay

[CougPatrol]

We're all fed up with our offense, and our WR screens are particularly painful to watch, but the plays themselves aren't the problem. Every program in college and professional football utilizes WR screens now. I mean, all of them do. They're based on numbers and simple football blocking basics, which is why all of the teams use them.

Our inability to run them is the problem, not the plays themselves. Because we can't run the ball, teams can jump our WR screens. Their corners can break early on them knowing that the safeties are quickly reading them since they don't have to worry about ANY activity in the middle of the field.

Leach runs a lot of WR screens, but he also incorporates a ton of underneath drag routes to keep teams honest. To me, that's the problem with this offense. We can't run inside, we rarely pass down the seams, and we don't drag receivers. I liked Brian Smith's offense more than the one I've seen this season. Smith is the passing game coordinator and running backs coach at Ohio University this season and they're ranked 2nd in the conference in offense, #1 in passing, and #1 in passing efficiency.

Kind of an unfair "too soon" comparison, but it's interesting.

 

[mikalalas]

We're all fed up with our offense, and our WR screens are particularly painful to watch, but the plays themselves aren't the problem. Every program in college and professional football utilizes WR screens now. I mean, all of them do. They're based on numbers and simple football blocking basics, which is why all of the teams use them.

Our inability to run them is the problem, not the plays themselves. Because we can't run the ball, teams can jump our WR screens. Their corners can break early on them knowing that the safeties are quickly reading them since they don't have to worry about ANY activity in the middle of the field.

Leach runs a lot of WR screens, but he also incorporates a ton of underneath drag routes to keep teams honest. To me, that's the problem with this offense. We can't run inside, we rarely pass down the seams, and we don't drag receivers. I liked Brian Smith's offense more than the one I've seen this season. Smith is the passing game coordinator and running backs coach at Ohio University this season and they're ranked 2nd in the conference in offense, #1 in passing, and #1 in passing efficiency.

Kind of an unfair "too soon" comparison, but it's interesting.

BECAUSE MORRIS STUPIDLY CHOOSES TO NOT RUN THE DAMN BALL, not we can't run the ball.

CORRECTION, FIXED.

I know Jenkins is injured, and so is Watson, BUT Jenkins, Watson, and ESPECIALLY JENKINS, averaged about 5.5 yards a carry, and in the USC game had about 130 yards on 13 carries for a 10 yards a carry average, and in the Ore St game had 7 yards a carry for each of 8 carries.

That's running the damn ball pretty damn good. So your WRONG, WSU, RB's HAVE been running the ball good WHEN, IF MORRIS ISNT STUPID AND ACTUALLY GIVES THEM A CARRY, and CAN AND WILL RUN THE BALL GOOD, IF MORRIS ISNT STUPID AND GIVES THEM A CARRY(CARRIES).

 

[CougEd]

We're all fed up with our offense, and our WR screens are particularly painful to watch, but the plays themselves aren't the problem. Every program in college and professional football utilizes WR screens now. I mean, all of them do. They're based on numbers and simple football blocking basics, which is why all of the teams use them.

Our inability to run them is the problem, not the plays themselves. Because we can't run the ball, teams can jump our WR screens. Their corners can break early on them knowing that the safeties are quickly reading them since they don't have to worry about ANY activity in the middle of the field.

Leach runs a lot of WR screens, but he also incorporates a ton of underneath drag routes to keep teams honest. To me, that's the problem with this offense. We can't run inside, we rarely pass down the seams, and we don't drag receivers. I liked Brian Smith's offense more than the one I've seen this season. Smith is the passing game coordinator and running backs coach at Ohio University this season and they're ranked 2nd in the conference in offense, #1 in passing, and #1 in passing efficiency.

Kind of an unfair "too soon" comparison, but it's interesting.

The problem with what Smith tan is two-fold. One, not many coaches are experts in the offense , so you are limited to who you can hire. Two, recruiting and talent evaluation . So many people now run what leach have is in high school it is easier to project… “that lineman at abc high school can slide into abe Lucas spot in two years . But lack of coaches make it more diccukt for sure .

 

[CougPatrol]

The problem with what Smith tan is two-fold. One, not many coaches are experts in the offense , so you are limited to who you can hire. Two, recruiting and talent evaluation . So many people now run what leach have is in high school it is easier to project… “that lineman at abc high school can slide into abe Lucas spot in two years . But lack of coaches make it more diccukt for sure .

I hear you on that, and I agree with some of it, but damn. What happened to innovative, adaptive coaching? Are we to believe that that 18-22 year old kids can't transition to elements of the RnS offense if it's taught well?

The offense Rolo and Smith worked well at Hawaii, and then Hawaii's offense fell into the abyss when they left. The offense worked well for WSU following the Leach transition, and now we've regressed. Conversely, Brian Smith goes to Ohio and they're suddenly leading the conference in passing and passing efficiency, where in 2019 (pre-COVID) they ranked in the middle of the conference in those categories.

I'm not necessarily advocating for Smith to return to Pullman, but I also don't agree with the rationale that we moved on from him because the RnS isn't being coached in high schools, and we need to stay current. Ironically, Cam Ward seems like he'd be a much better RnS QB than an air raid guy.

 

[spongeandshoot]

We're all fed up with our offense, and our WR screens are particularly painful to watch, but the plays themselves aren't the problem. Every program in college and professional football utilizes WR screens now. I mean, all of them do. They're based on numbers and simple football blocking basics, which is why all of the teams use them.

Our inability to run them is the problem, not the plays themselves. Because we can't run the ball, teams can jump our WR screens. Their corners can break early on them knowing that the safeties are quickly reading them since they don't have to worry about ANY activity in the middle of the field.

Leach runs a lot of WR screens, but he also incorporates a ton of underneath drag routes to keep teams honest. To me, that's the problem with this offense. We can't run inside, we rarely pass down the seams, and we don't drag receivers. I liked Brian Smith's offense more than the one I've seen this season. Smith is the passing game coordinator and running backs coach at Ohio University this season and they're ranked 2nd in the conference in offense, #1 in passing, and #1 in passing efficiency.

Kind of an unfair "too soon" comparison, but it's interesting.

I don't have a problem with WR screens per se. It depends on the context it is used.

I have said a bunch of times I loved Baylor's offense under Briles. He threw the ball vertically, wouldl pound the ball up the middle and throw wr screens to get the safties to creep up...then would throw 4 verts. And basically rinse and repeat.

We use it way too much and its not fooling anybody...and it was the game plan all along. Just watch the spring game.

I disagree with the statement we can;t run the ball. Maybe now that might be the case but when Jenkins was healthy and given the rock, we were effective. We just chose to go back to wr screens and swing passes.

I am surprised we haven't fumbled on any of those plays as their was a player just waiting there to blow the play up.

And we don't throw the ball down the seams. And when we had success going deep against Utah, we go away from it and back to the wr screen. It's crazy.

As for Leach, he treated it as a running play. I don't think we were very successful with it either under him. I remember it used to drive me nuts and it probably cost us the Stanford game when Falk threw a pick or the play was blown up for a fumble late in the game(the one where Powell missed a FG at the end)

As for Smith, I agree. It was a huge mistake to let him go and not capitalize on the momentum of last yr.

 

[wazzudrew]

BECAUSE MORRIS STUPIDLY CHOOSES TO NOT RUN THE DAMN BALL, not we can't run the ball.

CORRECTION, FIXED.

I know Jenkins is injured, and so is Watson, BUT Jenkins, Watson, and ESPECIALLY JENKINS, averaged about 5.5 yards a carry, and in the USC game had about 130 yards on 13 carries for a 10 yards a carry average, and in the Ore St game had 7 yards a carry for each of 8 carries.

That's running the damn ball pretty damn good. So your WRONG, WSU, RB's HAVE been running the ball good WHEN, IF MORRIS ISNT STUPID AND ACTUALLY GIVES THEM A CARRY, and CAN AND WILL RUN THE BALL GOOD, IF MORRIS ISNT STUPID AND GIVES THEM A CARRY(CARRIES).

Usually I would agree with you that we aren’t running the ball quite enough, but run plays have dropped quite a bit due to injury and I’d probably rather off myself than watch Dylan Paine get more than a couple carries. The much bigger issue is the refusal to throw downfield when we’re pretty solid at it when we actually do it.

 

[CougEd]

I hear you on that, and I agree with some of it, but damn. What happened to innovative, adaptive coaching? Are we to believe that that 18-22 year old kids can't transition to elements of the RnS offense if it's taught well?

The offense Rolo and Smith worked well at Hawaii, and then Hawaii's offense fell into the abyss when they left. The offense worked well for WSU following the Leach transition, and now we've regressed. Conversely, Brian Smith goes to Ohio and they're suddenly leading the conference in passing and passing efficiency, where in 2019 (pre-COVID) they ranked in the middle of the conference in those categories.

I'm not necessarily advocating for Smith to return to Pullman, but I also don't agree with the rationale that we moved on from him because the RnS isn't being coached in high schools, and we need to stay current. Ironically, Cam Ward seems like he'd be a much better RnS QB than an air raid guy.

Taught well are the key words

 

[Wazzubrooz]

The O line needs to show up in Palo Alto tomorrow, if the Cougs plan on winning. I think that’s the problem.

 

[95coug]

The problem I see is that we run them too often, with blockers who can’t get out there. On top of that, we don’t run anything downfield to keep the defense honest and we don’t run the ball enough - or well enough - to make them defend the middle. They can afford to defend the short edge because we don’t make them defend anything else.

 

[dgibbons]

I don't have a problem with WR screens per se. It depends on the context it is used.

I have said a bunch of times I loved Baylor's offense under Briles. He threw the ball vertically, wouldl pound the ball up the middle and throw wr screens to get the safties to creep up...then would throw 4 verts. And basically rinse and repeat.

We use it way too much and its not fooling anybody...and it was the game plan all along. Just watch the spring game.

I disagree with the statement we can;t run the ball. Maybe now that might be the case but when Jenkins was healthy and given the rock, we were effective. We just chose to go back to wr screens and swing passes.

I am surprised we haven't fumbled on any of those plays as their was a player just waiting there to blow the play up.

And we don't throw the ball down the seams. And when we had success going deep against Utah, we go away from it and back to the wr screen. It's crazy.

As for Leach, he treated it as a running play. I don't think we were very successful with it either under him. I remember it used to drive me nuts and it probably cost us the Stanford game when Falk threw a pick or the play was blown up for a fumble late in the game(the one where Powell missed a FG at the end)

As for Smith, I agree. It was a huge mistake to let him go and not capitalize on the momentum of last yr.

Translation: sponge thinks screens are fine if they work. If they don't work, the OC needs to be fired immediately.

 

[Wazzubrooz]

Also, really, how good is the WR corp, if they don’t know/can’t block a WR screen. They got a lot of press about what a strong group they were going to be. Well then, block like it.

 

[spongeandshoot]

Translation: sponge thinks screens are fine if they work. If they don't work, the OC needs to be fired immediately.

Translation: dgibbons thinks it is great coaching to run 20 wr screens a game.

 

[Coug90]

We're all fed up with our offense, and our WR screens are particularly painful to watch, but the plays themselves aren't the problem. Every program in college and professional football utilizes WR screens now. I mean, all of them do. They're based on numbers and simple football blocking basics, which is why all of the teams use them.

Our inability to run them is the problem, not the plays themselves. Because we can't run the ball, teams can jump our WR screens. Their corners can break early on them knowing that the safeties are quickly reading them since they don't have to worry about ANY activity in the middle of the field.

Leach runs a lot of WR screens, but he also incorporates a ton of underneath drag routes to keep teams honest. To me, that's the problem with this offense. We can't run inside, we rarely pass down the seams, and we don't drag receivers. I liked Brian Smith's offense more than the one I've seen this season. Smith is the passing game coordinator and running backs coach at Ohio University this season and they're ranked 2nd in the conference in offense, #1 in passing, and #1 in passing efficiency.

Kind of an unfair "too soon" comparison, but it's interesting.

Mmm. Sorta. They are fine to mix in when you can threaten other areas of the field. We don’t sk defenses can load up to blow these plays up. Also, Ferrell isn’t your ideal WR screen guy. Even if he makes one guy miss he’s not quick enough or fast enough to get down the field before 3 other guys show up. There’s all sorts of wrong with how we run these plays and the lack of creativity and down field threat which could actually make them effective…but Morris keeps beating his head against the wall.

 

[froropmkr72]

but Morris keeps beating his head against the wall.

painful to watch.