For what it's worth, I created all of this last night because I noticed some really nice things James Coley did with personnel groupings and design. Most of that was early in the game, however.
We have some problems with our route combinations and that's the point of this thread. I'm taking a single play that was called in the heat of the moment (I concede) and using it to further discussion about our issues with play design. Also, I've been on Golden for likely setting a poor tone of conservatism. I have to be fair, though: the way we attacked the field here was a head-scratcher, to say the least.
Here's the play in an image, as I broke down yesterday through text on this board:
Formation:
3 by 1 = Walford comes in motion across the formation and you have Walford, Dorsett and Coley to the far sideline. Herb Waters is the lone WR to the bottom of the screen. Already, I question what we're doing here because Herb is not our biggest speed threat and is least likely to garner significant attention from the Safety toward the bottom of the screen. If I'm playing Safety, this indicates to me that it's likely a pre-conceived pass to the right side of the field, so the field just got cut in half.
Route Combination(s):
Long time ago, we called the combination Walford-Dorsett used a "Flood" pattern. It's not the typical layered flood pattern you'll see where Walford would flare at 4-6, Dorsett would run an out at 10-12 and Coley (outside) would run a 9 route (vertical). That's usually done against Cover 3 and forces a decision on whether or not to sit by the CB. It looks more like this:
Instead, what we saw is a basic out pattern by Walford and a post over him by Dorsett.
- Herb at the bottom of the screen ran a quick in. Funny enough, you can see both outside corners literally have their backs turned to face their respective sidelines and force WRs outside. Exaggerated inside leverage by the Corners, and Herb literally ran right into his defender.
- Coley ran a weak sit down route to the sticks. Same coverage on him as described for Herb above.
- The route combination in the middle of the field is troubling for many reasons:
1. You have FSU's most disruptive DB (Ramsey) singling Dorsett AND showing it. What's more, he has significant help over the top from the Safety who literally never moved or was never threatened (as he would have by a Stacy Coley vertical route, for example).
2. If the idea is to clear the area for Walford, who is being obviously man'd up as his defender comes across the formation with him, why are you running him into a crowd? Walford is a good TE who will play in the NFL, but he's not the quickest guy out there, so he'd need a straight line (seam) pattern or a crossing route where he can gain steam. Further, again, why is Stacy Coley sitting down to that side of the field?
It's easy to critique after the fact, I realize, but that's what message boards are for and this was a questionable design from jump. Also, it'd be unfair for me to critique without offering what I'd have done:
Formation:
Balanced 4WR, motion Walford across and back to indicate, as it did, underneath man coverage.
Route Combination(s):
- First of all, if you're going to use Stacy Coley as a decoy, use his speed instead of sitting down as if he were Brandon Marshall. I'd have him at the bottom of the screen. I'd send him vertical.
- Second of all, as mentioned I'd motion Walford across and back to a balanced 2 by 2, 4WR set from the middle of the field. I'd send him on a seam or post. He'd take his underneath man coverage and the Safety on that side would have to stay over him and Coley.
- Most importantly, your best player during the game and most attention is going to go to #4. We even had fans in the stands saying the last play (even on 3rd and 9) would go to Dorsett. Use him. Leave him at the top of the screen in the slot. Send him vertical to the top corner. He'll take Ramsey and the attention of the Safety at the top of the screen.
- Place Herb Waters, who is sure-handed and good after the catch, at the very top of the screen. Jab step out and slant/cross the field at 6-8 yards. With obvious inside leverage, CB would have to switch his hips to chase him across the field.
- But, wait, what about the LB in the middle of the field? He's shadowing Duke Johnson. Duke chipping on a relatively quick-hitting play was, ultimately, pointless, but that's hindsight. Instead, we'd know he'd have attention, so send him into the bottom flats.
This wouldn't be a complicated read by Kaaya and I realize FSU would be bringing heat, so it's not a slow developing play (quick read in the flats, quick read across the middle on an intermediate cross):
He's essentially reading toward middle of the field (left, where Walford is) first. Based on what that combination of defenders does, and you have immediate vertical routes so it'll quickly show, you read Duke 1 on 1 in the flats and come back across to the middle of the field to Herb Waters who has had the field cleared for him by Dorsett.
But, who knows. At least we get to discuss it and see what it may or may not mean for us going forward.
We have some problems with our route combinations and that's the point of this thread. I'm taking a single play that was called in the heat of the moment (I concede) and using it to further discussion about our issues with play design. Also, I've been on Golden for likely setting a poor tone of conservatism. I have to be fair, though: the way we attacked the field here was a head-scratcher, to say the least.
Here's the play in an image, as I broke down yesterday through text on this board:
Formation:
3 by 1 = Walford comes in motion across the formation and you have Walford, Dorsett and Coley to the far sideline. Herb Waters is the lone WR to the bottom of the screen. Already, I question what we're doing here because Herb is not our biggest speed threat and is least likely to garner significant attention from the Safety toward the bottom of the screen. If I'm playing Safety, this indicates to me that it's likely a pre-conceived pass to the right side of the field, so the field just got cut in half.
Route Combination(s):
Long time ago, we called the combination Walford-Dorsett used a "Flood" pattern. It's not the typical layered flood pattern you'll see where Walford would flare at 4-6, Dorsett would run an out at 10-12 and Coley (outside) would run a 9 route (vertical). That's usually done against Cover 3 and forces a decision on whether or not to sit by the CB. It looks more like this:
Instead, what we saw is a basic out pattern by Walford and a post over him by Dorsett.
- Herb at the bottom of the screen ran a quick in. Funny enough, you can see both outside corners literally have their backs turned to face their respective sidelines and force WRs outside. Exaggerated inside leverage by the Corners, and Herb literally ran right into his defender.
- Coley ran a weak sit down route to the sticks. Same coverage on him as described for Herb above.
- The route combination in the middle of the field is troubling for many reasons:
1. You have FSU's most disruptive DB (Ramsey) singling Dorsett AND showing it. What's more, he has significant help over the top from the Safety who literally never moved or was never threatened (as he would have by a Stacy Coley vertical route, for example).
2. If the idea is to clear the area for Walford, who is being obviously man'd up as his defender comes across the formation with him, why are you running him into a crowd? Walford is a good TE who will play in the NFL, but he's not the quickest guy out there, so he'd need a straight line (seam) pattern or a crossing route where he can gain steam. Further, again, why is Stacy Coley sitting down to that side of the field?
It's easy to critique after the fact, I realize, but that's what message boards are for and this was a questionable design from jump. Also, it'd be unfair for me to critique without offering what I'd have done:
Formation:
Balanced 4WR, motion Walford across and back to indicate, as it did, underneath man coverage.
Route Combination(s):
- First of all, if you're going to use Stacy Coley as a decoy, use his speed instead of sitting down as if he were Brandon Marshall. I'd have him at the bottom of the screen. I'd send him vertical.
- Second of all, as mentioned I'd motion Walford across and back to a balanced 2 by 2, 4WR set from the middle of the field. I'd send him on a seam or post. He'd take his underneath man coverage and the Safety on that side would have to stay over him and Coley.
- Most importantly, your best player during the game and most attention is going to go to #4. We even had fans in the stands saying the last play (even on 3rd and 9) would go to Dorsett. Use him. Leave him at the top of the screen in the slot. Send him vertical to the top corner. He'll take Ramsey and the attention of the Safety at the top of the screen.
- Place Herb Waters, who is sure-handed and good after the catch, at the very top of the screen. Jab step out and slant/cross the field at 6-8 yards. With obvious inside leverage, CB would have to switch his hips to chase him across the field.
- But, wait, what about the LB in the middle of the field? He's shadowing Duke Johnson. Duke chipping on a relatively quick-hitting play was, ultimately, pointless, but that's hindsight. Instead, we'd know he'd have attention, so send him into the bottom flats.
This wouldn't be a complicated read by Kaaya and I realize FSU would be bringing heat, so it's not a slow developing play (quick read in the flats, quick read across the middle on an intermediate cross):
He's essentially reading toward middle of the field (left, where Walford is) first. Based on what that combination of defenders does, and you have immediate vertical routes so it'll quickly show, you read Duke 1 on 1 in the flats and come back across to the middle of the field to Herb Waters who has had the field cleared for him by Dorsett.
But, who knows. At least we get to discuss it and see what it may or may not mean for us going forward.
