Am I the only one worried more about the pass D than the OL?

frostycane

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I just feel like our soft zone coverage is going to become a problem. We just played a team that hid not shown the ability to functionally move the ball in the air, and their trio of mediocre QBs completed an astoundingly high rate of passes.
So, while we continue to mix and match highly rated OL prospects, I can’t help but be more concerned about our unwillingness to challenge opposing WR/QB. We just handed them a handful of first downs. If we do things like this vs Clemson and they are easily able to sustain drives it’s going to be a tough night at their place. Their fans are gonna show up! The stadium will be rocking and we can’t just continually give them momentum after every score..
Am I the only one thinking this? Or am I just over thinking it?
 
I'm not sure if giving up 137 yards through the air, regardless of the pass completion, is something that is much of a concern.

The soft zone is frustrating to watch but it hasn't been an issue. If I remember correctly, when Wake torched our secondary it wasn't when we were zone but man (or am I misremembering this?).
 
I just feel like our soft zone coverage is going to become a problem. We just played a team that hid not shown the ability to functionally move the ball in the air, and their trio of mediocre QBs completed an astoundingly high rate of passes.
So, while we continue to mix and match highly rated OL prospects, I can’t help but be more concerned about our unwillingness to challenge opposing WR/QB. We just handed them a handful of first downs. If we do things like this vs Clemson and they are easily able to sustain drives it’s going to be a tough night at their place. Their fans are gonna show up! The stadium will be rocking and we can’t just continually give them momentum after every score..
Am I the only one thinking this? Or am I just over thinking it?


Yes.

You are the only one.
 
I think there will be a team that will get hold of us defensively. But that may be to the tune of 28 points.

I just don’t think that will be enough.

Our defense is complementing our offence at the moment. We needed our defence to be the big playmakers last year due to the limitations in the passing attack at times.

This year we need the defence to be above average and give up fgs rather than tds.
 
I'm not sure if giving up 137 yards through the air, regardless of the pass completion, is something that is much of a concern.

The soft zone is frustrating to watch but it hasn't been an issue. If I remember correctly, when Wake torched our secondary it wasn't when we were zone but man (or am I misremembering this?).
We were in zone at wake- LB’s and thorton at nickel back position had some glaring deficiencies in coverage and Hernandez & Foley settled into their zones for literate after catch b/c we couldn’t wrap up
 
I just feel like our soft zone coverage is going to become a problem. We just played a team that hid not shown the ability to functionally move the ball in the air, and their trio of mediocre QBs completed an astoundingly high rate of passes.
So, while we continue to mix and match highly rated OL prospects, I can’t help but be more concerned about our unwillingness to challenge opposing WR/QB. We just handed them a handful of first downs. If we do things like this vs Clemson and they are easily able to sustain drives it’s going to be a tough night at their place. Their fans are gonna show up! The stadium will be rocking and we can’t just continually give them momentum after every score..
Am I the only one thinking this? Or am I just over thinking it?
Combined with LBs that can’t stay w backs or TE’s. Yes I agree w you. The dline is going to have to play well. Maybe the qb inexperience for them helps us.
 
I think the pass protection is going to improve throughout every game for a myriad of reasons, mainly injuries. Hopefully, by the playoffs, it's the unit everybody thought it would be. Don't forget, we thought this was going to be the best unit in the nation.
 
I’m still very worried about the LBs inability to cover and the DBs depth just because of injuries. If the DB room was healthy this defense would be tremendous but Lucas Antoine need to come back quickly.

This QB sucks at throwing but knowing UM their TEs are likely going to eat us alive in coverage with Toure turned around like he hasn’t seen 5000 college snaps.
 
Well when 3/4 top corners are out yeah the unit gets worse.

If Lucas and OJ can get back by year’s end I think the secondary will be fine.

If we settle on a starting five OL and let them gel I also believe they’ll be above average at minimum.

Basically, survive and get experience until a hopeful playoff birth and then the teams potential skyrockets as it matters most.
 
They can't run on us, and is forced to throw. We have almost all our CBs out through injury. Why should I be more concerned about that than if the OL will protect the QB who is putting up insane # and is the key to a another title run?
 
We’ve already faced two of the five best quarterbacks on our schedule, and held up rather nicely, so yeah.

Look at Mason Heintschel‘s numbers against UCF and Syracuse. He’s not a threat.

Our defensive backfield will look drastically different by the ND & VT games; the potential ACC-CCG opponent is tbd.
 
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I'm not sure if giving up 137 yards through the air, regardless of the pass completion, is something that is much of a concern.

The soft zone is frustrating to watch but it hasn't been an issue. If I remember correctly, when Wake torched our secondary it wasn't when we were zone but man (or am I misremembering this?).
generally this year, when we’ve run man, i remember bad things happening.

it’s the curious part of this “we need to tighten up coverage” argument.
 
So, while we continue to mix and match highly rated OL prospects.
You make a good point, but we were supposed to roll them, and they may have done that intentionally.

O-Lines on the other hand play as a group. Going into game four without five used to playing next to the guys on either side of them concernes me a bit more. Particularly since they will probably throw the house at us on passing downs. But if that QB beats us we deserve to lose.
 
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