All-22 – L’s in Play-Calling and in the Trenches

Forced myself to rewatch the All-22. Below are just my observations from a guy that’s watched a lot of football, but has only recently really started looking more in detail, so don’t take it like I’m saying I know everything. I didn’t do the Vikings cuz that s**t had me DEPRESSED!

• OLine – Not talking about the obvious penalties, pass protection was s**t in the first half but were a lot better in the 2nd. That said, they don’t hold up for a long time and don’t get a push in the run game.

• DLine – We sent more than 4, but our pressure never gets there cleanly. Always hard fought so TLaw almost always had time. On the other hand, their DLine got through cleanly or Bull rushed too easily, way too many times.

• Defensive Play-calling – Once again, the zone scheme gets our players mixed up or something, because coverage comes a second late with the switch leading to an open man. Second half was adjusted better. This seems to be a common theme ever since last year too. If TLaw made his throws in the first half, we might have lost this game. I’m thinking our safeties are too much of a liability and our corners are having to play deep, and this made it all too easy for the Jags to get men open. Questionable call on the TD bullock saved. DLine was on their left side of their line, and had Aziz, Henry T and Lassiter covering the right side? I mean, what were you expecting outside of a massive hole and a big run??

Offensive Play-calling – I think the scheme has too many deep concepts for an OLine that can’t hold on long enough. I don’t think we’re utilizing Diggs properly. We run him too deep a lot, when a quick route to the open middle of the field or a more shallow slant route woood bust him wide open more often. Every once in a while, it’s drawn up that way and works well. Too often we’re not utilizing the wide open intermediate, middle of the field. I think we would benefit from a straight deep threat. That would allow Nico and Diggs to run slightly shorter routes and get open more quickly, instead of using them to clear out and trying to get woods or Schultz open when they get no separation. The play calling was better on our last couple of drives.

Nico – Damn near perfect minus a few missed run blocks.

Diggs – I don’t think Stroud has complete belief or timing with him yet. Stroud passed on Diggs two or 3x, making a few plays harder.

CJ Stroud – Usually this guy is perfect, but imo this has been his more “imperfect” performance. Like mentioned, he passed on his window to throw to an open Diggs a couple of times. He passed on Akers and 33 a couple of times, probably also because of the lack of trust or timing. But he’ll throw to Stover in a tighter window down the middle. Another miss was when he chose Woods behind the sticks in double coverage, instead of Nico running open with a quick slant. That said, he also bailed out the oline way too many times making great plays out of structure and making great throws/read every other time.

TLDR; Nico saved the offensive play calling. Stroud saved the piss poor offensive line. There’s still lack of trust/timing with Diggs. Our Defensive scheme needs to be less reactionary and not take a half of getting beat. Our DLine isn’t as deadly as I’d had expected through 4 games, lacking something to get to the QB faster. This is the most I’ve seen CJ pass or miss seeing the open man. Jags would have won with all our penalties if TLaw hit a few wide open guys in the first half and if they weren’t so dumb to run it as much as they did in the 2nd half.