DISQUS

HydroTech · 1 year ago

Longshore sometimes does stare down his receivers. But what is also very ironic is how people never criticize QBs who complete passes to a receiver that they stared down. If we're going to start making this a rule that the QB can't throw to his first read (a receiver who he is staring down by not reading the other WRs), then we have to criticize QBs for completed passes to the first read. But it seems odd to criticize a QB for a completed pass to his first read if the first read is open. My point: I think that criticism of a QB because he doesn't go through his progressions must be tempered and cautiously distributed. Sometimes the first read is the open guy, and sometimes the defense just makes a great play.

California Pete · 1 year ago

In a comment on Part I of this series, I praised Jackson's route running. On this play, though, what a disaster. I assume that Hawkins was supposed to provide a pick of some hopefully legal type for Jackson, but one or both of them did not adjust well to the coverage UCLA was presenting. As a result, it was all too easy for Verner to jump the route. You're right to give a lot of credit to both Verner and the Bruins' coaching staff, but if anyone failed to execute on this play, it was the Bears' receivers. Not crisp at all.

I don't think Nate staring down Jackson made a difference on this play. Verner put himself in a play-making position not by his read of Nate, but by his read of DeSean's route. Glancing up at the QB simply allowed Verner to better time his jump, and this had less to do with Nate's eyes than with his body.

Hindsight is 20-20, but some sort of stop-and-go route might have been nice there, huh?

Tony · 1 year ago

I agree the play appears to be designed such that Hawkins would pick Verner out of the play and that clearly didn't happen. Watching the replay a few times (not recommended) it's clear to me that Desean ran a very bad route. By the time he makes his cut, Hawkins and his coverage are four yards downfield and Verner doesn't have any trouble getting around them. But that's not the only problem. I'm not one for the excessive trashing of Longshore, but he didn't just stare Desean down on this play. He also underthrew the ball and put it behind the receiver. Had he put the ball high and between Desean and the sideline, Verner wouldn't have been able to jump in front of it. I'm not saying Verner couldn't still make a play on the ball, but it surely wouldn't have been intercepted.

Avinash · 1 year ago

I don't think anyone was to blame. Tedford thought that a 3rd and 6 would attract a Cover 4 scheme so he threw to the outside. Maybe Hawkins was supposed to set a pick on that play, but I'm not totally sure if he was trying to draw Verner on a stop and go route upfeield.

And the thought crossed my mind that Hawkins set a pick, but do you design playcalls meant to set picks on defenders? Isn't that holding or at worst offensive pass interference?

HydroTech · 1 year ago

Well, you can't "pick" (basketball definition) in football. You can "pick" in a football meaning you sort of "accidentally" get in the way of the defender without completely obstructing his path to the ball or receiver.

It'd be interesting to see how often UCLA played a cover 4 on 3rd and mediums against base personnel. I sure as hell wouldn't expect UCLA to play a cover 4 against a 3rd and 6 with base personnel. While I'm not Tedford, I think Tedford would be too smart to call a play attacking a cover 4 in a situation where I would think most defenses would not play a cover 4.

SRB · 1 year ago

So..what I want to know is if they weren't in the expected defense, why wasn't the play changed? Isn't the qb supposed to read the D when he comes to the line. Or is this an alignment that can somehow be mistaken for the cover 4 you mentioned?

Avinash · 1 year ago

I might be revising my opinion of this. I think Tedford might have expected a Cover 2 assignment but Hawkins had trouble picking Verner up and blocking him from intercepting Jackson's route. That seems likelier than the Cover 4 proposition I handed out, since 3rd and 6 isn't a typical Cover 4 down.

SRB · 1 year ago

I will also say..QB should have read the corner and thrown a pass over the top towards the sideline, which at worst would have been an int.

Also..thanks for the pics and breakdown.

Avinash · 1 year ago

Toward Hawkins? I think Longshore's arm strength was an issue all game and airing it out was not something Tedford wanted. I would've preferred a screen dump to Forsett or a tight end thread to Stevens.