Bombers 41 - Lions 19 -- Post-Game Stats and Comments

[WestCoastJoe]

Xs and Os from film. Sid Gillman.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/photos/gallery/ ... ching-tree

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[WestCoastJoe]

Gillman's coaching tree

Mike Sherman is in there, under the Bill Walsh branch.

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[DanoT]

I can't add much to that excellent post, Blitz but I will say that to me the 1st quarter play where both tackles throw cut blocks at the DEs and miss, leaving no where for Jennings to escape to, epitomizes the Coach Dorazio method of being too technical.

I am no expert but it seems to me that a cut back block is best suited for a smaller, nimbler blocker to take on the defender's feet/lower body instead of going against a defender with a more powerful upper body and risk being over powered. So perhaps effective when a RB takes on a DE but not a OT vs DE.

IMO the best play that an OT can do is keep his body at all times between the defender and the QB. It does require great footwork but unlike a cut block it does not require throwing your whole body at a DE at just the right moment and with just the right precision or technical form.

[WestCoastJoe]

Wildcat play to Harris. Very good game planning and play design. Harris, one of my all time favourites. 44 yards. Go, Andrew.

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[WestCoastJoe]

Familiar experience for Jennings. Two D Linemen on the prowl. Meet at the quarterback.

Fortunately an outlet receiver is ready after a very, very brief route.

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[TheLionKing]

It was all part of the ‘Buono-Plan”, scripted by Buono himself. In the final chapter, Buono takes away the ‘fear’ of Lions fans, who are, of course, besides themselves worrying about who could ever fill his shoes. But Leo fans are handed a gift. Mark Washington is named the new Head Coach of the B.C. Lions, and Dan Dorazio is the new Associate Head Coach. Washington and Dorazio, of course, present at the press conference, to announce their hiring, give all the credit to Buono for the outstanding mentoring they have received. They also ‘reassure’ Leo fans, that while they will create their own imprint, they will, of course, continue to coach the team in the Buono tradition. Leo fans are joyous.

Good grief Blitz, don't even think of that scenario.

[WestCoastJoe]

Lions' long passing game. Jump ball to Burnham from Fajardo. But Burnie gets it. Manny and Burnie can win those jump balls. But there has to be much, much more than that to a long passing game. Offences very, very often get great separation against us. The game planning creates confusion for our DBs.

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[Ballistic Bob]

Any chance Jennings is still hurting from the 2017 season?

[TheLionKing]

As part of the Buono Plan, Wally's daughter Christie will be appointed the new General Manager and Head Coach

[Blitz]

Of course, I used to follow the NFL in great detail from the 1960s until about 2000. I ran an early betting pool before it became insanely popular. I have great appreciation for a number of the coaches, in both the NFL and CFL. Lombardi. Landry. Grant. Noll. Shula. Davis. Madden. Walsh of course. Coryell. Parcells. Belichick. Matthews got me back into following the CFL.

I mention this because the one guy I did not pay attention to was Sid Gillman, whom you cite above. LOL I knew about him of course. But even though San Diego had Lance Alworth I preferred the NFL. Gillman's coaching tree is amazing. Many of my favourites are in there.

I read where he was the first coach to use film. He was the first coach to use a strength coach. He loved the vertical passing game. Very, very creative.

Not really caring for the old AFL, I missed out on this guy, at least until he joined the Dallas Cowboys. Lance Alworth. Amazing. A high stepper. He was Bambi.

WCJ

Gillman's coaching tree is amazing as you note WCJ.

All the different styles of offences that eventually make their way to the pros in the NFL and the CFL are almost always first created in either U.S. high school or U.S. college level.

I'm sure you remember well the old college option play days when the quarterback would either a) hand the football off to the fullback on a dive play or keep it himself or pitch it to the tailback. The quarterback would read the end or linebacker, if he faked the dive, and either keep it or pitch it.

In some games, that's all a football team ran...the option play right and the option play left, with some wrinkles. They could run the option out of the I formation, split backs, and even use three backs and a tight end.

It never became really popular in the NFL because the quarterback was considered too important to have carrying the football very often.

A few decades later, with the spread offence all the rage, some teams began to combine the spread offence and the old option offence. But because there was no fullback, instead the play was run differently. With only an ace back, the quarterback read the defensive end and either handed the football to the tailback on the inside zone read (zone blocking with potential cutback) or kept it himself.

Now we have the RPO offence becoming popular. Its run out of the spread formation usually but this time, instead of the quarterback either faking the inside zone read to the tailback, we add slotback motion for the potential reverse. The quarterback either hands the football to the tailback or throws a quick pass (but he can also keep it himself), all based on a post snap read. On one side of the formation, there is usually a stack so that the quarterback can also throw the bubble screen.

While conceptually I understand the concept of option football and the advantages of specific post-snap reads because defenses can look very different post snap than how they line up prior to the snap of the football, quite personally, I also find it boring (and like any offence that is 'new' it takes defenses some time to adjust but they usually do.

I'm tend to like hybrid offences. Call them the 'Heinz 57' offences. They take some Pro and some West Coast, some ace back Spread offence and some flexbone, some Run and Shoot and they give you a 'Forest Gump' offence - that is like a box of chocolates - 'you never know what you are going to get' from pass heavy spread and West Coast formations to a Pro offence with the offensive line in double tights and utilizing a fullback.

The New England Patriots are like that...from one season to one game, their offence can look very different. They can go with Brady under center and power run with a fullback or they will spread out from the shotgun. They will split their tight ends out or keep them in tight or go with four receivers and no tight ends. They are very difficult to typecast and game plan against.


What I sometimes find frustrating is when fans will say, right after a game, that the quarterback was not 'reading the defense'. I have no idea whether a quarterback is reading the defense well or not, from watching a game on television, like last nights game against the Bombers. Its even difficult to tell from watching a football game live, without watching tape after. Yes, we can all see when a quarterback throws an interception but that doesn't necessarily mean he hasn't read the defense nor when a quarterback struggles, does it mean that he is not 'reading the defense'.

What I can comfortably say is that a quarterback who throws for over 5,000 yards in a single season can read a defense. A quarterback would never be able to come close to that success in the CFL, without an ability to read defenses, in whatever way he is reading them but I will not know what or how he is reading defenses.

No position is more scrutinized and analyzed than the quarterback position. The first thing a quarterback has to learn, more than the playbook, is the history of defenses and the various types of defenses he will face so that he will understand what he will be looking at.


There are two types of reads for a quarterback - coverage reads and progression reads. A few decades ago, a quarterback like Joe Kapp or Roy Dewalt would have mostly used simple coverage reads. If the key defender dropped one way, the quarterback threw the ball to his slotback but if the defender dropped the other way, the quarterback threw it to the wide receiver.

As defenses became more sophisticated, quarterbacks also used progression reads. They forced the quarterback to look at his primary receiver and continue through his progressions until he found a receiver open. As time continued on the quarterback didn't go through his progessions looking at the receiver or the defender but instead he looked for open windows or 'areas' to throw the football and the receiver was expected to be there. If the quarterback looks at the defender covering the receiver, he may look open but If our quarterback is looking at the receivers defender, then his vision is too tight and another defender, such as a middle linebacker like Bighill, will come over and pick off the pass (unless he is playing deep safety for our Leos)

What brings it all together is the coverage read determines the progression. That coverage read also became a post-snap read as well as a pre-snap read. Why? Because once the football is snapped, no matter what the defense looked like pre-snap, a defense is very often very different post-snap - and represent mayhem.

Blitzers come tearing off the edge or up the middle, defensive backs rotate, defensive ends drop off on a zone blitz, corners come up and press cover at the snap of the football etc. But post-snap, the mask of a defense has to come off, revealing its true self.

The key is not reading the defense - any starting pro quarterback can do most of the time but making the read at the right time. Receivers are open for only the briefest of moments. If not the quarterback is standing there waiting for the receiver, or the receiver has broken before the quarterback can throw the ball. Big issues are the result.

Too early or too late by as split second and the play will often go wrong. Its all about careful calibration of the timing between quarterback and receivers. Its known as timing and its all based on the quarterback and receivers steps. The first quarterback read is a rythym throw and its thrown when the quarterback's last step hits the ground.

For second and third reads, excellent quarterbacks bounce (reset their feet) if their second or third reads are not open in time.

What separates outstanding quarterbacks from the rest is not reading defenses or understanding coverages as much as they have an ability to process more information and they become masters at their craft.

In terms of our offence this year is that our timing between quarterback and receivers is off. The footwork between quarterback and receiver is often badly off. Therefore our offence is out of sync. It was out of sync last year too, too often which led to the interceptions thrown by both Jennings and Lulay (both led the league in interception ratio). It never got in sync with Chris Williams either, when he entered the starting lineup part way through the season.

Too often, our offence has relied on players 'making plays', whether its a quarterback escaping the pocket or a receiver going up over two defenders to make a great catch. But our recivers are often covered because the routes are not precise and the timing is off.

Excellent game planning and play calling combined with excellent play design and synchronization lead to excellent offence. We haven't had that now for a long time.

Wally often laments after a loss when our offence doesn't play well that we 'need to make plays'. What he is asking for is for his players to overcome the mediocrity of our offensive scheme.

As a Bill Walsh San Francisco 49er fan, WCJ, you are more than aware that the 49's didn't rely on great plays. Montana to Jerry Rice was all about reading a defense at the right time it was all about timing and synchronization and a quest for perfection.

[Blitz]

As part of the Buono Plan, Wally's daughter Christie will be appointed the new General Manager and Head Coach

Good bye Ed Hervey!

You gotta get in there and see Wally ..TheLionKIng. Give his head a rub and get it working.

As for you GridIron Ernie...you should have stuck with the Dickens novel..

[Gridiron Ernie]

No worries Blitz, Dickens will keep. And seeing as you diverted my attention this afternoon I thought I'd perhaps go for Tolstoy instead tonight (heh heh), only to be diverted yet again by another large installment from you. And you've pretty much scared the 'iron' right out of me with your in-the-thick-of-it descriptions of what all is whirling round both outside and inside a QB's helmeted head! It was rather exhilarating to be taken there that way... but I was quickly overwhelmed and, well, got sacked -- so to speak! It's terrifying back there behind the o-line. Yikes. I froze. Anyhow, that was special (the simulation via your writing), but I'm not cut out for going there and surviving. Serves to leave this fan with boundless empathy for any quarterback, whatever his name or team may be. Tough job. Thanks (I think) for the virtual reality tour. I need a shower and a sleep now...

[WestCoastJoe]

Good read, Blitz.

Adapt or die. There are creative types, absolute Xs and Os masters, as with Sid Gillman and Bill Walsh. But even those guys would credit the coaches they learned from.

I really like what June Jones brings to the game. Relaxed manner. Truly tremendous Xs and Os background. Love of the game. Respect for all those he worked with. His players totally buy in to what he teaches. They love playing for him. It is cool how he brought in ancient Jerry Glanville to coach the defence. Glanville is the one who originated the saying about a player he cut: "We gave him an apple, a map and a bus ticket out of town." And Glanville was such a fan of Elvis that he would leave tickets for the long departed Elvis at the will call booth for football games.

Jennings benefited from the wisdom and experience of Jeff Tedford and George Cortez. They brought him along and made it easier for him, all the way through 2016, even though they were gone after 2015. In their absence Jennings has tightened up and regressed way down. And the internal factors are not good. Does he feel safe? Does he feel secure? Does he feel valued? Does he feel the support one needs? Does he feel comfortable with the new offence? Does he feel he can cope with poor pass protection? Is pressure put on him, or are successful efforts made to take pressure off? Tedford and Cortez got the bum's rush out of here. But they had vast experience and success with quarterbacks and offences.

I have long agreed with the idea that quarterback is the toughest position in sports to play. Brady would not have had the success he has had without Belichick giving him the support he needs. Lombardi gave Bart Starr that confidence. Starr was a quiet type like Jennings.

The situation here was not a good one for Jennings. Even before this year, with a poorly implemented brand new offence that does not suit his game.

Reading a defence. There are many issues and elements. But Jennings certainly did read defences well when he passed for over 5, 000 yards in his first full season as a starter. Do our guys get separation? Does the overall pass protection scheme give him adequate time to process all that needs to be processed? Is the individual pass blocking up to standard? Is there good integration between the various elements? Patterns. Patterns run well. Separation. Timing. Detailed game planning or vanilla. Deception or straight up. Mismatches. Et cetera. Our guys rarely get separation. In years past there oftentimes was not even any receiver looking back as an outlet if the QB was in trouble. LOL

Joe Namath could obviously read a defence. He was strictly a pocket passer, although prior to injuries he could run well. And yet Joe seemed to be somewhat jealous of Roger Staubach, a totally different style of quarterback. Staubach was the ultimate scrambler. Namath said Staubach does not read the defence. Maybe partially true. But it was irrelevant. Staubach could read the defence, but his style was to read part way through the progression. He could throw the ball into the tightest of windows and rarely had to go deep into any progression. Also he loved to run. He loved to create mayhem and chaos for the defence, breaking it down. That is creative playmaking outside of the playbook. Lulay has some of those qualities without the amazing arm that Staubach had. Printers too. If you have to get deep down in the reads, I would say the defence is sitting on your playbook. It has been anticipated and your guys are in very tight coverage. As noted, there are many elements to it. Some coaches even tried to stop QBs from scrambling, taking away their creativity. Van Brocklin tried to do that to Tarkenton, putting a tether on him in practice. Tom Landry did not try to put a straight jacket on Staubach. He pretty much created the QB draw for him. He made the offence suit Staubach's game.

In any case, the mix here is not good. As noted, I would like to see Wally put Fajardo in. Maybe mix in some series with Jennings. Go with Lulay when he is healthy. Expected results? Not necessarily great, once again with many elements. Jennings is young. He can recover. We will see. But the situation here is not optimal. It is the opposite of that.

Just IMO ...

[SammyGreene]

Jennings regression is remarkable and sad to see.

In 2015-16 was a fearless gunslinger who could make any throw on the field. A breath of fresh air for what had become a predictable and conservative offence.
Sure there were some costly INTs but his success still far outweighed it. Was it being told over and over again in the film room not to make those throws? Was his confidence in his ability coached right out of him?

He is now at the point where he has basically lost a sense for the game and the situation.
2nd and 14? Take no chances, just go to my check down receiver who is 6 yards away from me. And even those throws are no certainty as Bighill proved on the INT TD.

Design an offence where the ball is quickly out of his hands despite it being contradictory to his strengths and spending a boatload of money on the offensive line.

What a mess.

[Sir Purrcival]

Yep, when you see raw rookie QB's playing in their first games at a higher level than your 3rd year QB, then you know you have problems. Sadly, this season's performance so far has not been a surprise. Many of us haven't the ability to analyze all the problems but fortunately, that wisdom exists on this forum for the benefit of all. The feeling however for the last several years is that the biggest impediments to being a successful team rest with Coaching and Management. We can bring players in, cut them, try and shore things up here, patch there but none of it amounts to a hill of beans if the personnel you have leading the group either can't or won't adjust. Same issues, year after year and it has in reality been many years of this. We had a bit of a blip in 2011 but had that miracle not unfolded surprising all, then we would be at more than a decade of subpar results. In any other franchise, that would have resulted in the dismissal of the coach but not here.