🏈 Bama defense

The majority of the time your WR/QB will not be making plays that consistently on deep balls. The DB for the most part were in very good position on all the deep ball and it just so happened that the WR came away with almost all of those passes. Ole Miss had ZERO running game and were not going to be able to dink and dunk their way down the field with the press coverage man tight we were playing. Their only real option was to throw it deep and let their kid go up after it. I'll take those odds on those types of passes every time. This game it worked out for them, but if they played again it might not. I have no issues in how our secondary played sans the one or two broken coverage plays. Kelly made some spot on throws and his WR made some spot on catches.

What killed us in this game is penalties and poor calls/non calls by the refs. It cost us at least 14 and more likely 21 points given to Ole Miss. It was one of the worst officiated games I've seen in a long time. Even the instant replay ref turned over a ton of calls, which isn't that common either.


I appreciate your optimism, but the reality is we've been trying to fix this major leak on the backside of our defense for a few years now. Recruiting better athletes has helped, but we are still getting sliced and diced with these talented spread passing teams. Texas A&M, Auburn, Clemson, Ole Miss, every time we see them, that's not a once in a lifetime oddity, that's a trend. And so Tuscaloosa, we still have a problem with the backside of our D. How does a team, as you said, with NO running game and with our pressure at the LOS, get to throw pass after pass to any open receivers? Could it at this point be, we need a better scheme? This latest oddity from Oxford just finished off the best passing day of his life and we knew it was coming and had prepared our team for a year to make sure it didn't happen again. We were not studying ole miss's running game. The only thing we feared about this team was the pitch and catch. 421 yards later, we still have reason to fear. You think the Aggies were taking notes?
 
We didn't put much pressure on Kelly when he threw deep... really we didn't pressure him much at all.

When we don't play press Man coverage, teams with a QB as talented as Kelly is will eat you alive with slants quick throws. The general idea is that you play press coverage and force him to throw longer route patterns and let your pass rush get to him... unfortunately, our front four really didn't get to him on a consistent basis. The mistake I saw was that the LBackers didn't rush the QB when there was no RB/TE/HB in the pattern and you had two safeties back. I would have thought one of them had a free run to the QB on alignment... but maybe they were spying the QB instead.

However, it's not like the DB's were out of position on those long balls. I'm not really sure what you wanted them to do... it's not like you can keep them "in front" of you on a go/fly route....

As for the Aggies or anyone else... let'em try. That has to be one of the lowest percentage tosses in the game. If it wasn't for the Ole Miss WR making an incredible grab, it was Kelly making a perfect throw. If aTm can duplicate that consistently, tip your hat to them, but I sure am not going to give them an easier throw first... make me believe you can make that throw/catch and maybe I'll change my Defense... but it would be more pressure from the LB anyway, not a change in coverage...
 
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No. I'm not going to bitch about play calling if a CB/S/LB reads and blows up that play once, twice, or maybe three times a game ... when we're seeing the same receiving corps being productive on the same calls.

All the drives in the second half (up until the scoring drive at the end)

Those are the screens and sweeps...

- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 0 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 5 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass copmlete to Calvin Ridley for 3 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for -5 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for -2 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for 2 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for 1 yard (screen)
- Calvin Ridley rush for -4 yards (sweep)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Damien Harrs for -7 yards
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Harris for 8 yards

Show me the success there... and again using the excuse that its "to set stuff up for later" doesn't work considering you can point to about a dozen or more runs right up the gut in that first half that worked, a hell of lot more positive gains there than the screens and sweeps. So again, you're outsmarting yourself in that sense.
 
We didn't put much pressure on Kelly when he threw deep... really we didn't pressure him much at all.

When we don't play press Man coverage, teams with a QB as talented as Kelly is will eat you alive with slants quick throws. The general idea is that you play press coverage and force him to throw longer route patterns and let your pass rush get to him... unfortunately, our front four really didn't get to him on a consistent basis. The mistake I saw was that the LBackers didn't rush the QB when there was no RB/TE/HB in the pattern and you had two safeties back. I would have thought one of them had a free run to the QB on alignment... but maybe they were spying the QB instead.

However, it's not like the DB's were out of position on those long balls. I'm not really sure what you wanted them to do... it's not like you can keep them "in front" of you on a go/fly route....

If we had played some zone, and we keep things in front of us, so what? This guy just had a career day and frankly if not for 3 non-offensive TDs, the tone of this fix would sound much different for everyone. Let them have to go the long way. Make them execute down the field. Tattoo some of these guys who want to come across the middle. What happens to these teams with no power running when they get into the red zone? We know the recent answer to that.
 
Even the instant replay ref turned over a ton of calls, which isn't that common either.

In a modest defense of the officials, they did the right thing on several of the instant replay calls, even those that were reversed.There were several replays that were originally called fumbles where the player was later ruled down. It is my understanding that their guidelines call for them to rule it a fumble initially, because if they call it down that call is not reviewable. They did get those calls correct, to our benefit. I do agree that the officiating crew's overall performance could have been beaten by a group of guys off the street.
 
All the drives in the second half (up until the scoring drive at the end)

Those are the screens and sweeps...

- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 0 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 5 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass copmlete to Calvin Ridley for 3 yards (screen)

- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for -5 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for -2 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for 2 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for 1 yard (screen)
- Calvin Ridley rush for -4 yards (sweep)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Damien Harrs for -7 yards
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Harris for 8 yards

Show me the success there... and again using the excuse that its "to set stuff up for later" doesn't work considering you can point to about a dozen or more runs right up the gut in that first half that worked, a hell of lot more positive gains there than the screens and sweeps. So again, you're outsmarting yourself in that sense.

With Saban's philosophy, I'd say those were successful as his idea is to stay ahead of the down/distance. So they use it like a running play... 3 yards or more is a success. Having said that, Ridley's TD right before half was a jet sweep.... just saying....
 
All the drives in the second half (up until the scoring drive at the end)

Those are the screens and sweeps...

- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 0 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 5 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass copmlete to Calvin Ridley for 3 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for -5 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for -2 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for 2 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for 1 yard (screen)
- Calvin Ridley rush for -4 yards (sweep)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Damien Harrs for -7 yards
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Harris for 8 yards

Show me the success there... and again using the excuse that its "to set stuff up for later" doesn't work considering you can point to about a dozen or more runs right up the gut in that first half that worked, a hell of lot more positive gains there than the screens and sweeps. So again, you're outsmarting yourself in that sense.

Look at the motion with Ridley and then the inside give to Harris right up the gut on back to back plays in the 3rd. The first got 6-7 yards and the 2nd went for 60+ down to the 1 1/2.That is the set up play.
 
If we had played some zone, and we keep things in front of us, so what? This guy just had a career day and frankly if not for 3 non-offensive TDs, the tone of this fix would sound much different for everyone. Let them have to go the long way. Make them execute down the field. Tattoo some of these guys who want to come across the middle. What happens to these teams with no power running when they get into the red zone? We know the recent answer to that.

I could be wrong, but wasn't the broken coverage TD by Ole Miss when we were in Zone? Maybe our DB's don't play zone as well as press man? Maybe we are aligning to what they do best? I do know what the few times we did play zone they killed us for 15 yards over the middle just about every time...

I'm not going to start second guessing Saban and our defense. I think he's got a much better grasp on what we need to do than anyone on this board would... and contrary to years past, our DBs were both in position and turned to spot the ball... they missed the ball on the swat. If that ball is thrown 1 yard (really more like 1 foot) shorter, it's an INT or batted down. If it's thrown 1 yard longer it's incomplete. Kelly hit a open window on a moving bus 40 yards down the field. Tip your hat and move along to the next play. If Hurts was as accurate as Kelly was in that game, Ridley would have had 400 yards receiving and 4 TDs all to himself.
 
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Look at the motion with Ridley and then the inside give to Harris right up the gut on back to back plays in the 3rd. The first got 6-7 yards and the 2nd went for 60+ down to the 1 1/2.That is the set up play.

Again, I get the setup aspect... but again it wasn't necessary. That is my entire point. There was no need to set up something inside. They were softer than a melted gummy bear inside and never once stopped an inside run, from the start of the game until the finish.
 
  1. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
  2. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 0 yards (screen)
  3. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 5 yards (screen)
  4. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
  5. - Jalen Hurts pass copmlete to Calvin Ridley for 3 yards (screen)
  6. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for -5 yards (screen)
  7. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for -2 yards (screen)
  8. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for 2 yards (screen)
  9. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for 1 yard (screen)
  10. - Calvin Ridley rush for -4 yards (sweep)
  11. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Damien Harrs for -7 yards
  12. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Harris for 8 yards

Show me the success there

Four negative plays, one with no gain.

Of 12.

That's not even counting what it set up later.
 
I could be wrong, but wasn't the broken coverage TD by Ole Miss when we were in Zone? Maybe our DB's don't play zone as well as press man? Maybe we are aligning to what they do best? I do know what the few times we did play zone they killed us for 15 yards over the middle just about every time...

I'm not going to start second guessing Saban and our defense. I think he's got a much better grasp on what we need to do than anyone on this board would... and contrary to years past, our DBs were both in position and turned to spot the ball... they missed the ball on the swat. If that ball is thrown 1 yard (really more like 1 foot) shorter, it's an INT or batted down. If it's thrown 1 yard longer it's incomplete. Kelly hit a open window on a moving bus 40 yards down the field. Tip your hat and move along to the next play.

That's your prerogative, not sure why you feel you had to share that with me, specifically. I'm much more, see the problem, fix the problem kinda guy.
 
  1. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
  2. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 0 yards (screen)
  3. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 5 yards (screen)
  4. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
  5. - Jalen Hurts pass copmlete to Calvin Ridley for 3 yards (screen)
  6. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for -5 yards (screen)
  7. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for -2 yards (screen)
  8. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for 2 yards (screen)
  9. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for 1 yard (screen)
  10. - Calvin Ridley rush for -4 yards (sweep)
  11. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Damien Harrs for -7 yards
  12. - Jalen Hurts pass complete to Harris for 8 yards


Four negative plays, one with no gain.

Of 12.

That's not even counting what it set up later.

2 and 1 yard gains might not be "negative" but they sure as hell arent successful... but again, nothing was needed to set up. That goes back to my "outsmarting yourself" comment. Seems to me running right at them and continuing to gash them, forcing the safeties to come up would have set up for deep passes a hell of lot better than getting in 2nd and 15 and 2nd and 17 plays just to set up a run up the gut (that again wasnt needed to be set up) later in the game...
 
All the drives in the second half (up until the scoring drive at the end)

Those are the screens and sweeps...

- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 0 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to ArDarius Stewart for 5 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Calvin Ridley for 4 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass copmlete to Calvin Ridley for 3 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for -5 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for -2 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Stewart for 2 yards (screen)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Ridley for 1 yard (screen)
- Calvin Ridley rush for -4 yards (sweep)
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Damien Harrs for -7 yards
- Jalen Hurts pass complete to Harris for 8 yards

Show me the success there... and again using the excuse that its "to set stuff up for later" doesn't work considering you can point to about a dozen or more runs right up the gut in that first half that worked, a hell of lot more positive gains there than the screens and sweeps. So again, you're outsmarting yourself in that sense.

Birdman gets it......

Haven't had the time to do this, but looks about right. Would love to see the run yardage when we got out of shotgun and ran it right at them.

This argument that you have to fall on your ass in order to have success later in the game is ridiculous. You can be successful early in the game and still set up things for later in the game.

Common sense says if you can run it right up their ass to start the game, they will either adjust or continue to get a** raped. And if they adjust, maybe the gay screen passes are actually open for the first time this season. You don't have to fuck up 3-4 drives in order to move the ball later on.

Ultimately it looks OK because we scored 2 non offensive TD's... But there were some serious setbacks in the play calling. Hoping the second half becomes our identity from here on out. Doesn't mean there can't be screens and jet sweeps, just mixed in instead of predominantly.
 
That's your prerogative, not sure why you feel you had to share that with me, specifically. I'm much more, see the problem, fix the problem kinda guy.
Point being, we can't fix the problem... nor do I believe you nor I can actually see the problem. We don't have access the daily practice and film these coaches are basing the game plan off of... I don't know anyones background on here, so I could be wrong... but I'm thinking Saban has a better grasp of what is going on than you or me. If he sees a problem, I have no doubt he'll do what he can to fix it. If we are in man press for 85% of the game, its for a reason... one he must feel pretty strongly about... that is my point... not really at you directly, I may have grabbed your post as it was a reply to my post; however, I wouldn't say I'm talking about you directly... sorry if it came across that way.
 
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Point being, we can't fix the problem... nor do I believe you nor I can actually see the problem. We don't have access the daily practice and film these coaches are basing the game plan off of... I don't know your background, so I could be wrong... but I'm thinking Saban has a better grasp of what is going on than you or me. If he sees a problem, I have no doubt he'll do what he can to fix it. If we are in man press for 85% of the game, its for a reason... one he must feel pretty strongly about... that is my point.

We all have access to what we see. You think it's an ole miss phenomenon and I'm calling it an alarming trend. And the forum has a lot of bandwidths, so what the hey.
 
Just for our knowledge, here are all the RB plays we called in the game. Bold is the 2nd half of the game:



(12:50 - 1st) Damien Harris run for 6 yds to the Alab 31
(12:00 - 1st) Damien Harris run for 1 yd to the Alab 35 for a 1ST down
(10:51 - 1st) Damien Harris run for 8 yds to the Miss 43
(9:50 - 1st) Damien Harris run for 3 yds to the Miss 40 for a 1ST down
(6:15 - 1st) Damien Harris run for 4 yds to the Miss 14
(12:15 - 2nd) Joshua Jacobs run for 6 yds to the Alab 26
(11:55 - 2nd) Joshua Jacobs run for 25 yds to the Miss 49 for a 1ST down
(9:45 - 2nd) Damien Harris run for 7 yds to the Alab 48
(14:05 - 3rd) Bo Scarbrough run for no gain to the Alab 36
(9:50 - 3rd) Damien Harris run for 9 yds to the Miss 36
(9:20 - 3rd) Damien Harris run for 2 yds to the Miss 34 for a 1ST down
(7:45 - 3rd) Bo Scarbrough run for 5 yds to the Miss 15
(1:20 - 3rd) Damien Harris run for 7 yds to the Alab 32
(1:06 - 3rd) Damien Harris run for 67 yds to the Miss 1 for a 1ST down
(0:30 - 3rd) Bo Scarbrough run for no gain to the Miss 1
(0:16 - 3rd) Bo Scarbrough run for 1 yd for a TD,
(12:25 - 4th) Bo Scarbrough run for 2 yds to the Alab 15
(11:35 - 4th) Bo Scarbrough run for 1 yd to the Miss 39
(8:50 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 3 yds to the Miss 14
(7:33 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 1 yd for a TD
(2:20 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 3 yds to the Alab 28
(2:01 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 17 yds to the Alab 45 for a 1ST down
(1:20 - 4th) Bo Scarbrough run for 4 yds to the Alab 49
(1:08 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 5 yds to the Miss 46
(0:50 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 1 yd to the Miss 45 for a 1ST down
 
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Just for our knowledge, here are all the RB plays we called in the game. Bold is the 2nd half of the game:



(12:50 - 1st) Damien Harris run for 6 yds to the Alab 31
(12:00 - 1st) Damien Harris run for 1 yd to the Alab 35 for a 1ST down
(10:51 - 1st) Damien Harris run for 8 yds to the Miss 43
(9:50 - 1st) Damien Harris run for 3 yds to the Miss 40 for a 1ST down
(6:15 - 1st) Damien Harris run for 4 yds to the Miss 14
(12:15 - 2nd) Joshua Jacobs run for 6 yds to the Alab 26
(11:55 - 2nd) Joshua Jacobs run for 25 yds to the Miss 49 for a 1ST down
(9:45 - 2nd) Damien Harris run for 7 yds to the Alab 48
(14:05 - 3rd) Bo Scarbrough run for no gain to the Alab 36
(9:50 - 3rd) Damien Harris run for 9 yds to the Miss 36
(9:20 - 3rd) Damien Harris run for 2 yds to the Miss 34 for a 1ST down
(7:45 - 3rd) Bo Scarbrough run for 5 yds to the Miss 15
(1:20 - 3rd) Damien Harris run for 7 yds to the Alab 32
(0:30 - 3rd) Bo Scarbrough run for no gain to the Miss 1
(0:16 - 3rd) Bo Scarbrough run for 1 yd for a TD,
(12:25 - 4th) Bo Scarbrough run for 2 yds to the Alab 15
(11:35 - 4th) Bo Scarbrough run for 1 yd to the Miss 39
(8:50 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 3 yds to the Miss 14
(7:33 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 1 yd for a TD
(2:20 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 3 yds to the Alab 28
(2:01 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 17 yds to the Alab 45 for a 1ST down
(1:20 - 4th) Bo Scarbrough run for 4 yds to the Alab 49
(1:08 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 5 yds to the Miss 46
(0:50 - 4th) Damien Harris run for 1 yd to the Miss 45 for a 1ST down

Missing a few big plays there buddy lol
 
Missing a few big plays there buddy lol
By few, you mean 1? or did I miss more than 1?

You missed Harris' 67 yard run at the 1:06 mark in the 3rd down to the one. The same 2 runs on back to back plays netted 74 yards!!

Sorry wasn't intentional... cut and paste mishap... edited to correct ;)


Looking at the distribution, what I find interesting is that we only had 8 carries by a RB in the 1st half... seems a bit light, but I'd have to go back and look at down/distance to see if penalties/negative plays limited our play selection.
 

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