🏈 To those that complain about the "jet sweep" aspect of the offense ... you've got me curious.

[TerryP]

There are two different sides to this conversation. One, those who don't like that aspect of the offense this season and two, those that point to what happens after that play ... what it's setting up for the future.

Here's where I get a little confused.

When we heard about Kiffin visiting former OSU OC and current Houston head coach, Tom Herman, the majority of the fan base voiced their support of the move. The general theme was "it's good to see a staff adjusting, getting insight from other programs." Herman's name added to that conversation due to the loss last year in the playoffs.

There's no disagreement in the fact the OSU offense ran through the Bama defense. Why was that? Simply put, players out of their lanes and missing assignments.

There's a little thing about the offense Herman runs that seems to have escaped a lot of people. He uses motion to get players out of position. That's not uncommon. Any good offensive coordinator would do the same thing. But, what type of motion does Herman use a lot? You guessed it, I'm sure. One of his staples is using the jet sweep to get players out of position.

It worked for OSU. It's worked for Houston. And, we're seeing it work for Bama this season.

Am I just seeing something that isn't there?

Isn't there a true dichotomy here? One one hand people are happy the staff looks at other successful units and learns to adapt but on the other hand they don't like the adaption?

We've literally seen three different offenses over the past three years and we'll likely see a fourth in the fall of 2016. Adaptation. In my opinion, we're seeing something we should all have an appreciation for ...

 

[Elderfalsedemigod]

I bitched and moaned about the jet sweep until I saw it start bearing fruit in getting KH some running room and producing some homerun balls when the DBs cheated up and got caught

To be fair most of my bitching was born of the fact that old mrs. blew it up several times

I am basically past the point of bitching about LK's offensive scheme, I am just going to sit back and watch and see what he does next

 

[Max]

I am basically past the point of bitching about LK's offensive scheme, I am just going to sit back and watch and see what he does next

People are going to hate on Kiff for a good, long time. He deserves it considering his attitude when he had his head coaching gigs. He does seem to be maturing, slowly.

You should take a second and read over Andy Staples timeline. You'll see those doubting him, hating him, in spades today.

@TerryP There's an article out today mentioning the same thing you just did about Herman.

 

[alabama mike]

I'll be the first to say I am not a fan of using the jet sweep. I have no problem with Kiffin as the OC. My personal problem with the jet is that I do not think its as an effective play as many others do. Its just my opinion, no more and no less. I believe Kiffin has done a tremendous job as our play caller the past 3 seasons and do agree that we have run three different offenses as was stated in the first thread.

 

[Tidestalker]

I think the jet sweep is useful for much of the game... Really keeps the D honest coming off the edge.

But I really dislike it when Kiffin calls it in the red zone. Just seems so unlike Alabama football. Can't remember which games specifically but don't think he's done it lately

 

[jdpas29]

It seemed to improve during the year when I watched tape. The receiver blocking improved a bit. Early on it seemed to produce more negative plays and minimal gains. Now it may be a 4 yard average play or so... which is great...

 

[rammerjammer]

This may hi-jack the thread a little bit, but you made a statement I heard CNS make about our offense. It was heavy pass last year because of Coop. It was heavy run this year because of Henry. What do we see next year. We essentially will be breaking in a couple 3 new RB's. Ridley is our most prolific offensive threat to return. Do we see a return to the pass game? Does Barnett win the job and we see a QB that is more mobile and throws some read option in with our traditional offense. Makes me wonder

 

[JoshB]

This may hi-jack the thread a little bit, but you made a statement I heard CNS make about our offense. It was heavy pass last year because of Coop. It was heavy run this year because of Henry. What do we see next year. We essentially will be breaking in a couple 3 new RB's. Ridley is our most prolific offensive threat to return. Do we see a return to the pass game? Does Barnett win the job and we see a QB that is more mobile and throws some read option in with our traditional offense. Makes me wonder

2012, balance.

 

[TerryP]

But I really dislike it when Kiffin calls it in the red zone. Just seems so unlike Alabama football.

Far be it from me to think I know as much as the defensive coordinators the Tide has face this year ... but here goes.

When I saw that I said to myself, "what he's thinking? That doesn't make a lot of sense."

Then I paused for a minute to consider "if I'm wondering why, what's the DC on the other sideline thinking? What's the defense thinking?"

Kiffin's rhythm on play calling has confused me at times but it seems every question has been answered later on in that game, or another down the road.

 

[BamaFan334]

My groaning over the play comes more from the lack of blocking, which automatically gets our guys in trouble three yards or more deep in the backfield. The ball carrier has to make one guy miss and has to pick up a block from a teammate in order to break the line of scrimmage. Maybe I saw poor blocking which caused negative to no gains, putting Coker in a bad position with third and longs where he was more prone to mistakes. It appears throughout the season it has progressed into more than what I have explained. All it took was a block from another player, and some speed and it would open up the deep pass to Ridley. All in all I believe it was Kiffin's plan to open up the deep routes, but it sure was frustrating seeing our guys hopping all over the place and fighting just to make it back to the line of scrimmage.

 

[TerryP]

aybe I saw poor blocking which caused negative to no gains, putting Coker in a bad position with third and longs where he was more prone to mistakes.

Interestingly enough, and there's only a difference of one, but the team had more INT's on first down (four) than third down (three.) FWIW, because I'm sure someone is curious, there's been three on second down as well.

The Achilles heel has been the second quarter this year.

 

[colbyjacks]

When it comes to setting up plays later in the game, is the jet sweep that much different than the bubble screen we saw so much last year? I'm wondering if we use it, instead of the screen, since Coker doesn't seem to have the accuracy on that play that Blake Sims had.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Many times we've played against a team with a dominant front seven, we've used wide plays (both runs and passes) to get their big boys running, or gone vertical early to wear them out on pass rushes and keep their LB's guessing. LSU games are usually a good example of that. In our 2009 game, for example, we passed nine of our first ten snaps.

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

Why did he run the jet sweep in the red zone for minimal to no gain early in the SECCG and then had to settle for a FG? Because HTWDH scored off that same jet action fake with a give to him up the middle late in the game for 6.

Why did we run the jet sweep against the Barn in the IB? Because it set up a bomb to Ridley later, inside the 5, off of jet-action pass.

There's a method to Kiffin's madness here that I think everybody is overlooking.



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[pasadena pachyderm]

I think part of the reason for some of the negative plays on the jet sweep is our lack of rb depth. Watching the success other offenses have with it seems to come with good edge blocking but also with a runner that is adept at setting up and using blocks. Since we had drake out injured, it forced stewart and ridley into the sweeper. Wr's, especialy young ones, spend most of their time learning the nuances of the route tree and developing timing with the qb. Putting them in as the sweeper is not playing to their greatest strength. When you have a rb or punt returner as the sweeper the chance of hitting a big play increases because of their ability/ comfortability running behind blocks.

 

[bamafan4ever]

Why did he run the jet sweep in the red zone for minimal to no gain early in the SECCG and then had to settle for a FG? Because HTWDH scored off that same jet action fake with a give to him up the middle late in the game for 6.

Why did we run the jet sweep against the Barn in the IB? Because it set up a bomb to Ridley later, inside the 5, off of jet-action pass.

There's a method to Kiffin's madness here that I think everybody is overlooking.



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Agreed and I think that is what Terry's point was too. The only thing I have disagreed with Kiffin this year was his and Coach Saban's indecisiveness when it came to naming a starter. I think Jake would had performed even better he been named the starter earlier. I thought he started well enough against Wisconsin to keep him in all 4 qtrs.

 

[TerryP]

When it comes to setting up plays later in the game, is the jet sweep that much different than the bubble screen we saw so much last year?

Yes, and no.

With Coop and those bubble screens we saw the OLB's slowly creep towards the sidelines to provide a little assurance/back-up. It was a given Amari was going to make a guy miss, if not two. It did get those outside backers out of their lanes.

With the sweep the same goal is being accomplished but now we're seeing both the inside and outside backers moving.

Both had the same goal but the two approaches are different.

At least that's how I see it ...

As @It Takes Eleven mentions, it's not something that is new; it didn't start with Kiffin. It's been a staple of Saban's offensive approach.

 

[EasyTider]

I would rather a jet sweep than the parallel throws down the LOS. Coker takes forever to get those throws out.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I would rather a jet sweep than the parallel throws down the LOS. Coker takes forever to get those throws out.

I think that's a factor in using them over the quick screens.

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

I would rather a jet sweep than the parallel throws down the LOS. Coker takes forever to get those throws out.

Jake's not quite as fluid in his hips and footwork as Blake was. Especially on throws to the right. Having to turn your entire body a full 90°, set your feet, and then cock and release is not as easy as it looks. Especially for a big guy like Jake. This is also why you usually don't see guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Phillip Rivers throw those quick screens like that.

It was a strength for Blake because he was so quick footed.

This is why tunnel screens work a lot better for QBs that aren't quite as agile. They take a little time to develop.

And the reason we don't use more tunnel screens is we don't have a TE or a slot receiver that blocks all that well downfield on those types of plays.

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