I do apologize for being a day late this week but I did take a little extra time to watch the offense and try to focus on three things in detail. First, the offensive line play. Second, the WR and their routes. Third, McElroy and his vision/progressions. As to the game itself, it was an ugly win, but a win that counts towards the march and in the end nobody will refer to this game in December. Thank God.
OFFENSE
The Good... this will be short....
Thank God for Mark Ingram's will
He was about the only offense that had an impact on the game, with the exception to maybe 2 or 3 plays from Upchurch and Richardson, and really the last drive for the TD was all him. He was gassed, exhausted, hurt, and it didn't matter. In the 4th quarter, they say leaders and champions are born, and folks I think we found him. It was probably the best performance by any player since Alexander's LSU romp and his willed performance vs. Auburn in 99. The TD drive was him and really just about him. There was some good, and key, blocks made but from contact on, it was all him and his desire to be the winner.
Julio's best play...the strip
The best stat of the night for the WR was the forced fumble by Julio Jones on the 2nd McElroy INT. Yes folks, the offensive highlights are that bad that a fumble makes it to the 2nd biggest thing from the game....
The Bad...
McElroy in the funk
Some people want the funk, gotta have that funk, but when you are an SEC QB on a National Title Contender, it is about the last thing you want. I figure it best to start here and work through this issue. McElroy is contributing to the problem that the offense has had for really 4 or 5 games now. McElroy is at his best when he is using 5 options to check down and has time to go through the hot route on down to the safety route. His internal clock is off and he's rushing to the safety route (Upchurch) or forcing it to his hot route (Jones normally) to not take a sack. This is a progression issue and is fixable in the bye week. Folks have put the bar too high for a guy with 7 starts under his belt now because he looked good against some weaker defenses and now that he's seen 3 good defenses (VT, OM, USCar) and had average/below average results from them, the average joe fan is thinking he's got issues. The truth is that the latter 2 had film on him and figured out that he obsesses over the safeties and what they are doing pre snap. They are confusing him just like Bama does to inexperienced QBs, and even experienced ones. This is a part of the growth that Greg has to make to be an elite SEC QB, and he can be that guy but he has to get some of the mess off of him. Saban said that on Monday that they had too much on him and there needed to be more help for him, but McElroy does bear some of the blame for the offensive shutdown. McElwain needs to get him back to basics with the play calling, get it shorter, simpler, and get Greg to step into his throws and not try to arm it in. That is where the ball is sailing for him is when he doesn't step into the throw and follow through. His hip injury/bruise may be affecting it some, but he's gotta play through being hurt now.
The Offensive Line is getting offensive
Part 2 of the issue is up front. They've let Greg take some shots that he just shouldn't have had to take. Defensive Coordinators in the SEC have mapped it out pretty fast....Bama can't cover the speed rush from the end. The good news is that not many teams that Bama will encounter will have 2 good rush ends the rest of the way. The bad news is that if Bama continues to let the tackles go 1 on 1 with the ends, every team outside of UTC has a good rush end, and one on one they can be beaten. The other issue is that they are still struggling with communication and assignments. How many times do you count during a game where a lineman is standing while the QB has been hit or sacked? Hint, the less the better, but it has been noticed that the guards are standing around a lot after the play has ended. They need to be moving down field and engaging players and trying help extend the play and not trotting to the huddle spot. Vlachos, well this is a long subject that I'll try to shorten. What do you call a center who can't snap? A guard. Vlachos has not been consistent all year with his center to QB exchanges whether it has been under center or shotgun situations they are sometimes on the money (into the hands of the QB) but other times they are high on shotgun snaps and low on under center snaps, and this has thrown McElroy's timing off several times where that clock starts ticking faster because he knows he just spent 2 or 3 seconds that he didn't have on snaring the ball and getting his mechanics set. Vlachos as a blocker is fine, he is strong and doesn't get beaten much if at all, but his snaps are a liability even when he doesn't over shoot the mark. The tackle play is just confusing to me. We all knew that Davis and Carpenter were not fast and speed rushers can take them, that's not new to Bama fans (or at least it shouldn't be) but yet they can't dedicate a TE/H Back and/or a RB to help give the QB a little more time? You can't shift the line assignment or zone block over to get a double on an end rush, the linemen aren't fast enough. You can't pull a guard over in a counter motion to stop them because they'll beat you up the pipe. You really have to cut the plays down and/or get more protection in passing downs. I know they want Peek out there on a slant or out route a good bit, but they could find more ways to address the lack of speed up front than just hoping for the best. To me, the issue up front is more in coaching and assignment than execution.
WR Play
Julio can block, Maze can run fast, Hanks can block ok and run ok, but there is a flaw that is starting to creep up more and more. The routes they are running are too tight. When you watch USCar or UT or UGA or UF in their passing game, the spacing is such that you can't double more than one person. Bama's routes are so close together at times that they are double teaming themselves. Without being in the huddle or knowing what each play was, it is unclear as to how much is sloppy route running and how much is poor schemes. This was the main thing that I wanted to watch over and over and delayed this report was due to reviewing the routes. I noticed on the 1st interception of the night, Julio and Maze were less than 2 yards apart, if either were running live routes (ie- they had a chance of being passed to) they were double teamed by the 2 corners running with them because they were so tight. Now, if they were decoys and running cold routes (like most WR do on HB screens, bubble screens, etc) this is ok. I don't think the first pick was a designed hot route for Upchurch, but more that he was the safety valve and McElroy missed because he was rushing it. I noticed several times in the last 2 games that the players are not getting away from other WR/TE/HB in the open field enough that they stretch the defenses out enough to get one on one opportunities. Without knowing the play call it is hard to say it is just on the WR or the play calling and design, but hunch says both are not up to speed.
So what does that equal, the offense isn't inept, but the drumbeat you've read here week after week about being too cute is starting to catch up to Bama. I hope during the offweek they will let McElroy reset a little bit, heal up the hip, and get back to passing the way he likes with short to intermediate routes that are on timing basis and not so much motion and progression. They may need to look at putting Jones in the slot more and letting him go over the middle more on quick slants or in routes and get him centered up with McElroy more. I think Jones would be more comfortable letting it hit him in the numbers anyways. Commit using Upchurch/Ingram and Dial/Williams more in passing situations as "max protect" and try to give a young QB more time to move and progress. The last thing that Bama needs going into LSU is a QB who is unsure as to whether he should scratch his watch or wind his ass.
The Ugly...
Bama doesn't resort to chop blocks and cheating....
I bet you could have seen the stadium swallow those genius posters when they called Johnson for the chop block. It happens folks, it is football, you just try not to let it be a common theme. Bama uses the cut block just like most others do and Johnson is the most common lineman to cut block a defender. I am sure there is a rational explanation as to the difference in the chop block and cut blocks he throws in comparison to the ARK lineman, right?
DEFENSE/THE UNIT THAT ISN'T SPECIAL IN A GOOD WAY TEAMS
The Good...
After 4 years nearly of waiting, Marquis Johnson had his realization of potential game
As you can go back and read, I like Johnson, but have been often disappointed in his play at times. This game was one that he will be remembered for because he was up to the challenge. I saw where some beat writer who posts on BOL said that Spurrier was picking on him or thought he wasn't up to the challenge, something like that. That wasn't the thing, he had a tall WR on a shorter CB and was trying to play the percentages. I do question running it 3 straight times though. In any case, Johnson had done his homework and knew it was coming and was in position with his head turned all 5 times they tried it. Now, if he could just get his hand on the ball and pick it. The real growth for MJ is his ability to look for the ball and not lose his stride. That was a problem in the FSU game if you remember, he'd look and slow down trying to find it. In the bowl game he wasn't looking and face guarding. Now he's doing it right. Back to the red zone play, it probably was a good thing that Arenas was hurt because in the base defense, he would have been on Jeffery and I don't think he could have covered him on 3 of those opportunities.
Another good showing by Reamer and Anders
They are just football players and smart ones at that. They have limitations, we can all point at them, but they know how to play around that. Reamer's sack is a good textbook moment for you dad's out there wanting to show your son how to play linebacker. You stay in your play and when you can see that the play has changed, then and only then do you break off and pursue. If Reamer overcommits to the play action and goes after the QB, he doesn't get him because Garcia is fast enough to shift away and avoid. Anders just keeps doing the little things well. He's growing in his ability at Jack and playing in space better each week. This is letting the coaches stay in the base more and not wear the dime and nickel formation out like they did last year.
Red zone defense
The red zone offense is lacking, but the red zone defense is top shelf right now. They got a lot of good performances in the red zone from the down linemen. Cody has begun to be a mobile tackle and not a waller and take up space guy. Losing weight helps with that, but against the run, if it is between the tackles, it is now in his range. Deaderick is starting to look like he's closer to 100% as he's going to be and Washington had the light back on this week after a regression last week.
Barron and Green = Mean Team
Folks kept knocking Green for his tackling....shit. I wish Marcus Carter and the host of others from yesteryear had that kinda problem. Barron is getting more looks in the Money spot in nickel/dime situations and this is giving Green more chances to blitz and play deep cover 2. Those are his strong points and work well towards Barron's as well because he's a better cover man when he greets the slot/TE/HB at the line than he is 7 yards back. I continue to think that Bama's dime may be an answer to the Florida Spread, but I need to see it against a spread offense like LSU and AU more to know.
The Bad...
Lapses in concentration aka mental fartation
The last drive of the 1st half was one part mental error and one part coaching error. Garcia isn't a running QB, but he isn't stationary either. If you watched any USCar game, you knew he'd tuck and run if needed. Bama lost containment on him by rushing the pocket and when they did, he had a lot of real estate to run to because of it. Film study on Bama will focus on this for the next few weeks to see if they can catch McClain on the blitz with nobody playing robber or shadowing the QB.
The Ugly... I really should rename this Special Team Comments
If it was on special teams it was ugly....
I've mentioned this a few games back, but Bama does a piss poor job of staying at home on kick and punt returns. Every time, even when they luck into a short return, you can find 2 or 3 guys that break containment and go for the ball carrier. Special teams coverage is all about assignments, it isn't about hunt and kill. Each player covers a section of field and the only time you break is when the angle is there to break to. Most coaches grill you good if you break and don't make the play, so after one or two ass chewings, you didn't. Return protection leaves a lot to be desired too. Bama would be better off fair catching or letting it roll in the endzone than trying to return kicks because they almost always get caught out of position and trying to hustle back in. That's where the block in the backs, tripping, etc. comes in. It all comes down to practice and coaching, and there's little of both happening really. If you want to know why Bama could lose a game, it isn't offense or defense, it is ST. Ever notice that the difference in the special teams initials and shit is HI? I digress, things stink in the special teams front and no amount of excuse making can cover it.
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