ALL22: 2-Minute Offense, Cardinal's D-line predicting/diagnosing plays, 2nd Half Defense

[AlphabetsEnd]

So I just finished the All22 for Sunday's game (third rewatch, but first in All22).

The offense in the 2 minute drill is night and day from the set offense. It's lively improvisational and looks less like a highschool offense. 

 I joked after the game that they should run it all the time as it keeps McAdoo's playcalling at bay. After this last rewatch I'd almost suggest moving towards an uptempo offense. I think it plays to everyone's strengths, especially DJ and Mayfield's chemistry. They seem to struggle to find each other in the normal offense, but they look like a different pair in the 2minute. I say go full Jim Kelly era Bills. 

Also, I watched the Watt deflection about 20 times, as there is defensive adjustment before the snap, and JJ rushes right to the passing lane before Mayfield even throws.. I think John Ellis was correct - the Cardinals DE recognized plays from tape (or the first half) and set-up traps to deflect and intercept. It happens again later twice with Zach Allen, and again later with Watt again.  

Either McAdoo is predictable or someone or something is tipping the short pass plays (Mayfield has a tell? Where CMC lines up?). 4 of the pass deflections are on quick passes. The fifth is over the middle, and JJ (s)Watt is just really good at blocking passes, and Mayfield's track record is playing into that. 

The second half defense is worrying again, but that unit can't be blamed when the offense can't put up points early in the game. 

[kungfoodude]

I think based on results McAdoo's offense is painfully predictable. Even mediocre defenses are shutting us down.

[BIGH2001]

Mcadoo has been absolutely horrible. Baker wasn’t this bad in Cleveland. But what did Tepper expect we could get when he kept a lame duck coach that no one respects around the league. 

[SmokinwithWilly]

The BLeav podcast with Jstew addressed the batted balls and think Baker may have a tell from tapping the ball or the way he shifts in the pocket may tell dline guys to stop rushing and get hands up. 

[Mr. Scot]

Saw this from Ellis too, regarding the batted passes...

It's not strictly a height issue.

[AlphabetsEnd]

6 minutes ago, SmokinwithWilly said:

The BLeav podcast with Jstew addressed the batted balls and think Baker may have a tell from tapping the ball or the way he shifts in the pocket may tell dline guys to stop rushing and get hands up. 

It wouldn't surprise me if there is some tell, but I'd imagine it'd have to be pre-snap, or very quickly after, as 4 of the batted balls were on quick, short passes. Watt blocks one over the middle that clearly is him reading body language or Mayfield's eyes or something. 

[LinvilleGorge]

We actually looked like a competent offense on the two minute drive.

[AlphabetsEnd]

1 minute ago, LinvilleGorge said:

We actually looked like a competent offense on the two minute drive.

It really stood out on the All-22. Everything is moving faster, the field opens up, CMC is in space, DJ is catching balls farther down field, not at scrimmage. Only one untimely sack, but then the offense rebounded on the fourth down with a nice play, the drives had momentum, that is totally absent from the normal offense.

Mayfield, DJ, CMC all look more comfortable in it, to my eyes. 

[Jackie Lee]

Any thoughts on all the TE targets? I felt like Ian getting 3 targets right off the bat really killed the early momentum, but I only caught the original live stream

[AlphabetsEnd]

17 minutes ago, Jackie Lee said:

Any thoughts on all the TE targets? I felt like Ian getting 3 targets right off the bat really killed the early momentum, but I only caught the original live stream

From memory:

First drive was a pass to Ian (caught) a CMC run to a 3rd and short, and then failed QB sneak, then failed CMC 4th down. Playcalling or run blocking failed that drive, in my opinion. 

Series two was a pass to Ian dropped. A pass to Robby for a gain, then a pass to Ian for the first down that was hit Ian in the hands, in coverage, but was not caught. 

I don't know if Ian was targeted again after that. I think the idea was to get some short gains and develop an offensive rhythm. The drops stopped that from happening. I think it was a good idea to do easy passes to give QB confidence and get some yards, but why throw to players with drop issues - instead of DJ or Ricci who has caught some tough passes from Mayfield already. Or, put Higgins early. 

Tremble had an early drop as well, on a hard throw by Mayfield (hit him in the hands, but a bullet). He recovered and caught a pass or two later that helped in the second half. 3 drops by TE in the first half though probably cost points from the offense, even if only from Eddy P. 

The playcalling is still too streaky - watching live I felt like I predicted the plays, and in rewatch nothing I saw made me go, "oh nice call to keep the defense honest." The failure to run in the second half after the first two plays, when the score was close still makes no sense. 

On the drive that ended in the fumble, the offense was moving well, involving WR and RBs. It was clicking...almost. Then they got cute on the reverse with Higgins on his first touch. I feel like the story of this season is that whenever anything positive is happening on offense, something will go wrong, by some player error or bad situational playcall. 

[Jackie Lee]

3 minutes ago, AlphabetsEnd said:

From memory:

First drive was a pass to Ian (caught) a CMC run to a 3rd and short, and then failed QB sneak, then failed CMC 4th down. Playcalling or run blocking failed that drive, in my opinion. 

Series two was a pass to Ian dropped. A pass to Robby for a gain, then a pass to Ian for the first down that was hit Ian in the hands, in coverage, but was not caught. 

I don't know if Ian was targeted again after that. I think the idea was to get some short gains and develop an offensive rhythm. The drops stopped that from happening. I think it was a good idea to do easy passes to give QB confidence and get some yards, but why throw to players with drop issues - instead of DJ or Ricci who has caught some tough passes from Mayfield already. Or, put Higgins early. 

Tremble had an early drop as well, on a hard throw by Mayfield (hit him in the hands, but a bullet). He recovered and caught a pass or two later that helped in the second half. 3 drops by TE in the first half though probably cost points from the offense, even if only from Eddy P. 

The playcalling is still too streaky - watching live I felt like I predicted the plays, and in rewatch nothing I saw made me go, "oh nice call to keep the defense honest." The failure to run in the second half after the first two plays, when the score was close still makes no sense. 

On the drive that ended in the fumble, the offense was moving well, involving WR and RBs. It was clicking...almost. Then they got cute on the reverse with Higgins on his first touch. I feel like the story of this season is that whenever anything positive is happening on offense, something will go wrong, by some player error or bad situational playcall. 

Oh right. The QB sneak and CMC run when Foreman was sitting on the bench doing nothing. Yeah I think that was it for Ian, and I don't really understand why we're rotating 3 TE's that are essentially all used the same way. Strange to try to move Ricci into more of the fullback TE when Tremble was the best run blocker of the group coming out of college. 

[AlphabetsEnd]

Not that we'll see it with McAdoo, but with these hybrid players, having a fullback/TE, a WR/RB like Laviska, presnap motion to disguise or alter formations could be so fun to see deployed. Add in CMC moving from HB to slot, and you defensive mismatch magic. 

Tremble, to the eye test, has been the best actual TE, though Thomas' contract will likely keep him on the field. Overall, a West Coast offense needs a pure passing TE - like the 49ers had when it was pioneered. 

[davos]

There’s something missing with our offense that’s more obvious of a given “to do” in others around the league. Maybe a practice emphasis or I dunno, but something is just really skewed with not just our execution but in our designs and product at a fundamental level. 

Really feel like a sub league team that should be relegated at this point.

[raleigh-panther]

I believe Steve Smith said on FNZ yesterday, that whenever the  Panthers are in the bunch setup, it is always the same play called as Mayfield tried  in the last pass that was batted down 

I’m paraphrasing and probably not well

seems to me that yes, Baker isn’t great but the offense has a lot of ‘tells” to the defense