Really strange moment - Griffin

[iigakusei]

Did anyone else notice that on the long run from Brissett, Griffen ran away from him to engage the possible blocker? That was so bizarre I wasn't exactly sure what he was doing. Anyone know?

 

[hawkfan68]

Yeah...I noticed it too. I thought he might be guessing on which direction Brissett was going but he did have a clear lane to him and didn't go there.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

Gave up several big plays in the passing game, too. Not the best night for him, although, I suppose IN CONTEXT Pete will say he did pretty well.

 

[Seymour]

He was so focused on staying with his guy he completely missed the QB running past him. Ya...I was like WTH was that also.

 

[kidhawk]

I literally screamed at the TV. I couldn't believe what I saw. When I was watching, it looked like he started to disengage and go towards the qb with the ball, and then went back to the receiver / blocker. The only thing I can think is maybe he thought the qb was still behind the line of scrimmage or something, but that was not a good play. As hyped as I got when I saw it, looking back, I realize he's just a rookie and he's not going to be perfect. He's made some bad plays, but has also made some pretty good ones. Considering he's getting extra targets with qbs looking away from Sherman, he's doing a pretty decent job overall.

 

[coach78]

My guess is that he was worries about getting sealed inside by the receiver - always has to maintain outside leverage. Thought he could have been more aggressive and attacked for the tackle, but assuming he was playing it safe to make sure that pursuit would be able to make the play.

 

[IBleedBlueAndGreen]

Brissett juked him. He was running directly towards us in the corner endzone. Brissett looked at Griffin and his WR blocker out in front and took two steps left, enough for Griffin to assume (incorrectly) that he was going to try and run behind the WR. Simply juked. He's a rookie, some of that will go away. I'm very encouraged with what I see out of that guy.

 

[StoneCold]

My thought at the times, was that it was weird and right after, with the way he went after the WR, I thought that he didn't realize Brisset was over the line of scrimmage and he heed to cover the WR.

 

[RobBaker7714409]

It was a weird play for sure. Would like to be a fly on the wall during the film review. Looks like he wussed out to me.

 

[DJrmb]

My guess is that he was worries about getting sealed inside by the receiver - always has to maintain outside leverage. Thought he could have been more aggressive and attacked for the tackle, but assuming he was playing it safe to make sure that pursuit would be able to make the play.

This is correct.

It looked awkward because he forgot his responsibility or realized it late and had to go back and around the WR. If he doesn't turn the play back inside then Brissett probably scores on that play because he would have given Earl an impossible angle to overcome. He was the last guy to the sideline and his number 1 responsibility at that point is to not allow anyone to beat him outside along the sideline. I would have liked to have seen him engage the blocker and drive him to the sideline (effectively cutting off the outside just the same) instead of running around him though.

 

[SeaChat]

I saw that play and understood exactly where his head was, had he left his coverage to go for the QB you can bet the ball would have been tossed to his assignment and it would have likely ended in a TD for the Colts. As unpopular as my opinion on this might be I thought Griffin made the right choice and one that a veteran would have made as well.
This kid is already something, I can only imagine what a force he is going to be for the Hawks in the future. He’s already playing near or at Sherman’s level, and is only going to get better.

 

[kidhawk]

I saw that play and understood exactly where his head was, had he left his coverage to go for the QB you can bet the ball would have been tossed to his assignment and it would have likely ended in a TD for the Colts. As unpopular as my opinion on this might be I thought Griffin made the right choice and one that a veteran would have made as well.
This kid is already something, I can only imagine what a force he is going to be for the Hawks in the future. He’s already playing near or at Sherman’s level, and is only going to get better.

I can understand mistakenly thinking that could happen, but the qb was well in front of the line of scrimmage and he was behind the receiver at the time, so he couldn't legally "toss it to him" when this play occurred.

Either way, he definitely screwed up, either to start or to finish. He initially started to break for the qb, then went back to the blocker. Either he should have stayed on his man or he should have gone for the qb. One way or the other it was, at minimum a mistake of hesitation or indecisiveness on his part.

Even with that said, I think he's doing a really good job overall. We can nit-pick a play here or a play there by anyone, even the best in the league, so I don't let a few mistakes here and there change my opinion on his abilities as a corner.

 

[ivotuk]

Actually, Brissett pointed downfield as if he wanted the WR to take off that way and he'd throw it to him. 'Quille fell for it, apparently not realizing that Brisket was past the LOS.

 

[kidhawk]

Actually, Brissett pointed downfield as if he wanted the WR to take off that way and he'd throw it to him. 'Quille fell for it, apparently not realizing that Brisket was past the LOS.

I thought that was getting the receiver to block for him

 

[JGfromtheNW]

It looked like it was just one of those awkward situations where making a decision one way or the other is going to come off as awkward.

I think 'Quilla had a hard time telling whether Brisset was past the LOS or not, so he stuck with assignment and reengaged with the receiver to make sure 1) he wasn't going to get open on a scramble and 2) he wanted to keep outside leverage to force anything in towards the rest of the field/team.

I don't think it was a bad play, in fact I think it was a REALLY smart football play in the situation considering field positioning, how well the defense had been playing and most importantly protecting the lead.

Griffin has been a fantastic draft pick and is already proving his chops on this team. The TD to Moncrief was one hell of a throw and catch, it couldn't have been played any better. Maybe a top corner like Sherm turns his head before the ball arrives, but he was right there in the play and it could have just as easily been an incomplete pass.

 

[mikeak]

I think he forgot about the LOS completely - as in not thinking that the QB isn't allowed to throw it there.

We have seen RW and Rodgers do that a lot with pump fake well beyond the LOS

 

[JGfromtheNW]

I think he forgot about the LOS completely - as in not thinking that the QB isn't allowed to throw it there.

We have seen RW and Rodgers do that a lot with pump fake well beyond the LOS

Yup, Russ regularly pumps after being yards past the LOS because it's really hard as a defender who's been tracking other players to know exactly where the LOS is 5 seconds into a scrambling play and it almost always makes the defender hesitate/jump.

Edited for not being awake :thcoffee:

 

[ivotuk]

Actually, Brissett pointed downfield as if he wanted the WR to take off that way and he'd throw it to him. 'Quille fell for it, apparently not realizing that Brisket was past the LOS.

I thought that was getting the receiver to block for him

I'll have to watch it again, but IIRC, Brissett signaled like "Head downfield." I make no claims to being accurate on this one.

 

[AgentDib]

Do you guys know what happens if Griffin turns inside to take on Brissett? That WR that Brissett was pointing at washes Griffin into the middle due to his outside leverage, Brissett runs around the edge for an easy TD, and Griffin gets a lecture today about maintaining outside containment when that's his responsibility. But at least Griffin wouldn't have a bunch of internet posters speculating that he didn't know where the line of scrimmage was.

 

[ZorntoLargent]

I saw it, and I was sitting in section 316 row V