Geno Smith All 22 Q1/2 Breakdown vs Jets

[SonicHawk]

Q1 13:41 3RD AND 4 ON SEA 36 - Complete for 5 yards.
A really nice play design with multiple short opportunities. DK runs about 4 yards and turns but he has double coverage behind him, Jxn is running a deeper out in single coverage and Lockett runs to the 1st down marker and cuts where he finds space. Geno hits Lockett in time for the first down. Right throw, right timing.

Q1 13:00 1ST AND 10 ON SEA 41 - Incomplete
You have 3 receivers all going relatively deep (10+ and Pharaoh Brown about 4 yards deep on the sideline), Pressure gets to Geno extremely quickly and is force to escape. His foot is caught by the rusher and he stumbles before basically throwing it away. One of those plays where if he had time he had a few receivers potentially open.

Q1 12:53 2ND AND 10 ON SEA 41 - Incomplete
Jets playing man here, Geno gets the ball out in ~2 seconds to DK. Right decision but slightly behind him in a tight window and Reed is able to knock it down.

Q1 12:49 3ND AND 10 ON SEA 41 - Incomplete
I'm sure this is a scenario where you're screaming at Geno to "throw the ball" -- DK has man coverage with a safety pointing the other direction but Geno is looking the other way to start (towards Lockett). Unfortunately Lockett is in about triple coverage. Shallow left is I believe Barner (about 2 yards deep) but there are two defenders at the first down line who easily tackle him before.

When Geno looks right towards DK DK has stopped his route and is now hand fighting with the DB!??!

Now the pocket finally collapses and Geno has to dump it. There are no receivers in the middle of the field, no receivers at the first down line. I don't understand this type of play on 3rd down.

Q1 11:04 2ND AND 9 ON SEA 40 - Complete for 2 yards
Now this is a fun play that really should have gone for longer. Geno rolls out to the right and Barner who looked like a blocking TE sneaks out for a quick pass. Unfortunately he starts 6 yards behind the LOS and the Jets defender makes a good tackle. I think both Geno and Barner need to be a few yards downfield compared to where they were.

Q1 10:19 3RD AND 7 ON SEA 42 - Complete for 6 yards
Another 3rd and long where Geno doesn't have a ton of short yard options in the middle of the field. Luckily Lockett was that option and Geno stands tall in the pocket and delivers a good ball to him. The defense was well prepared with multiple guys in that area and no one else to cover and tackle him immediately. If you have one other receiver on the other side of the field at Lockett's depth you probably pick up the first on this play.

Q1 1:41 1ST AND 10 ON SEA 42 - 3 yard scramble, 5 yard defensive holding penalty
One of the things I really dislike about Grubb's gameplan is the lack of layering and this is another good example. 5 receivers all within 5 yards of the LOS. No depth no crossing, just zone beaters against man coverage. No one is open immediately and Geno scrambles outside of the pocket to a relatively open left side.

Q1 1:04 1ST AND 10 ON SEA 20 - 25 yard completion
3 receivers going 15+ yards, RB peels off near the end at the LOS. Geno gets the ball off as the pocket collapses in on him and puts a ball perfectly into the hands of Njigba. It's the kind of throw you're like "Hey, Geno is good." but we know that there are coming examples of the opposite. Both Lockett and JSN did a good job of getting to a spot where Geno could toss it.

Q2 14:16 3RD AND 9 ON SEA 46 - 25 yard completion
5 wide, zone coverage -- Now this looks like a pretty decent play, you have two receivers going about 5-7 yards and turning around and now you have two Go routes with one safety to help.

DK wins his man initially but there is a safety that is possible to come over. I think if Geno wants to replay this one he probably throws it up quick to DK. Instead he looks it off. He does a quick fake to the receiver who's about 5 yards deep on the right side, which pulls off an LB from JSN and then fires it to JSN for a first down, who does his thing and gets another 10 yards.

This is the kind of play that impresses me from Geno again, even if he was gunshy for DK. He decides the safety is just a little to close and dupes the zone coverage into committing to the short yard receiver leaving JSN open over the middle.

Q2 11:44 1ST AND 10 ON NYJ 13 - 1 yard completion
It counts as a pass because Geno tossed it forward but what an absolutely pitiful block by Cross.

Q2 10:59 2ND AND 9 ON NYJ 12 - TD!
Play action! Finally some f***ing layers. Barner is left wide open as there are 2 other layers behind him and he walks it in.


=================================

If you'd like to see more from my "every passing play" breakdown just let me know. Trying to get some value out of my NFL Pro membership! I think there's probably more Geno negatives after these plays to breakdown! But this already took awhile so not looking to type into the void.

 

[Ozzy]

Would love to see it. We need more of this stuff

 

[DarkVictory23]

There are no receivers in the middle of the field, no receivers at the first down line. I don't understand this type of play on 3rd down.

Thanks for highlighting this. After I-can't-recall-which-game where I was feeling particularly annoyed with Grubb's playcalling, I went and reviewed the passing plays for Geno's last 4 games last season (when our offense was really moving) and this season.

This was like... 3? 4 games ago? But the thing that stood out was how often 1) That Grubb has so many routes that don't have anyone (outside of sometimes the outlet) that are now hitting their break/ready for the ball when Geno hits his back foot and 2) So many routes that pretty much avoid the entire 'intermediate success' level of the field.

Finishing out last year, those things were present on 80+% of all passing plays (and it was more like 60% this year at the time I watched the videos). It appears that remains an issue here a month or so later.

 

[keasley45]

Thanks for highlighting this. After I-can't-recall-which-game where I was feeling particularly annoyed with Grubb's playcalling, I went and reviewed the passing plays for Geno's last 4 games last season (when our offense was really moving) and this season.

This was like... 3? 4 games ago? But the thing that stood out was how often 1) That Grubb has so many routes that don't have anyone (outside of sometimes the outlet) that are now hitting their break/ready for the ball when Geno hits his back foot and 2) So many routes that pretty much avoid the entire 'intermediate success' level of the field.

Finishing out last year, those things were present on 80+% of all passing plays (and it was more like 60% this year at the time I watched the videos). It appears that remains an issue here a month or so later.

Dont let factual evidence like game film fool you. Geno sucks.

Sarcasm, off.

Nice observations that are evident in that game, before that game, and since that game.
But lets just set aside why a playcaller on 3rd and anything would run empty and not have an outlet, wr at the sticks ready for the ball, or a hot route dialed in when defenses have sacked us 30 times on similar plays this season and rather just blame Geno for not immediately throwing the ball out of bounds as soon as he hits the top of his drop.

 

[DarkVictory23]

Dont let factual evidence like game film fool you. Geno sucks.

Sarcasm, off.

Nice observations that are evident in that game, before that game, and since that game.
But lets just set aside why a playcaller on 3rd and anything would run empty and not have an outlet, wr at the sticks ready for the ball, or a hot route dialed in when defenses have sacked us 30 times on similar plays this season and rather just blame Geno for not immediately throwing the ball out of bounds as soon as he hits the top of his drop.

I think people kind of underestimate what 'throwing the ball away' entails.

First, it's not like hitting the prompt on Madden. You need space just like a real pass. (Also, I routinely forget which button to hit in Madden, so you know... just saying!)
Second, unless you are dirting it right next to a TE or RB or something (which means you are throwing within the field of play so need a clear path for that as well), you have to be out of the pocket or it's intentional grounding.
Third, if you are already thinking about throwing the ball away before you've even hit your second read, then you are basically abandoning the play design. If we're saying we need our QB to be thinking about ditching the ball as his second read on a regular basis, that needs to be part of the play design. So, this becomes another failure of the OC.

Yesterday in the first half, Geno played probably the worst half of football I've ever seen him play as a Seahawk. He looked hurt, hesitant, and indecisive. Can't sugar coat it.

But when I saw the replay on that failed check down to Charbs on 3rd and 10 in the second half, I blew a freakin' gasket. At this point, I just feel like Grubb has no concept of what the value of a first down in the NFL is, because it makes no sense that he had all 3 of our WRs running 5 yards+ past the sticks while we are up 6-3 and need more than anything to extend our drive.

He's a college OC thinking we need a splash play and to run up the score on every drive. And every defense in the league knows he's a college OC who thinks we need a splash play and to run the score up on every drive.

 

[keasley45]

I think people kind of underestimate what 'throwing the ball away' entails.

First, it's not like hitting the prompt on Madden. You need space just like a real pass. (Also, I routinely forget which button to hit in Madden, so you know... just saying!)
Second, unless you are dirting it right next to a TE or RB or something (which means you are throwing within the field of play so need a clear path for that as well), you have to be out of the pocket or it's intentional grounding.
Third, if you are already thinking about throwing the ball away before you've even hit your second read, then you are basically abandoning the play design. If we're saying we need our QB to be thinking about ditching the ball as his second read on a regular basis, that needs to be part of the play design. So, this becomes another failure of the OC.

Yesterday in the first half, Geno played probably the worst half of football I've ever seen him play as a Seahawk. He looked hurt, hesitant, and indecisive. Can't sugar coat it.

But when I saw the replay on that failed check down to Charbs on 3rd and 10 in the second half, I blew a freakin' gasket. At this point, I just feel like Grubb has no concept of what the value of a first down in the NFL is, because it makes no sense that he had all 3 of our WRs running 5 yards+ past the sticks while we are up 6-3 and need more than anything to extend our drive.

He's a college OC thinking we need a splash play and to run up the score on every drive. And every defense in the league knows he's a college OC who thinks we need a splash play and to run the score up on every drive.

Exactly. But unless you have played the game and understand how hard it is to just do from the middle of the field, its hard to get folks to understand. And like you said, if you feel as though your guy is about to break open, you are holding the ball to the last possible second. Throwing it away on third down brings 4th down and a punt. A sack brings the same thing. Theres only a difference if you are in scoring position. And even then, if Grubb is calling up 4 deep routes on 3rd and 4 with nothing underneath, that implies the gamble is TD or nothing. Which in itself is stupid. But thats what we have seen and the choice Geno on at least two occassions was dealt (Jets and Minny).

Nice explanation.

 

[keasley45]

I think people kind of underestimate what 'throwing the ball away' entails.

First, it's not like hitting the prompt on Madden. You need space just like a real pass. (Also, I routinely forget which button to hit in Madden, so you know... just saying!)
Second, unless you are dirting it right next to a TE or RB or something (which means you are throwing within the field of play so need a clear path for that as well), you have to be out of the pocket or it's intentional grounding.
Third, if you are already thinking about throwing the ball away before you've even hit your second read, then you are basically abandoning the play design. If we're saying we need our QB to be thinking about ditching the ball as his second read on a regular basis, that needs to be part of the play design. So, this becomes another failure of the OC.

Yesterday in the first half, Geno played probably the worst half of football I've ever seen him play as a Seahawk. He looked hurt, hesitant, and indecisive. Can't sugar coat it.

But when I saw the replay on that failed check down to Charbs on 3rd and 10 in the second half, I blew a freakin' gasket. At this point, I just feel like Grubb has no concept of what the value of a first down in the NFL is, because it makes no sense that he had all 3 of our WRs running 5 yards+ past the sticks while we are up 6-3 and need more than anything to extend our drive.

He's a college OC thinking we need a splash play and to run up the score on every drive. And every defense in the league knows he's a college OC who thinks we need a splash play and to run the score up on every drive.

But the go routes to clear out the underneath hitters have become a staple of the Grubb game - one that defenses are already dialing in on. He's basically relying on garbage time styled routes to move the chains.