Again, there is no problem with the offensive scheme. Out of all the new coaches, it was Coach Deleone I was worried the most about. 9,000,000 page playbook, questionable offensive play calling is what I heard. Buth through the season, I saw great play calls. Problem was (wait for it Edsall haters), there was no execution. From early in the season when McCummings overthrew an uncovered receiver by 40 yards, it has been mistake after mistake. And not because of a complex playbook. Receivers dropping passes, quarterbacks missing wide open receivers, qb's scrambling from a pass rush that wasn't there . . . etc.
Where do we go from here? Who knows. We lose our best receiver in Kash, and 2 all league caliber offensive lineman. We need the players to learn from experience, spend a year in the weight and film room. And the coaches now have a season under their belt, they know current personnel. Nick Williams is not without warts on offense. He has inconsistent hands, and has trouble getting separation when lined up outside. So get him the ball in space on short passes. Line him up in the backfield, send him in motion . . .etc. He is one of our few playmakers, and although he is not a traditional receiver, he can (and has) made plays on O. Doesn't need to start, but he does need to be in there on 3rd downs. McCombs was fantastic, he was shaky in decsion making the first 3 games and then made adjustments to the game and was great. He will be a steady back for the next 3 years. He is not going to gain weight, he is not going to gain speed, but he will be a solid runner. And I think he needs to be utilized more in the passing game. Griffin is a great pass catcher, feature him. Its alright to have a TE as the leading receiver.
The young WRs (Davis and Jones) need to spend all offseason working on routes, catching 100 passes a day, and studying film. They showed flashes of their ability but often made mental mistakes. Love the way Davis blocks.
As for qb? Sigh. McEntee had a couple good games managing the game. But he too often made costly mistakes, and showed little pocket presence (almost 4 sacks a game). 51 % completion rate will not cut it in Deleone's offense. Not sure if the game will slow down for him. He has alot to prove in the spring. As for Nebrich? It was obvious that coaches had no faith in him this season. Deleone's comments late in the year indicate he was making alot of mistakes in practice, which can be expected from any true frosh. Jury is still out, but I will say, the few plays he played this year, he looked like a leader, having a blast out there, getting his lineman fired up. Liked to see that. He will benefit more than any other player, IMO, from this offseason. Nobody knows how Cochran will do as a true frosh, but I will be absolutely shocked if he plays. QB is such a huge transition from high school to college.
The Line is a huge question mark. Greene, Masters, and Friend are penciled in, but where is anyone's guess. If the coaching staff wants to get the 5 best players, we might see them switch positions along the line. The only thing keeping Friend from great things is strength and that is something that can be improved on.
