Did you notice if there were check-down outlets available in these pass plays? Given the strong protection on Saturday we didn't need them much, although MacEntee did hit McCombs a few times out of the backfield. Since he's not going to avoid too many rushers, it would be comforting to know that he has some bailout options.
Re: McCummings, other than the fumble, I thought he looked much better running the option on TV than he did in person. In person I didn't think he looked comfortable at all and was indecisive. On TV it looked like he made the right read most of the time.
Yes - there were short options on those plays that I did remember seeing on the field live in the 0 to +10 range from scrimmage. But I don't think the term "check down" means hwat it did in the past to these guys, because I didn't see much standing around by receivers waiting for the ball at all, constant motion. Keep in mind, there are a potential 5 downfield options out of an offensive formation on any throw over the line of scrimmage.
What I think is there in the pass plays, not the true check downs and dump offs of backs and TE's that release over scrimmage, and then sit down in a designated space on the field and basically wait and drift with the QB for the ball if the QB needs to get rid of it, but instead, space eating pass patterns that basically start somewhere in the 0 to +10 yardage range and then extend downfield, all worked into the plays once the blocking gets picked up.
It looked to me like the offense in general, had some trouble throughout the game, with protections on blocking, especially the help blocking, and assignment specific blocking - not so much from the line or from the X and Z on the outside of the formations - no offensive line is going to be perfect, and they got beat from time to time, but the problems came from the pass route runners on the flanks and backfield of whatever offensive formation and their blocks.
But once they can see it live on film against an opponent other than our own defense, I think it will start to make more sense to those guys, and there will be a big learning curve, and also bet that with Shoemate in the backfield, it's going to be a little bit better with opening up those underneath routes based on blocking protection assignments.
McCombs ran very well, and has a burst of speed from a little guy that I haven't seen since a healthy Caulley, but I believe that blocking out of the backfield is going to be very important in the success of both our running and passing game, and he's got a lot of room to improve there. That's the hardest part about getting a complicated pass offense like this down, is understanding all the blocking assignments on any given play, before you get to the pass routes.
Interesting observation on the option, I got the opposite. I thought that McCummings looked great live running the option, but when I looked at the replay, I can't believe how well he ran it, the fakes looked very robotic to me, can't believe people fell for it. But at game speed, he makes it happen.
No right or wrong when you're looking at football game, though. Everybody sees things different.
