Merged: Mike Mularky

[cdz12250]

need runblocking to have any kind of successful running game...

You've said it all. We have a totally inept offensive line. I don't think it's a matter of coaching; the guys on the O-line simply don't have the ability. To be a good O-lineman, you need to be big, strong, quick and agile; all four simultaneously. Nobody on the o-line fits that description. They're just big.

In addition to an inept offensive line, we have a one-dimensional starting running back, and no one to back him up: Ronnie Brown is strictly a power runner. He's a very strong runner, and he has breakaway speed, but he's neither quick nor elusive. That's why they had Cadillac back at his alma mater. A guy like Ronnie needs a good offensive line to open holes that last more than a millisecond. If he gets those, he can smash through arm tackles, pull away, and take it to the bank. As it is, we're playing to his weakness, not his strength. Ricky had power, but was also quick and elusive when he needed to be. Ronnie doesn't have that. And there's no alternative to him.

Add a totally inept secondary and, unless we can promote stronger, quicker, more agile guys from the reserves to the starting O-line, and unless we can teach these guys on the secondary where they're supposed to be at all times and whom they're supposed to help, it's going to be a long, disappointing season. I think we have the coaches who can get both done, and when it all jells, we're going to win some games.

 

[Cobra84]

The reason that we didn't run the football very much in this game is because we couldn't.

You have to run the ball, even if it doesn't work well. How many times did the Steelers blitz or have a ton of guys in coverage because there was no attempt to even try to run the ball? A few runs to the outside (not a lame pitch :tantrum:) would at least made the Steelers focus a little less on the pass.

The 2 yards a carry earned was enough to warrant running the ball more than 3 times in the 2nd half.

 

[Bofin]

Mularkey wasn't responsible for a busted coverage on TE H. Miller was he? Because if I recall, before that play we were winning the game.....

That play cost us the game in my opinion. I blame Capers / Saban because the defense broke down....

PHINZ RULE!!!

blitz, i agree!! we were winning this game,,,what happened on that play?? zach looked like he expected help from that side and there was nobody there. we played well for 53:30, but the game is 60 minutes. that blown coverage or whatever it was took us down. i see a bunch of discussions here but not trying to figure out that scheme or blown assignment, maybe i'll start a thread because until that point we had a great shot of winning this game

 

[Bofin]

That post had nothing to do with MM. Where did you get that from? I was just correcting you about the Miller play. That wasn't a busted coverage. Miller just flat out beat the coverage.

that had to be a blown assignment by someone, you don't get a tight end behind the entire defense like that, he was only 12-15 yards from the line of scrmmage.

 

[muscle979]

Reading these threads give me serious deja vu. Just insert Scott Linehan instead of Mike Mularkey. I remember us getting angry at Linehan getting too cute and not running enough. It will all work out ok, Saban will drag MM down to the sideline too if he needs to.

 

[Justasportsfan]

this is Mularkey in a nutshell. Against the falcons last year, their cb's were so depleted that they were down to their 3rd stringers. Instead of taking advantage, he made the bills run the ball. He tried to outsmart the falcons that it blew up in his face.

If Saban can limit Mularkey from having to think, you guys will be okay.

 

[SabanSucks]

that had to be a blown assignment by someone, you don't get a tight end behind the entire defense like that, he was only 12-15 yards from the line of scrmmage.

It's a mismatch, but it's not a blown assignment. It happened to the Bills in the preason where a DE had contain on the RB. The RB ended up going out for a pass, the QB scambled, the RB took off up the sidelines, and a 300lb DE was 25 yards down the field in one on one coverage with a RB. Luckily the pass was underthrown. But that was the design of the defense on that play. Thomas was responsible for Miller on that play with no help. Miller ran past him like he was standing still, and Batch delivered the ball at the right time. All there is to it.

 

[SabanSucks]

this is Mularkey in a nutshell. Against the falcons last year, their cb's were so depleted that they were down to their 3rd stringers. Instead of taking advantage, he made the bills run the ball. He tried to outsmart the falcons that it blew up in his face.

If Saban can limit Mularkey from having to think, you guys will be okay.

People don't have a memory of this, but there was a game where Evans and Moulds came off the field for Reed and Aiken. It was a short yardage play, FB and RB lined up in the backfield, the obvious explanation was that Reed and Aiken are better blockers and this is an obvious running down. Ball is snapped and SOB, it's a pass to Reed, who dropped it, end of drive. That's MM in a nutshell. Always looking to trick, and 95% of the time ends up outsmarting himself.

 

[Avalanche of Wins]

did you not see this posted, saban admitted in his post game conference that it was a blown cover 3. a corner or safety should have been over the top in that defense. blown assignment simple

 

[DolphanD]

The defense knew our snap count. Someone posted this last night and if you go back and watch the offense the Steelers knew exactly when to take off and blitz the hell out of us. I don't know if it was because of crowd noise but that is pathetic if you can't run the offense without the opposing defense knowing when the ball is going to be snapped. No wonder they had no offside penalties all game. And meanwhile our blitzes were picked up and our secondary was picked apart because we were coming a little too late after the ball was snapped. This has to be fixed.