HoneyB
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Discussions on Ryan Tannehill include topics such as speed/timing on pass plays, the deep ball, pocket awareness, etc. Ryan himself said today that he wants to take the next step, and has been working hard. I’m not aware of any training or program he’s been in this year, although in 2013, (the year Sherman declared he would be most improved QB), Ryan did attend the IMG Academy in Bradenton, and worked with Chris Weinke. (Weinke has also helped other QB’s like Russell Wilson and Cam Newton)
Even if we see only modest improvement this year for Ryan in terms of personal ability, his productivity will rise automatically if we manage to fix the running game, and by extension, allow him to do something he’s been excelling at since day one: The Play-Action pass.
In 2012, Ryan had the second highest passer rating on play-action passes. PFF had his QB rating at 121 with play action, and 67.7 without it.
In 2013, Ryan again did very well with limited play-action, but the running game struggled. Now we have a new OC, and his former QB used a LOT of play-action, as well as deep ball passing attempts. He was in the top 10 for both. So I can only assume Lazor recognizes this, sees the potential, and hopes to continue to develop the offense in both of these areas. (Play-Action and Deep Ball).
Top 10 play action usage:
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Bottom 10 play action usage:
.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans seem to be going through similar hand wringing over the running game and whether more play action was necessary. At SB Nation in February, fans noted that Ben Roethlisberger used less play-action than any other QB in the league last year, and that other very successful teams used much more of it:
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2014/2/9/5394694/steelers-2013-offensive-passing-statistics
It’s worth noting, that since that article was published, they let go of Cotchery and picked up Blount. They’re still a passing team, not a running team, but they definitely want to run more effectively, and get TD's in the red zone. Ideally, so do we....
Even if we see only modest improvement this year for Ryan in terms of personal ability, his productivity will rise automatically if we manage to fix the running game, and by extension, allow him to do something he’s been excelling at since day one: The Play-Action pass.
In 2012, Ryan had the second highest passer rating on play-action passes. PFF had his QB rating at 121 with play action, and 67.7 without it.
In 2013, Ryan again did very well with limited play-action, but the running game struggled. Now we have a new OC, and his former QB used a LOT of play-action, as well as deep ball passing attempts. He was in the top 10 for both. So I can only assume Lazor recognizes this, sees the potential, and hopes to continue to develop the offense in both of these areas. (Play-Action and Deep Ball).
Top 10 play action usage:
| # | Name | Team | % PA |
| 1 | Russell Wilson | SEA | 34.3 |
| 2 | Christian Ponder | MIN | 33.0 |
| 3 | Terrelle Pryor | OAK | 31.5 |
| 4 | Cam Newton | CAR | 30.1 |
| 5 | Robert Griffin III | WAS | 29.9 |
| 6 | Nick Foles | PHI | 29.6 |
| 7 | Colin Kaepernick | SF | 28.3 |
| 8 | Peyton Manning | DEN | 27.7 |
| 9 | Chad Henne | JAX | 27.6 |
| 10 | Kellen Clemens | SL | 27.3 |
Bottom 10 play action usage:
| # | Name | Team | % PA |
| 30 | Carson Palmer | ARZ | 15.4 |
| 31 | Eli Manning | NYG | 15.3 |
| 32 | Ryan Tannehill | MIA | 15.0 |
| 33 | Joe Flacco | BLT | 14.1 |
| 34 | Jake Locker | TEN | 14.1 |
| 35 | Matt Ryan | ATL | 13.8 |
| 36 | Tony Romo | DAL | 12.2 |
| 37 | Philip Rivers | SD | 11.9 |
| 38 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | 11.5 |
| 39 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | TEN | 10.2 |
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans seem to be going through similar hand wringing over the running game and whether more play action was necessary. At SB Nation in February, fans noted that Ben Roethlisberger used less play-action than any other QB in the league last year, and that other very successful teams used much more of it:
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2014/2/9/5394694/steelers-2013-offensive-passing-statistics
It’s worth noting, that since that article was published, they let go of Cotchery and picked up Blount. They’re still a passing team, not a running team, but they definitely want to run more effectively, and get TD's in the red zone. Ideally, so do we....
