Every Swing/Screen Pass of the 2019 Season

knapplc said:
It's really not a sexy play, and rarely worked for big gains (we got 10+ yards on 18 of 90 attempts). But the play isn't designed to pop for big yardage, it's designed to set up other plays. It forces a defense to cover the field sideline-to-sideline, and if they don't, and if our perimeter blocking is good, and if our QB gets the ball out there in good time, it's a positive-yardage play.

Our biggest problem with this play, and the reason the fans hate it, is that our perimeter blocking is often terrible, the passes are often errant, or the timing is off. That results in no gain or negative-yardage plays, which happened 40 of the 90 times we ran it. 

UCF ran this play under Frost with much better success than we do. But they had better athletes on the perimeter, and (to date) we don't have a McKenzie Milton in the QB room to put the ball on target on time every time.

For Nebraska, it was feast or famine with this thing. Half our games (N. Illinois, Ohio State, Minnesota, Purdue, Maryland, Iowa) we averaged three yards or less with this play. For the other half (S. Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Northwestern, Indiana, Wisconsin) we averaged seven or more yards with this play. 

Weird thing is, success with this play (and thus, spreading out the defense) didn't matter much to wins or losses. In our six games where we were less successful with this play we went 2-4, and in the games where we were more successful we went 3-3.
Click to expand...


After watching it just one time the paragraph I bolded is my conclusion also.  Perimeter blocking was terrible on most of the negative or short yardage plays or the pass was behind the receiver or off target or both.  I will add one more thing.  When the RB goes in motion right before the snap and leaves an empty backfield it is really telegraphing what they are doing.  I mean they know where the ball is going in that situation.  When you combine that with poor blocking and a poor pass it can lead to disaster.  

I will also add that the flat pass/screen/swing pass is one of the hardest things to throw accurately with a lot of consistency.  To hit someone in stride when they are running down hill is tough.   

 
NUinID said:
After watching it just one time the paragraph I bolded is my conclusion also.  Perimeter blocking was terrible on most of the negative or short yardage plays or the pass was behind the receiver or off target or both.  I will add one more thing.  When the RB goes in motion right before the snap and leaves an empty backfield it is really telegraphing what they are doing.  I mean they know where the ball is going in that situation.  When you combine that with poor blocking and a poor pass it can lead to disaster.  

I will also add that the flat pass/screen/swing pass is one of the hardest things to throw accurately with a lot of consistency.  To hit someone in stride when they are running down hill is tough.   
Click to expand...


It does set up some great deep shots and draws, we just didn't have the guys to take advantage of it. Definitely cases this year where teams sold out on it because they knew we couldn't make them pay for it.

Agree with everyone on the blocking, but there were some times the back/receiver looked like they messed up too - Mills had a potentially huge screen where he just kept jogging right into the defender instead of setting up for the pass and letting his lineman get there. When they work we don't really notice them, but when they're off like against Iowa it's painful.

 
Husker in WI said:
It does set up some great deep shots and draws, we just didn't have the guys to take advantage of it. Definitely cases this year where teams sold out on it because they knew we couldn't make them pay for it.

Agree with everyone on the blocking, but there were some times the back/receiver looked like they messed up too - Mills had a potentially huge screen where he just kept jogging right into the defender instead of setting up for the pass and letting his lineman get there. When they work we don't really notice them, but when they're off like against Iowa it's painful.
Click to expand...


I guess for me you still have to try that deep ball some.  I know they ran some QB draw/power with some success.   Another thing in the RPO stuff that they never do is run the slant RPO.  That also is most likely due to a lack of personnel, or it is just not what Frost and Co like to do.  Minnesota's RPO is all about the 7-10 yard slant, which is a much easier pass to throw than swing or flat screen. 

 
Husker in WI said:
It does set up some great deep shots and draws, we just didn't have the guys to take advantage of it. Definitely cases this year where teams sold out on it because they knew we couldn't make them pay for it.

Agree with everyone on the blocking, but there were some times the back/receiver looked like they messed up too - Mills had a potentially huge screen where he just kept jogging right into the defender instead of setting up for the pass and letting his lineman get there. When they work we don't really notice them, but when they're off like against Iowa it's painful.
Click to expand...
Iowa's secondary played downhill all game. That is why that pass from Luke to JD was so wide open when he came in. The biggest difference I saw from UCF to Frost at Nebraska was down field throws. We just haven't had the weapons. Excited to see that change in the near future. 

 
BIG ERN said:
Iowa's secondary played downhill all game. That is why that pass from Luke to JD was so wide open when he came in. The biggest difference I saw from UCF to Frost at Nebraska was down field throws. We just haven't had the weapons. Excited to see that change in the near future. 
Click to expand...
It's also hard to throw downfield if Frost doesn't trust the o-line to sustain the blocks long enough for the WR to break open.

EDIT:  It looks like NU threw the most swing passes against NW, Purdue, and Iowa.

Northwestern had a very good/great D, especially their front 7, and Martinez was injured coming in/during the game.  It's not surprising that the offensive plan was to have quick passes to the outside.

Purdue was the first game back after a few weeks missed for Martinez.  Plus, Vedral and McCaffrey weren't available to play.  So, quicker swing passes which minimizes the risk of Martinez getting hit in the pocket also makes sense.

Iowa was among the best pass rush D that NU faced in 2019.  Plus, Martinez was struggling with his passes downfield, so it's another game which calls for more swing passes.

There are reasons why Frost called the plays like he did in 2019.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
NUinID said:
I guess for me you still have to try that deep ball some.  I know they ran some QB draw/power with some success.   Another thing in the RPO stuff that they never do is run the slant RPO.  That also is most likely due to a lack of personnel, or it is just not what Frost and Co like to do.  Minnesota's RPO is all about the 7-10 yard slant, which is a much easier pass to throw than swing or flat screen. 
Click to expand...


Correct me if I'm wrong, but our awful inside running probably hurt this immensely. The ILBs didn't have to respect our ability to run inside so they wouldn't crash down and open up the middle of the field. Instead, they could sit on and disrupt all the slant passing.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
It's also hard to throw downfield if Frost doesn't trust the o-line to sustain the blocks long enough for the WR to break open.
Click to expand...
Agree, but is also hard when the only WR that plays who is at least 6'0 was Noa who def wasn't a downfield threat. I think 18/20 players for highest avg per catch in the nation last year were all at least 6'0

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'll just reiterate what others have already said. It's most productive as a part of an overall scheme. With no deep threat and an anemic running game, that's when people start thinking it is a dog doo play.

 
BIG ERN said:
Agree, but is also hard when the only WR that plays who is at least 6'0 was Noa who def wasn't a downfield threat. I think 18/20 players for highest avg per catch in the nation last year were all at least 6'0
Click to expand...
I'm right with you.  There are numerous factors which led to the lack of success on downward throws in 2019, which also impacts the success of swing passes.

 
WyoHusker56 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but our awful inside running probably hurt this immensely. The ILBs didn't have to respect our ability to run inside so they wouldn't crash down and open up the middle of the field. Instead, they could sit on and disrupt all the slant passing.
Click to expand...


It's got more to do with having a couple of WR that can run the route effectively.  Robinson and Spielman aren't big enough to get the inside position necessary for the route.  Neither was Noa, all three of those guys are really slot receivers. 

Really the only WR with the size to do it was Warner and he was hurt for 75% of the season.  Nebraska ran it some in 2018 with Morgan.

All of Minnesota's WR are fairly good sized guys.  At least 6 foot and all about 210 or better.  I know Robinson is listed at 5'10 but he is probably closer to 5'8".  Spielman is about 5'9".  

 
NUinID said:
After watching it just one time the paragraph I bolded is my conclusion also.  Perimeter blocking was terrible on most of the negative or short yardage plays or the pass was behind the receiver or off target or both.  I will add one more thing.  When the RB goes in motion right before the snap and leaves an empty backfield it is really telegraphing what they are doing.  I mean they know where the ball is going in that situation.  When you combine that with poor blocking and a poor pass it can lead to disaster.  

I will also add that the flat pass/screen/swing pass is one of the hardest things to throw accurately with a lot of consistency.  To hit someone in stride when they are running down hill is tough.   
Click to expand...
Yep....until the deep threat sprints past the defenders biting on the screen pass and is wide open.

 
I never want to see that play inside either ours or the opponents 10 yd line.

We need some more talent at tight end. Every time they caught the ball they fell down. 

Some of those guys were horrible blockers on the perimeter.

Finally, it looked as the season wore on we were way too predictable, but that's probably cause most of our weapons were injured. 

 
roadrat said:
I never want to see that play inside either ours or the opponents 10 yd line.

We need some more talent at tight end. Every time they caught the ball they fell down. 

Some of those guys were horrible blockers on the perimeter.

Finally, it looked as the season wore on we were way too predictable, but that's probably cause most of our weapons were injured. 
Click to expand...
T Voke was a damn good addition that will help us at TE

 
Back
Top