GDT: Youngstown

[Mr_Tibbs]

I think part of my frustration is that we've been hearing for two seasons now how we're going to become more of a smashmouth, power type team, but we're still a big play offense without the playmakers we used to have that could make the engine go. Even this spring, it was assumed we would be relying on the TEs and running the ball alot. And while we have been running it, it still doesn't feel like we've committed to being a power running team. This spring, it seems that PSJ gets stuffed for 5 carries and then breaks one for 50. That one long run isn't always going to be there and our offense looks anemic without a long run. In our passing game, which has been a pleasant surprise this spring, we seem to have a little more rhythm, but it isn't being set up by the run, which makes it tougher to stay in the game when things aren't going well, like on Saturday.

We don't have the star power anymore that we had from 2012 to 2018, and I really think that for this team to go all the way, we have to change philosophy a little but and commit to pounding it between the tackles. With the defense we have and the talent we have on the line and in the backfield, we should be holding the ball 35 minutes a game and sustaining long drives like YSU did in the 3rd. Hell, maybe even go under center once or twice....

[BigGoosie13]

on a separate but related note, do you recall anyone who you thought was a good punt returner. i feel like this is a tough job and the jacks approach has usually been catch the ball and pick up a few yards if you can but CATCH the ball

in my mind Je Ryan Butler is the best punt returner i can ever remember for the jacks. i feel like he did that job all four years, but i think they might have tried to move him out for a time bc thinking he was too valuable as shut down corner then realized that he was indespensible in that job. in my memory i feel like he did that job for the marority of the punts in his 4 yr career and i dont think he had 2 drops. NEVER called fair catch so definitely made life exciting at times but incredibly surehanded and unwavering confidence

Yep, Butler has probably been our best punt returner since I've been a fan. Cole Brodie was pretty darn good as well. I feel like I remember one year getting so bad with the punt returners letting the ball bounce and then also making bad fair catch choices that we eventually put Schneider back to return to just not mess anything up?

[LetsGoRabbits]

hey tibbs, for me i would love to be able to just line up and run for 5 yards play after play, but being a power team or not is not the priority. i would like us to utilize our best players and to be balanced. if we are slightly run heavy or pass heavy because that is what out talent points to, fine.

i still think PSJ is clearly our best offensive weapon and we have not really got him going consistently in any game yet.

we started this with talk about wr group. but it seems to me the group that we need to step up is the o line. pass blocking has been mostly good with some ugly exceptions but the run blocking has been mostly not good from what i have been able to see

outside of PSJ, our other strength was supposed to be the deep and talented D line. has that been a strength?? they have surely made some plays but i think they have been far from controlling games

[Mr_Tibbs]

hey tibbs, for me i would love to be able to just line up and run for 5 yards play after play, but being a power team or not is not the priority. i would like us to utilize our best players and to be balanced. if we are slightly run heavy or pass heavy because that is what out talent points to, fine.

i still think PSJ is clearly our best offensive weapon and we have not really got him going consistently in any game yet.

we started this with talk about wr group. but it seems to me the group that we need to step up is the o line. pass blocking has been mostly good with some ugly exceptions but the run blocking has been mostly not good from what i have been able to see

outside of PSJ, our other strength was supposed to be the deep and talented D line. has that been a strength?? they have surely made some plays but i think they have been far from controlling games

I fully agree that there's no need to be a power team just for the sake of being a power team, but I think that's clearly where our personel is at. 2015 to 2017 was a different style and we adjusted to our playmakers then compared to our 2012 to 2014 Zenner years. My point is I don't think we've adjusted our style as much from 2017/18 to now to match our strengths as we did previously this decade. To be clear, I don't care how we win or how many times per game we throw it, but I dont think our offensive identity matches where we're currently at with talent and strengths/weaknesses.

[LetsGoRabbits]

YES sorry! i did not mean to imply that you were saying that and i can see how what i wrote might seem that way!!! i think we are in agreement!! obviously some teams do have an identity and they maintain that identity year after year and recruit players who fit that identity. under eidsness the jacks very much embraced building your offensive game plan to highlight the strengths of your players. and i think we are agreeing that PSJ is our best player and for whatever reason the games thus far have not been reflective of that

idk if that means that coaches think gron is better than fans are giving credit and they are happy to lean on him?? OR defense is dictating that somehow?? OR the offense is underperfoming in run game, which to me would point to some failures in O line regarding run game

[THE PRIDE IS BACK!!!]

PSJ is a great talent, but I think we're forgetting something. Every other team knows the All-American is a great player, too. If there is a focus for opposing defenses every week it's to shutdown the Jackrabbit running game, namely, PSJ. Of course he hasn't gone off in a game! The defenses know who he is and know their best bet to beat us is to shut him down. They've all done a decent job of it so far, too.

[Mr_Tibbs]

YES sorry! i did not mean to imply that you were saying that and i can see how what i wrote might seem that way!!! i think we are in agreement!! obviously some teams do have an identity and they maintain that identity year after year and recruit players who fit that identity. under eidsness the jacks very much embraced building your offensive game plan to highlight the strengths of your players. and i think we are agreeing that PSJ is our best player and for whatever reason the games thus far have not been reflective of that

idk if that means that coaches think gron is better than fans are giving credit and they are happy to lean on him?? OR defense is dictating that somehow?? OR the offense is underperfoming in run game, which to me would point to some failures in O line regarding run game

To me, it's the bolded part. I think we're underperforming on the ground. And I don't personally think handing off to PSJ more is the answer either. I think part of what made him great the past two years was being the best back in a committee backfield, a great all around back. I don't think he is a feature back to the same level as Zenner, nor should he be. I think he needs to get about 60% of our carries, with the remaining 40% split between the other two backs with different skill sets.

But none of that matters if the o line doesn't improve in run blocking and get better consistency from drive to drive and game to game.. all lines are going to have up and down performances, but it feels like ours hasn't put together a strong ground performance in back to back games in a while.

[Southeast]

Wasn’t it just a couple years ago that the podcast/blogger types were salivating over this amazing class of TALL receivers that we signed? I guess that’s reason #999 not to get over excited about football recruiting classes....

[WestSideRabbit]

Wasn’t it just a couple years ago that the podcast/blogger types were salivating over this amazing class of TALL receivers that we signed? I guess that’s reason #999 not to get over excited about football recruiting classes....

Those cats are freshmen now. Chill.

[jakejc795]

hey tibbs, for me i would love to be able to just line up and run for 5 yards play after play, but being a power team or not is not the priority. i would like us to utilize our best players and to be balanced. if we are slightly run heavy or pass heavy because that is what out talent points to, fine.

i still think PSJ is clearly our best offensive weapon and we have not really got him going consistently in any game yet.

we started this with talk about wr group. but it seems to me the group that we need to step up is the o line. pass blocking has been mostly good with some ugly exceptions but the run blocking has been mostly not good from what i have been able to see

outside of PSJ, our other strength was supposed to be the deep and talented D line. has that been a strength?? they have surely made some plays but i think they have been far from controlling games

Judging the DL is tricky because they've faced mobile QBs pretty much every week, so Jacks couldn't just pin their ears back and focus solely on traditional QB pressure every down.

If SIU uses Labanowitz again, the Jacks could rack up some sacks.

[jakejc795]

Those cats are freshmen now. Chill.

This is one area where having the Spring season is particularly exciting, particularly if Jacks avoid injuries. It essentially gives Jacks an extra season of experience.

[slosho]

This is one area where having the Spring season is particularly exciting, particularly if Jacks avoid injuries. It essentially gives Jacks an extra season of experience.

Wouldn't that be true for any team not sitting out the spring season

[jakejc795]

Wouldn't that be true for any team not sitting out the spring season

True, but not all teams have whole position groups with a dearth of experience, and I'd argue the Spring season could be particularly detrimental to position groups like the OL, DL, and LBs, particularly for teams having starters they'd be asking to play both seasons (and yes, the same could be true for Jacks WRs -- that's why I mentioned the importance of avoiding injuries)