Trae Waynes has struggled mightily in games first and foremost because he hasn’t been prepared to this point with what he is going to see from his opponents. Second is that he is having to concentrate on his backpeddle which is putting too much stress on his ability to react. Practice your footwork with your eyes closed to build the muscle memory more quickly. The third issue is that he is not even trying to diagnose the quarterback and offensive scheme pre-snap. He is so concerned about the first step that he has no clue what is coming at him. If there was a walrus in the backfield, he wouldn’t know. So his first step is backwards into his pristine backpeddle, and there is no chance he can react fast enough on a quick hitting route. Slow down your fist step or two to give yourself the ability to react. Learn to watch the backfield with your peripherals on your receiver. Learn to study your opponents even if you aren’t asked to so that you know what they do well, and where on the tree they beat their opponents. Is it on their break? Is it how they attack the ball? How do they set up their tree? Upon watching the film, it was quite obvious that after Trae got overpowered when he ran into Jackson downfield, the offensive coordinator called Winston and said pick on the right corner. It wasn’t until Edwards/Zimmer sent Harry over to enforce that the bleeding stopped. This league does that mercilessly! Weaknesses are exploited until the weakness is moved elsewhere. Most importantly for Trae, it’s a long .. long season. Take a long view and try to improve at a consistent pace. This stuff is not clean-up, it is reshaping how you approach everything you do. You can not anticipate if all you are doing is tracking the receivers movements. You need to have a broader view of the game.
The offensive line has looked fairly good. I would concur with the staff that Clemmings pass pro has improved significantly since he started out, and at this point I have more confidence in him than I would in anyone else moving to that spot. His balance isn’t perfect yet, but he is very nimble. To this point, the run blocking has been an issue, but I would not say that the offensive line has been the focal point of the issue. I haven’t been impressed by the fullback play, and no one is benefitting from the drive design or coordinating. Those issues are tied to one another and are also by design to an extent. There is no sense in calling a brilliant game offensively at this time of year. You would honestly rather see your guys in situations where they are going to be challenged. Being predictable and pre-season football basically go hand in hand. I am happy with what I am seeing from Kalil, I really think he has a chance to shape this offense this year. The only thing that I’ve noticed was that I felt Harris lets his feet stop a little bit in pass pro. Otherwise, there isn’t enough tape to say that the line can’t be better than average, which would be an upgrade from last year.
Teddy looks great but not quite excellent. His playing style is fantastic, he is doing so much. Last year he teetered mid-season trying to incorporate tools with game plan adjustments and diagnosis. It was a lot to ask, but he really stepped up to the plate after he cut it loose against Green Bay. I am seeing signs of an elite quarterback, and it could emerge this year. It’s just the physical details at this point. He just needs to get his throws to be a touch more in tune with his decision making. It’s still an issue of shaping. But it is down to such a small degree of detail that as the season rolls, it’s possible that he and his personnel gel it together. I will not rule out that Teddy becomes the best quarterback in football down the road, because he is doing things that other guys in the league never will.
I was a little bit confused at the defensive holding call they put on Tratou this past game. That will be a key to incorporating prescribed teamwork into the pass rush. It may be important to review how those rules are enforced with the front seven position groups. That being said, there was at least one instance where Tratou did help Anunoby get a release. As these guys become more familiar with how this pressure works they will be able to do it less actively. He extended a hand when a collision was enough to collapse the tackle into the guard. The timing on these pressures has been excellent.
Can’t wait for more tape.. Wish I could go to the Raiders game.. Should be interesting watching Ponder back in town.
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