Play Analysis: The Jarwin missed block

"- Having said that, if you post that Jaylon sucked then I'll give you a like for being correct."


I'm just here for the likes.... Jaylon sucked.
 
xwalker said:
Disclaimer: I'm only interested in what happened.
- Trolls save your keystrokes...I know that Jarwin should have made a better block.
- I also know that trolls know how to type "He Sucks".
- In this thread I don't care which players sucked.
- Having said that, if you post that Jaylon sucked then I'll give you a like for being correct.

There were more issues on that play than just a simple missed block by Jarwin.
  • Read-Option
    • The read-option is designed around the concept of 1 "free rusher".
    • Dak had 2 free rushers in his face.
    • Tyron and Schultz both ended up blocking the same player, LB White.
    • Either Tyron or Schultz should have blocked 1 of the 2 free rushers.
  • Jarwin's Blocking Angle
    • Jarwin intentionally attempted to block the defender Adams to keep him to the outside.
    • That indicates that the play design was for the ball carrier to run inside of Jarwin/Adams.
    • A keep and run by Dak would be inside of Jarwin/Adams.
    • Zeke cutting straight upfield instead of to the sideline would be inside of Jarwin/Adams.
  • Zeke
    • Zeke didn't immediately head towards the pylon.
    • He made 1 step forward as if he was going to run to the inside of Jarwin.
    • His next steps were towards the sideline.
    • Then he cut back straight upfield but it was too late.
    • His only chance would have been to choose a direction and run in only that direction.
    • The multiple cuts just slowed him down.
  • Conclusion:
    • The play design was broken once there were 2 unblocked free rushers in Dak's face.
    • However, the broken play still had a change if:
      • Jarwin just delayed Adams by 1 extra step.
      • Zeke didn't cut up then out then up again.
Click to expand...
I said the very same thing (that the play looked to be designed to go inside based Jarwin’s position. All I got back was “Jarwin sux.”
 
The Te has the outside guy no matter what. Doesn’t matter if the runner goes in or out he has to get the edge guy and he didn’t. He’s just waffeling about who to block and blocks no one.
Zeke clearly hesitates because he can’t read that block and didn’t expect a guy on the edge.
 
gimmesix said:
Looks to me that Jarwin is playing it both ways knowing the run could go in or out. However, when Zeke went to the outside, the safety broke to get him and Jarwin did not maintain good position by sliding out to get a block on him. I do think Jarwin was expecting the run to go inside, so he overcommitted to that even though the safety had not committed to where he was going.
Click to expand...
Tells... ever play poker? Dez also had tells.
 
Oz-of-Cowboy-Country said:
Emmitt had big bodied TE's and WR's in our Superbowl years. Zeke gained over 1600 yards as a rookie with big bodied TE and WR. Coincidence? I think not. It's a physical game. So if we outlast or over power our opponents, we win.

Explain to me again why there are weight classes in boxing. Because Mike Tyson vs Sugar Ray is no contest, right? Size and physicality matters.
Click to expand...

when did Jay Novaecek become a big body ? Jay was a position-shield type TE. ..a finesse guy. But the good thing is, because we were so dominant and primarily an
inside between the tackles scheme that we really did not have to depend upon edge blocking TEs...

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/lineups.htm
 
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Had zeke the time and position so he could square his shoulders up and gather momentum facing the tackler, he could have rolled right thru that ...
But side to side and with his ball handing hand covered, he could not even use his stiff arm to swipe away the tackler...
but it's really all about that horrific blocking attempt by Jarwin ...:(.
 
xwalker said:
Jarwin was taking an inside step at this point.
- He would not do that if the play was designed to go wide outside.
- Obviously Adams had outside contain responsibility.
- Zeke's took an initial step or more like half step towards Jarwin then cut back towards the sideline.
- I assume that Zeke saw the 2 free rushers and decided the inside was too crowed.
- It comes back to the fact that the read-option concept is based on only 1 free rusher.


Click to expand...

Please stop saying this.. an option pitch is designed to give the runner a chance to go either way. Jarwin's block on that play is called a "stalk block" which literally means you go "stalk" the defender until he commits and then push him whichever direction he commits to and the runner reads it and runs the other way. Guy goes in, runner runs out, and vice versa. Had the play been "designed to go wide outside" Jarwin's initial step would have been to open to his left to gain outside leverage on the DB. That is called a hook block. Instead he comes off the ball and runs directly towards the DB and even puts his hands (gently) into the guy's chest. If he just launches his 250 pounds at the guy and makes him take a step backwards it's an easy TD.

The "option" part is also why Zeke didn't just make a bee line for the pylon. The play was designed for him to read Jarwin's block and make his cut accordingly. It took him a half second too long to realize that Jarwin had whiffed completely.. The initial step inside is a move runners use to try and help a blocker who has whiffed get a second chance by enticing the defender to come back inside. When the DB didn't bite, maybe because he knew he had help coming from the inside, the play was over because Zeke had no momentum, because he was gliding waiting on the block and the DB had inside leverage AND was moving towards him at warp speed.
 
CalPolyTechnique said:
I said the very same thing (that the play looked to be designed to go inside based Jarwin’s position. All I got back was “Jarwin sux.”
Click to expand...

It was an option.. It's designed for Jarwin to move his man one direction or the other and Zeke to read it and cut off the block. Nowhere in the playbook does it say "TE will whiff on the DB and hang the runner out to dry." Hopefully both Jarwin and Zeke will do better in the future..
 
I haven’t watched a replay since the day after the game, but I seem to remember it looked like Jarwin got crossed up on who he should block after not knowing where Zeke went.

Doesn’t he check back over his shoulder to see where Zeke is as the defender runs around him? Probably a result of the busted play analysis you wrote up. It’s tough because I think Zeke scores if Jarwin even gets a hand on him briefly to slow him down. He might as well have been a traffic cone out there.
 
JD_KaPow said:
Zeke's hesitation was painful. If he picks a direction and goes, he may not have scored, but it might be 4th-and-1 instead of 4th-and-3. I think in that case, even McCarthy would realize he should go for it.
Click to expand...


The hesitation is what I’m seeing the last few years. In the NFL the play is so fast hesitating gets you stuffed for little or no gain. This is not OSU playing Kent St to fatten the wins & losses all 32 teams in this league bring speed .
 
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