P.J. Fleck on struggling offense: 'This isn't backyard football'

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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Per Tony:

"This isn't backyard football, you're just like throw the bomb," Fleck explained. "You got to be able to hold protection, you got to be able to have it in the right call, have the right defenses. [North Carolina] did a really good job in a lot of different areas, too. We did throw the ball down the field a few times."

www.si.com

P.J. Fleck on struggling offense: 'This isn't backyard football'

Since the Gophers' magical 11-2 season in 2019, they've struggled to find the same explosive offense. And 2024 is off to an ugly start...
www.si.com www.si.com

Go Gophers!!
 


It’s not just about downfield throws. It’s about 3rd and goal from around the 10 yard line and having best WR on the sideline. Playing for a FG instead a TD. Coach knows best, but a lot of other coaches, good coaches, would have tried one more throw to the endzone. Backbreaker if completed.
 


BleedGopher said:
Per Tony:

"This isn't backyard football, you're just like throw the bomb," Fleck explained. "You got to be able to hold protection, you got to be able to have it in the right call, have the right defenses. [North Carolina] did a really good job in a lot of different areas, too. We did throw the ball down the field a few times."

www.si.com

P.J. Fleck on struggling offense: 'This isn't backyard football'

Since the Gophers' magical 11-2 season in 2019, they've struggled to find the same explosive offense. And 2024 is off to an ugly start...
www.si.com www.si.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
Maybe our offense would be better if he treated it like backyard football. I wish I would take an account of how many deep passes we throw. I know we threw one on Thursday night and it was a pass interference and we got a free 15 yards.

I used to be an offensive coordinator for a local high school and I always thought throwing a ball down field loosened everyone up. It stretched the field. The safeties and corners played a few yards farther back, defensive ends get anxious and think they can get a sack, etc. Everything added up to our running game was easier because of all this.

Football has evolved to such an offensive game. The odds of catching a deep pass or drawing a defensive penalty far outweigh the negatives.
 


Gophergrandpa said:
It’s not just about downfield throws. It’s about 3rd and goal from around the 10 yard line and having best WR on the sideline. Playing for a FG instead a TD. Coach knows best, but a lot of other coaches, good coaches, would have tried one more throw to the endzone. Backbreaker if completed.
Click to expand...
I was talking to my dad after the game and I told him I don't know how on 3rd and goal you don't take a shot to the end zone. It doesn't have to be a pass... but if you are 3rd and +5... there aren't a lot of run plays that can get you a touchdown.

Our kicker is good - he proved that last year, but at any level... if you leave the game up to your kicker it is 50-50 at best.
 


I wasn't able to pay that close attention to the game (we were having a baby and in the hospital!) - but are we only running inside zone (run scheme)?

It's not about throwing the ball deep, it's about dressing up your core schemes. Watch Georgia Tech...they shift and motion and do all this stuff to run GT Counter, GH Counter, QB Counter etc...

F*ck, look at all the stuff Penn St did...Outside Zone, Counter, Jet, some Triple Option...motions, shifts, empty looks

I feel like all we do is lineup and run Inside Zone with some pre-snap RPO's. I could be wrong...again I wasn't watching that closely. That doesn't work right now. You have to come up with new ideas - you have to be multiple
 





BleedGopher said:
Per Tony:

"This isn't backyard football, you're just like throw the bomb," Fleck explained. "You got to be able to hold protection, you got to be able to have it in the right call, have the right defenses. [North Carolina] did a really good job in a lot of different areas, too. We did throw the ball down the field a few times."

www.si.com

P.J. Fleck on struggling offense: 'This isn't backyard football'

Since the Gophers' magical 11-2 season in 2019, they've struggled to find the same explosive offense. And 2024 is off to an ugly start...
www.si.com www.si.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
PJ is clearly sensitive to what the press and fans are saying. He’s king of something else besides the too’s, it’s excuses. Your ceiling these days is 6 wins PJ.
 

Oh boy. When the coach starts to get defensive like this when all evidence points to him not doing a great job or being needlessly stubborn, it usually doesn’t end well. I like you, PJ, but it’s not a good look and it’s not in your best interest. You start to look like Kill who can’t take criticism and would lash out.

UNC stacked the box all game. Over the top plays is what they were daring you to try, you just didn’t.
 




forever a gopher said:
Oh boy. When the coach starts to get defensive like this when all evidence points to him not doing a great job or being needlessly stubborn, it usually doesn’t end well. I like you, PJ, but it’s not a good look and it’s not in your best interest. You start to look like Kill who can’t take criticism and would lash out.

UNC stacked the box all game. Over the top plays is what they were daring you to try, you just didn’t.
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He gets defensive really quickly. That's not new.

I remember a few years back, when the narrative was he couldn't perform in big games because of his poor record in prime time games, he gave an interview where he said something that was basically saying that while he didn't agree with that criticism, he understood it was on him to perform in a way that silences the critics. PJ should have been taking notes.
 


bleedsmaroonandgold said:
He gets defensive really quickly. That's not new.

I remember a few years back, when the narrative was he couldn't perform in big games because of his poor record in prime time games, he gave an interview where he said something that was basically saying that while he didn't agree with that criticism, he understood it was on him to perform in a way that silences the critics. PJ should have been taking notes.
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I feel like he is responding to the outside noise more than he has in the past. He is clearly hearing what is being said about the offense....whether or not that leads to change remains to be seen.

I mean he is not wrong in that it is way more complicated than fans and writers make it out to be sometimes. But at the same time you look around the country at teams running much more explosive offenses with similar or less talent while we continue to struggle to make an impact throwing the ball.

Previous Gopher coaches have been a mixed bag in terms of passing. Wacker threw it around a lot, Mason's team were run first but could throw when needed (especially deep to loosen the defense), Brewster's passing game was ok. It wasn't till Kill where the forward pass suddenly became a complete mystery that the coaches couldn't solve. With Fleck it has been a mixed bag through the air but the passing game certainly hasn't been a weapon outside of 2019 when we were really dangerous.
 



I take it most of the people replying to this post didn’t spend the 2 minutes to read it.
 

PJ keeps talking about how much time you need to be able to throw deep, yet the only “deep” pass they attempted all game was a quick shot down the sideline where the ball was released less than 2.5 seconds after the snap and resulted in a PI. If you are complaining that you can’t throw down field because you aren’t able to hold up for 2 seconds, that is incredibly embarrassing. There are a lot of quick routes that can result in long passing plays, not every shot has to be a long developing cross country route. We’re not asking for four verticals every play, but at least try more than 1-2 per game.

When the opposing team is stacking the box and pressuring to the point you don’t have much time, that is exactly when you should be trying to throw over it because they have less help on the backside. Those are the times to make the defense pay for their risks rather than just keeping it vanilla and close to the vest.
 



It's sort of the same ongoing issue (sans 2019) of Fleck's offenses not having pass plays to take advantage of the wide open space 5-10 yards from the line.
 

I love when PJ starts talking to the press like the fans are idiots and can't possibly understand the intricacies of football. Calling your fans idiots is not a very good look and only plays into the arrogance PJ has always had about his approach. I mean, I know he invented football at Minnesota and everything - but we just couldn't possibly understand how football works. I wonder if he pulled out his progress chart again.

All of the things he said in this article as to why it's so hard to pass downfield are things that a competent football coaching staff would, I don't know, teach the team to do? And if they couldn't do it, come up with a different approach?

Or do you continue to tell everyone the play calling was perfect, the players didn't do their jobs and the fans just don't understand. PJ here's a bit of friendly advice that Mark Coyle won't give you or has given you but you just couldn't understand mushmouth: Shut up and DO YOUR JOB.

It's not like we were playing Georgia Thursday night. We were playing a struggling NC team that had a good D line. NC may turn out to be a force in the ACC this year, but that would be shocking. We did nothing to exploit weaknesses we uncovered. I heard a lot about how great our offensive line was from the inane talking points provided to the announcers, but the did not play well. That is on them, but it's also on you. The team as a whole is inconsistent in execution. Has been your entire tenure. What is the common thread? It's you.

One other bit if advice PJ, pay attention to what Mike Norvell said on Monday. That was actually taking responsibility.
 
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If you read the article, it basically comes down to PJ suggesting that the coaches had the right game plan, but the OL didn't do its job.

when PJ and the coaches get criticized, he always seems to defend the coaches and point the finger at the players.

who recruited those players? who coaches those players? do they have any responsibility?

how about maybe suggesting that the coaches could have helped the players be better prepared?
 

Unregistered User said:
I take it most of the people replying to this post didn’t spend the 2 minutes to read it.
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I don't know about most. I'm guessing some did. It's very much the same speech he gives every time the team shits the bed.

Play calling was even, but the QB had to bail out on plays.

5 guys blocking, one screwed up.

Players just need to execute

It didn't have the same tenor he sometimes get (at least as written, don't know how he said what he said).

Nothing about how we found out their dbacks were terrible so we didn't find a way to create more chances to exploit that.

Nothing about doing something to stop NC from stacking the box.

Nothing about his inability to have the team prepared for the first game of the season - again.

Nothing about how this looks remarkably similar to so many games in the last seven years.

Nothing about how this is really unacceptable from the coaching staff first and foremost, but also from a veteran O-line.

It's the most Minnesotan PJ has ever been. Passive-aggressively not taking responsibility.

One positive? He's stopped saying "It's all on me" before blaming the players. So that's improvement.
 

That was a bad loss and a lot of weaknesses were exposed. The OL cannot pass block. Carroll, in particular, struggles badly. I really thought our TE blocking was as bad as it's been since before Jerry Kill.

I also think the OC is in over his head. Last year was terrible, game 1 this year was more of the same. What were we trying to establish? With our OL, the best hope of having a passing game is to first establish the run. I don't think we ever gave that a full shot.

It all comes down to PJ Fleck. He brings in coaches & coordinators, but they aren't running their own show. He's got a play style they must adhere to & it really limits what we run. Vanilla offense can win if you're Michigan or Georgia, but not at MN. Last season was poor & the early signs are pointing to more losses than wins. He's the best recruiter we've ever had here, but his X's & O's are weak. He's easy to prepare for and he coaches the same every game. Conservative & safe. Things have hit a downturn and another poor season is really going to test the fan base & erode his support. Let's hope he's got some magical solutions up his sleeve to right the ship.
 

For Opposing teams DC it’s like having have a week off getting ready for Fleckball compared to other teams.
 


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