It made it easier to see development for me.

Here's the formation as the ball is snapped:



The play action fake -- which, by the way, continues to be awful and fooled no one. We really need to work on that:



The "something interesting" happens here. Book seems to glance at Wright. Wright is still in full sprint and has not turned back to look for the ball. This is truly a "glance" -- Book looks at him for a split second, and then locks his attention downfield. Perhaps a symptom of being relatively inexperienced. But to me, his eyes in this frame are on Wright.



And this frame brings us right before my other images. You can't tell but he's turning his head from Wright towards Weishar.

1) our fullback is slow out of his stance; note the qb separated from center and the OL firing off while he is still in his stance. Same issue with the playside TE and wing

2) if we had motioned that wing to the left/backside the LB's would have had to shift over and we could have run iso to the right and easily made the first down before the mike could have reacted back over the top. With our wr so close to the box, we also likely could have run toss sweep left for a big gain. If we had simply motioned the H back a bit (just past the TE) we could have run iso and had the fullback pick up the mike. In other words, the running plays are there we just choose not to run them. Hell, we could have just run zone left force and had everyone reach and we likely would have easily made the first down. the ILB is playing hard inside technique and not even respecting D gap to the left. The TE could reach and the FB chip to force (climb to the backer) and it would have been one on one with the free safety unless the corner came in (though the wr should have run him off).

3) given this set, it appears the corner is playing flat and is going to read the qb all the way. This is how Book gets "middled." Instead of having the wing/H release to the flat, if he had run a clear out/go, the corner would have had to make a choice--overplay the TE coming to the flat or play the clear out. Both routes would have been wide open, most likely. All 11 guys on defense are in the picture and you can see the FS flat footed. If you're going to take a shot, take a fucking shot and get some balls. This is too cute by half.

4) The wr also has a lot of space on his side and could/should have run a go, which at a minimum would occupy the corner and most likely the free safety, allowing the backside TE drag to open up once the LB come up to respect the run fake. The corner is playing hard inside technique and a quick outside fade with plenty of room to operate would have been wide open.


Basically, everything should have been open but for poor play design. Before the homers get all upset and remind me that we are 8-0 I would just point out that sometimes you win or lose despite yourself and there is a lot to learn from this tape, most likely.

And force the DB to make play on Book.

Should he/could he have just hit Wright right away and gotten the line?

Kelly was coaching up Book pretty good after the play - I wonder if Book overthought it, didn’t pull the quick trigger to Wright and missed his window.

The Pitt defender was closing on Wright pretty strong and hard and the gain would have been a yard and half at best - but still it would have been good enough.

This question has nothing to do with the philosophical issues I and most of us have with calling a pass play in this situation.

That's got to happen on 4th and 1.

it perhaps should have been his first read, I don't know what he is looking at pre-snap.

making a ton of money to see the same things?

I believe we have lined up in that formation at the goal line multiple times as well. I believe every time I've seen us use this formation we have passed. The play action is going to become a waste of time if Kelly throws out of that formation every damn time.