Michael Fredrick Denbrock Hired as Offensive Coordinator (2023)

NDMatt91

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Did not listen but I guess they made a deal of it some of the quotes from Denbrock on the II pod?


assume it’s these ones?

“More than anything it's just confidence and consistency in what you're doing. We were not very confident in anything we did in the passing game a year ago. That I think you'll see take a huge leap into year two. I think that will come from a number of positions not just the wide receivers.”

“The things that they're doing and showing on the practice field now are way more detail-oriented than they were at any time last year, even at the end of the season. “
They said Denbrock wasn't happy with the WR play
 

JD Irish

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Hopefully he isn't happy with the 2024 WR play. They were bad - definitely the weakest position on the team.
 

ulukinatme

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Hopefully he isn't happy with the 2024 WR play. They were bad - definitely the weakest position on the team.

Year in and year out probably the weakest position on the team nearly every year since Weis was canned. There have certainly been other weak positions during that time from one year to another, but no position group has been as consistently down or as underperforming.
 

BeauBenken

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Hoping to see an up tick in efficiency this year. Think we probably need some sort of leap on this side of the ball with the departure of key pieces from last year's studly defense.
 

Veritate Duce Progredi

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Hoping to see an up tick in efficiency this year. Think we probably need some sort of leap on this side of the ball with the departure of key pieces from last year's studly defense.
If we don't see an uptick in efficiency, it's going to be a unfulfilling season. Carr/Minchey must keep the offense on the field and complete the gimmes built in to the offense. I thought both showed the ability to throw players open and put the ball where a playmaker can keep stride.

Everyone talks about Leonard helping the offensive line by eluding sacks but Carr/Minchey can help them as well by reading the defense and having a quick trigger to start games. This will help neutralize an aggressive pass rush and keep the sacks down.
 

Dale

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ND was 28th in Pass Success Rate and 46th in Rush Success Rate. 6th in Rush Explosiveness.

I don’t think efficiency was an issue. In fact it was a strength.

The issue was 132nd in Pass Explosiveness.
 

Cackalacky2.0

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ND was 28th in Pass Success Rate and 46th in Rush Success Rate. 6th in Rush Explosiveness.

I don’t think efficiency was an issue. In fact it was a strength.

The issue was 132nd in Pass Explosiveness.
Additionally when you consider being dead last in pass explosiveness, defenses could focus on the run and we were still able to do what we did on the ground.

Pass explosiveness was the deciding factor in our title game with OSU.
 

NorthDakota

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Additionally when you consider being dead last in pass explosiveness, defenses could focus on the run and we were still able to do what we did on the ground.

Pass explosiveness was the deciding factor in our title game with OSU.
Notre Dame's offense more generally was often like watching teeth get pulled. If the running game was working it was great and all but if teams were able to make ND throw I wanted to cry.
 

ulukinatme

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Additionally when you consider being dead last in pass explosiveness, defenses could focus on the run and we were still able to do what we did on the ground.

Pass explosiveness was the deciding factor in our title game with OSU.

For sure. Pass explosiveness has kind of been a problem for about 14-15 years, aside from one real good year with Will Fuller. Aside from that our deep and even medium passes are often few and far between, if not completely non-existent.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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Follow the NFL trends.

Pre-snap motion.
Condensed formations.
Quick passing game.

Obviously, know your identity and who you are: a team that runs the ball. If they want to improve passing explosiveness, follow the NFL trends and what's happening there.
 

zelezo vlk

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Follow the NFL trends.

Pre-snap motion.
Condensed formations.
Quick passing game.

Obviously, know your identity and who you are: a team that runs the ball. If they want to improve passing explosiveness, follow the NFL trends and what's happening there.
Denbrock isn't one to use Play Action too much, but these all could work well. I wonder if it'd behoove him to look into how the NFL has been using guys to play more of a "Power Slot" and move some of our pass catchers around that way.

Related: a month or two ago, I heard somebody on one of the NFL podcasts name Denbrock as a college OC they thought could do pretty well in the NFL. It was either the Athletic Football Show or Football 301, both pretty good listens imo.
 

Some Irish Bloke

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Follow the NFL trends.

Pre-snap motion.
Condensed formations.
Quick passing game.

Obviously, know your identity and who you are: a team that runs the ball. If they want to improve passing explosiveness, follow the NFL trends and what's happening there.
will help to have a QB who is a little more efficient and accurate than Leonard. Not knocking Leonard as he had a unique skillset that helped us to that postseason run, but I have confidence that CJ Carr and/or Minchey can both be a little bit more reliable in the short to intermediate passing game and getting the ball out accurately/on schedule.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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Denbrock isn't one to use Play Action too much, but these all could work well. I wonder if it'd behoove him to look into how the NFL has been using guys to play more of a "Power Slot" and move some of our pass catchers around that way.

Related: a month or two ago, I heard somebody on one of the NFL podcasts name Denbrock as a college OC they thought could do pretty well in the NFL. It was either the Athletic Football Show or Football 301, both pretty good listens imo.
NFL teams are using Play Action about 25% of the time. I think the Lions are the most and they're up near 40%. There might be something to this when you consider how the Lions did last year.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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will help to have a QB who is a little more efficient and accurate than Leonard. Not knocking Leonard as he had a unique skillset that helped us to that postseason run, but I have confidence that CJ Carr and/or Minchey can both be a little bit more reliable in the short to intermediate passing game and getting the ball out accurately/on schedule.
Agreed.

Love Riley Leonard and thank him for his service. If he could have been a tick better in the passing game, they might have seen it through and gotten the whole enchilada.
 

zelezo vlk

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NFL teams are using Play Action about 25% of the time. I think the Lions are the most and they're up near 40%. There might be something to this when you consider how the Lions did last year.
It's been a growing trend for years now in the League. People now wonder if they've reached a saturation point
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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It's been a growing trend for years now in the League. People now wonder if they've reached a saturation point
The next thing is sure to come around the corner. If there was ever a copy cat league, the NFL is it.

Play action is great if you're actually able to run the ball.
 

zelezo vlk

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The next thing is sure to come around the corner. If there was ever a copy cat league, the NFL is it.

Play action is great if you're actually able to run the ball.
The weird thing is that analytics has shown that there are real benefits to running PA even if you cannot run the ball well. That is one reason that it's been used as a crutch so much.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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The weird thing is that analytics has shown that there are real benefits to running PA even if you cannot run the ball well. That is one reason that it's been used as a crutch so much.
And that's here to stay in every major team sport there is.

I think Denbrock is going to be able to stretch the filed a little bit more this time around. Should be fun.
 

CoachB

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I have always thought we should run more play action. That's the one thing I think we need to do more of more than anything else.
 

zelezo vlk

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And that's here to stay in every major team sport there is.

I think Denbrock is going to be able to stretch the filed a little bit more this time around. Should be fun.
Oh yes, it's an arms race, if anything.

I'm very much looking forward to the product Denbrock is gonna put on the field this year. Better pass catchers, more experienced OL, young guys at QB who've been in the system for a while now, this will all hopefully make us very happy this fall.
 

irishnd31

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Oh yes, it's an arms race, if anything.

I'm very much looking forward to the product Denbrock is gonna put on the field this year. Better pass catchers, more experienced OL, young guys at QB who've been in the system for a while now, this will all hopefully make us very happy this fall.
In the Gameday Thread...
.
aint-nothing-happy-about-it-hattie.gif
 

IrishLax

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Oh yes, it's an arms race, if anything.

I'm very much looking forward to the product Denbrock is gonna put on the field this year. Better pass catchers, more experienced OL, young guys at QB who've been in the system for a while now, this will all hopefully make us very happy this fall.
Without the Jagusah injury I was incredibly bullish on the offense this year because what you heard behind the scenes with the transfers of Coogan, Spindler, etc. was that the 5 guys for this year were so clearly better with NFL upside that these guys didn't even really think they would be given fair opportunity to compete... meanwhile top tier FBS programs were chasing them with NIL $$ to come be plug-and-play starters. When you really break it down into what that means it meant that you were looking at a top 5 OL (probably #1 OL in the country) with the best RB in the country and at that point your QB almost doesn't matter.

Now, if you have some holes or inexperience in the OL, maybe that's not as much of a trump card. We'll see. But the WRs are also the best they have been in YEARS.

Defense... I'm keeping my lips sealed until I actually see the product on the field... but the whispers are slightly discouraging. Haven't even started fall camp yet so who knows. I expect a big step backwards on that side of the ball.
 

greyhammer90

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Defense... I'm keeping my lips sealed until I actually see the product on the field... but the whispers are slightly discouraging. Haven't even started fall camp yet so who knows. I expect a big step backwards on that side of the ball.

Sorry, but since you offered some insight I have to ask: Discouraging in terms of Ash or replacing talent?
 

IrishLax

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Sorry, but since you offered some insight I have to ask: Discouraging in terms of Ash or replacing talent?
Both, unfortunately. Basically hole at DT and new coordinator but like I said they haven't even gotten going yet so early input kinda worthless.
 

zelezo vlk

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I was hoping the DL getting healthy would help offset losing Kiser/Watts, but this is a bit deflating to hear. Bryce Young and Boubacar can hopefully turn it on vs the U and help out the defense
 
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