'11 CA LB Joe Schmidt (Scholarship Earned)

[dad4aa]

OFD Films: Joe Schmidt Iso Cam - One Foot Down

Thanks for posting. Never noticed the incredible mistake made by Farley on that play.

 

[gkIrish]

OFD Films: Joe Schmidt Iso Cam - One Foot Down

Hold up. Maybe I missed this because I was actually at the game but what were people criticizing Joe for about that play?

The play everyone talks about and the one I noticed from the stadium was the play where the QB was running free and Joe was sprinting away from him.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Appreciate the analysis.

 

[kmoose]

Hold up. Maybe I missed this because I was actually at the game but what were people criticizing Joe for about that play?

The play everyone talks about and the one I noticed from the stadium was the play where the QB was running free and Joe was sprinting away from him.

They were criticizing him for just simply taking on the blocker and not running through him and making the tackle.

 

[gkIrish]

They were criticizing him for just simply taking on the blocker and not running through him and making the tackle.

Well that's silly.

 

[IrishLion]

I don't recall anyone criticizing Joe about that play lol.

I think the screen where Joe was unblocked and whiffed, and the outside run where Joe was too slow and took a poor angle, are the ones that I mentioned.


(It's also ironic that this article mentions that the criticisms are only about isolated plays and don't highlight bigger issues with the defense... but then proceeds to isolate one play in defense of Joe as if to say, "see, other guys mess up too!" Of course other guys screw up, the safeties and KVR especially. But Joe has been the noticeable weak link, so that dominates the convo.)

 

[ThePiombino]

My issue with the play is not that Schmidt doesn't make the tackle, it's that once he's engaged by the FB he's basically useless. Other players are able to affect the play. If he any ability, he could have forced the FB towards Bord, thus altering his course and slowing down his progress. I feel like most mikes worth their weight (so to speak) can do this relatively effortlessly. Again, not expecting a tackle here, just SOME semblance of affecting the momentum of the runner.

 

[Cackalacky]

Hold up. Maybe I missed this because I was actually at the game but what were people criticizing Joe for about that play?

The play everyone talks about and the one I noticed from the stadium was the play where the QB was running free and Joe was sprinting away from him.

I definitely saw this ...

 

[gkIrish]

My issue with the play is not that Schmidt doesn't make the tackle, it's that once he's engaged by the FB he's basically useless. Other players are able to affect the play. If he any ability, he could have forced the FB towards Bord, thus altering his course and slowing down his progress. I feel like most mikes worth their weight (so to speak) can do this relatively effortlessly. Again, not expecting a tackle here, just SOME semblance of affecting the momentum of the runner.

To this point Joe simply does not shed blockers. I don't have a problem with that particular play but you're right that he becomes useless once engaged.

 

[dublinirish]

My issue with the play is not that Schmidt doesn't make the tackle, it's that once he's engaged by the FB he's basically useless. Other players are able to affect the play. If he any ability, he could have forced the FB towards Bord, thus altering his course and slowing down his progress. I feel like most mikes worth their weight (so to speak) can do this relatively effortlessly. Again, not expecting a tackle here, just SOME semblance of affecting the momentum of the runner.

problem for joe is his T-Rex arms make it impossible for him to get off a block. Players like him (Zach Thomas et al) thus have to use their heads to engage a blocker due to their lack of reach. This makes them prone to getting locked up in a block and unable to shed. If you are a defensive player with longer arms you simply engage the blocker with your arms extended, elbows locked and try to force the ball carrier to pick a side, then at the last moment you shed the blocker and tackle the ball carrier. Joe can't really do this very well, I think this is the point no?

 

[NDdomer2]

I don't recall anyone criticizing Joe about that play lol.

I think the screen where Joe was unblocked and whiffed, and the outside run where Joe was too slow and took a poor angle, are the ones that I mentioned.


(It's also ironic that this article mentions that the criticisms are only about isolated plays and don't highlight bigger issues with the defense... but then proceeds to isolate one play in defense of Joe as if to say, "see, other guys mess up too!" Of course other guys screw up, the safeties and KVR especially. But Joe has been the noticeable weak link, so that dominates the convo.)

If I'm thinking of the same play for the bolded, Jaylon was lined up on the other side of oline at beginning of formation, and made the tackle running right past Joe while he did absolutely nothing.

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

I criticized Joe for that play, but it was not for anything you can see in still frame photos. Watch the play live and you can see he breaks down and gets into good position, then just absorbs the block and makes very little effort to use his hands to fight through it. That has been my biggest complaint about Joe all season...poor tackling and a complete inability to get off a block, or in some cases even look like he is trying to fight through...somebody made the comment you can't just sit there and titty fight a blocker, and that is precisely my opinion of his play. The corner on this play is being sealed off by a guy with 40 lbs on him, and you can see he still gets inside the block, just not in time to make the play (I suspect he is being held inside). If it is unreasonable to expect the MLB to be able to get to that play because Boyd had a head start, it would be incredibly unreasonable to expect a DL to get out there and cut that off....there were two people with a realistic chance to make a play on that run, Schmidt and Farley and neither executed at all. If Schmidt is going to sit back and just absorb the block, he would be better off picking a side and forcing the runner to cut back inside to the rest of the defense rather than allowing the blocker to maul him and open up a true inside/outside option for the ball carrier. He did not do his job on that play...neither did Farley but that doesn't absolve Joe.

 

[dublinirish]

I criticized Joe for that play, but it was not for anything you can see in still frame photos. Watch the play live and you can see he breaks down and gets into good position, then just absorbs the block and makes very little effort to use his hands to fight through it. That has been my biggest complaint about Joe all season...poor tackling and a complete inability to get off a block, or in some cases even look like he is trying to fight through...somebody made the comment you can't just sit there and titty fight a blocker, and that is precisely my opinion of his play. The corner on this play is being sealed off by a guy with 40 lbs on him, and you can see he still gets inside the block, just not in time to make the play (I suspect he is being held inside). If it is unreasonable to expect the MLB to be able to get to that play because Boyd had a head start, it would be incredibly unreasonable to expect a DL to get out there and cut that off....there were two people with a realistic chance to make a play on that run, Schmidt and Farley and neither executed at all. If Schmidt is going to sit back and just absorb the block, he would be better off picking a side and forcing the runner to cut back inside to the rest of the defense rather than allowing the blocker to maul him and open up a true inside/outside option for the ball carrier. He did not do his job on that play...neither did Farley but that doesn't absolve Joe.

this is why he is totally ineffectual as a blitzer always. Often he's isolated with a pass blocking running back and he just hits him straight on and makes no moves whatsoever. Compare this to Jaylon's shimmy and swim move on Ollison last saturday.

 

[Cackalacky]

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oZ1jUS1_ob4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

About the 1:34:00 mark. LOL. Wait for the replay....Not even looking and his guy takes Joe all the way to sideline...Soooo bad

There is another one that i have not been able to locate just yet but the Pitt QB scrambles up the middle slanting towards the bottom of the screen and Joe can't ambiturn and therefore turns up towards the opposite sideline and then loops back around to face the QB....of course by this time the QB breaks off another 20 + yard run.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Getting blocked is one thing. Getting blocked and becoming completely useless at that point is another. Add in that he's already smaller and slower...just doesn't make sense to me anymore. I would've bet the farm that after the bye week, we saw more Martini/Morgan (hell even Grace). But the fact that it's almost two full seasons in the BVG era and they STILL have to rely on Schmidt to line people up correctly is asinine to me.

There times when I zero in on Joe's play. After a handful of reps, I have to quit. There are other guys who mess up too, but his lack of athletic ability is noticeably different from last year. There are times he's not even close to the ball. Meanwhile you have Jaylon running circles around him like Superman. I'm 100% in agreement w/ the guys at ISD. Mike and Bill try not to rip him much, but they just cant' help it because it's that bad. He had one tackle last week and two the week before. I mean come on.

If we don't see a mega dose of Martini/Morgan/Grace over the next two weeks, I'm going to be outraged. I've tried to keep my cool the last month or so regarding Joe's play. But I'm boiling over, guys.

 

[gkIrish]

About the 1:34:00 mark. LOL. Wait for the replay....Not even looking and his guy takes Joe all the way to sideline...Soooo bad

There is another one that i have not been able to locate just yet but the Pitt QB scrambles up the middle slanting towards the bottom of the screen and Joe can't ambiturn and therefore turns up towards the opposite sideline and then loops back around to face the QB....of course by this time the QB breaks off another 20 + yard run.

That's the play I remember!! Holy hell.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oZ1jUS1_ob4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

About the 1:34:00 mark. LOL. Wait for the replay....Not even looking and his guy takes Joe all the way to sideline...Soooo bad

There is another one that i have not been able to locate just yet but the Pitt QB scrambles up the middle slanting towards the bottom of the screen and Joe can't ambiturn and therefore turns up towards the opposite sideline and then loops back around to face the QB....of course by this time the QB breaks off another 20 + yard run.

I seriously laughed out loud when I saw this play. Knowing the outcome of the game it's easy to brush it off w/ a chuckle. But this is exactly the kind of shit that happens weekly with Joe. A play happens, and he's not involved at all. The starting Mike backer is non existent on a Top 4 team in the country. Really?!

 

[dublinirish]

Daniel Cage aka Big Sexy looks more mobile than Joe sometimes

 

[Cackalacky]

That's the play I remember!! Holy hell.

Wondering why OFD does not analyze these plays. I like OFD but they are clearly doing what they can to make Joe look better.

Farley had 7 tackles, on-side kick recovery, and a key interception basically in one half of play.

 

[GowerND11]

My issue with the play is not that Schmidt doesn't make the tackle, it's that once he's engaged by the FB he's basically useless. Other players are able to affect the play. If he any ability, he could have forced the FB towards Bord, thus altering his course and slowing down his progress. I feel like most mikes worth their weight (so to speak) can do this relatively effortlessly. Again, not expecting a tackle here, just SOME semblance of affecting the momentum of the runner.

The problem with that theory is he is waiting for pursuit. He needs to take on the block, and attempt to string the play, not just blow it up. Even if he blows up the fullback, he could end up way out of position once Boyd reads that. With a speedy back (WR) running a sweep, Joe needs to engage and string, eventually shedding (Which Dublin mentioned is hard for Joe) to hopefully make the play. He did his job decently, but he is in an almost lose-lose situation in this play. That's why his job is to take on the block to free up someone else to take the ball carrier.

 

[dublinirish]

Farley had 7 tackles, on-side kick recovery, and a key interception basically in one half of play.

not to mention he is pretty much always the first guy downfield on kickoffs.

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

Forget all of the ridiculous plays that happened through the course of the game...just go back and isolate on Joe only for Pitt's very first drive of the game and explain to me how you defend him being on the field. One one play he couldn't get to the play, but almost tackled Sheldon instead of was actually making the play. He runs around the field like a chicken with his head cut off on one play, completely out of position, makes a bad read and shoots the wrong gap on another, gets knocked 7 yards backwards by a fullback on another. Bites on playaction and lets the QB get outside for a long run on another. Gets bullied 8 yards back by the guard on a straight run play on another. Its a comedy of poor attempts to make a play and ultimately had zero impact on the entire drive.

 

[kmoose]

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oZ1jUS1_ob4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

About the 1:34:00 mark. LOL. Wait for the replay....Not even looking and his guy takes Joe all the way to sideline...Soooo bad

There is another one that i have not been able to locate just yet but the Pitt QB scrambles up the middle slanting towards the bottom of the screen and Joe can't ambiturn and therefore turns up towards the opposite sideline and then loops back around to face the QB....of course by this time the QB breaks off another 20 + yard run.

Ok, looking at the replay......... Joe gets "picked" by the official on the play. It was a nice play by the receiver to use the official. So now the guy is wide open, and Joe turns his back to the LOS to catch up. That's what he should do. The QB can't find anywhere to go with the ball, so he takes off running. I'm assuming, just assuming, that there is a signal word that they yell to let everyone know that the QB has left the pocket and is running. I don't know if everyone failed to alert the others, or if Joe just couldn't hear it, or if he just didn't trust the call. But for whatever reason, he continued to try to catch up to his man. He doesn't have eyes in the back of his head.

 

[dublinirish]

That's why his job is to take on the block to free up someone else to take the ball carrier.

Taking on a block like that is fine when its a run up the middle but when its a play in space you have to try and string it out and delay the ball carrier at least until the cavalry arrived. Anyone ever played Madden/NCAA and felt the painful "suction blocking" system the game uses to try and simulate collisions? This is what watching Joe Schmidt is like

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

Ok, looking at the replay......... Joe gets "picked" by the official on the play. It was a nice play by the receiver to use the official. So now the guy is wide open, and Joe turns his back to the LOS to catch up. That's what he should do. The QB can't find anywhere to go with the ball, so he takes off running. I'm assuming, just assuming, that there is a signal word that they yell to let everyone know that the QB has left the pocket and is running. I don't know if everyone failed to alert the others, or if Joe just couldn't hear it, or if he just didn't trust the call. But for whatever reason, he continued to try to catch up to his man. He doesn't have eyes in the back of his head.

Dude your constant defense of Schmidt when everybody with eye balls can see what is going on is kind of comical. All that you said aside, Joe was 2 yards OUT OF BOUNDS with his man. Once his man goes out of bounds he cant come in and make a play on the ball anyhow so please explain why our starting LB is 2 yards out of bounds chasing him regardless of any of the other apologetic nonsense you're constantly spinning.

 

[Cackalacky]

Ok, looking at the replay......... Joe gets "picked" by the official on the play. It was a nice play by the receiver to use the official. So now the guy is wide open, and Joe turns his back to the LOS to catch up. That's what he should do. The QB can't find anywhere to go with the ball, so he takes off running. I'm assuming, just assuming, that there is a signal word that they yell to let everyone know that the QB has left the pocket and is running. I don't know if everyone failed to alert the others, or if Joe just couldn't hear it, or if he just didn't trust the call. But for whatever reason, he continued to try to catch up to his man. He doesn't have eyes in the back of his head.

Ok soooo our starting MLB is unaware of the ref standing next to him... chases his man all the way out of bounds and does not think to look back while there have been no whistles... (he is as far away from the ND sideline as one could be BTW)...

I guess we see what we want to.

Driskell said something on his BGI post game that ND is basically getting zero production their MLB. I can't disagree at all when Joe makes these plays.

 

[kmoose]

Dude your constant defense of Schmidt when everybody with eye balls can see what is going on is kind of comical. All that you said aside, Joe was 2 yards OUT OF BOUNDS with his man. Once his man goes out of bounds he cant come in and make a play on the ball anyhow so please explain why our starting LB is 2 yards out of bounds chasing him regardless of any of the other apologetic nonsense you're constantly spinning.

Care to show me where the "spin" was in my post?

 

[kmoose]

Ok soooo our starting MLB is unaware of the ref standing next to him... chases his man all the way out of bounds and does not think to look back while there have been no whistles... (he is as far away from the ND sideline as one could be BTW)...

I guess we see what we want to.

Driskell said something on his BGI post game that ND is basically getting zero production their MLB. I can't disagree at all when Joe makes these plays.

I never once said that that play wasn't Joe's fault. I just explained how he got into the position, from my eyes. Are you trying to bait me into saying something, because now you "won" your little spat about the PMs?

 

[Cackalacky]

Care to show me where the "spin" was in my post?

If you watch Joe is still looking into the back field as the QB runs.... Joe then bails on the play turns and runs trying to catch up to his man, and never does until he is standing a few feet out of bounds. No whistles have been blown yet Joe still has not turned around to find the ball or the person with it. He is literally standing .... stopped... OOB then turns to see the play is still live and only then undertands the play is live.


Its a bad play from a 5th year senior MLB on a playoff caliber team. #real talk

 

[Cackalacky]

I never once said that that play wasn't Joe's fault. I just explained how he got into the position, from my eyes. Are you trying to bait me into saying something, because now you "won" your little spat about the PMs?

Sigh... I did not win anything.

Jesus christ.... just stop responding to my posts.....Please.