Why don't we run any quick slants or screens?

Maybe I'm just basing things off the last game. It seems that on 3rd and short, MSU tends to go for a knockout low percentage throw, rather than a crossing route for 3-5 yards or a screen. I'm sure I have just missed those things, or maybe the play is there, but can't see it on the screen, just seems that MSU goes for a knockout punch and this year it is backfiring on them.
I also joked at the bar that the reason MSU has such a tough time defending the screen is because they never have to defend it during practice, since Cook can't throw a screen pass.

We ran multiple quick WR screens that were open but Cook has looked horrible recently. He can't do the simple things right. He needs to re focus and stop locking onto Tony.

The 2nd play of the Nebraska game was a quick slant. Randy Gregory intercepted it.

Rodeo Burger wrote:The 2nd play of the Nebraska game was a quick slant.  Randy Gregory intercepted it.

Obviously we don't want to throw it to the wrong person, but maybe that was just the adrenaline. If that is the last time we ran the play, something is broken.

We ran it in the 4th quarter v. Nebraska, their DB just stopped right in front of Lippett blocking his progress, of course that didn't qualify as PI.

Saving the slant for the playoff. Gonna run it off a jet sweep formation and it will hit pay dirt. Cha ching

We haven't run a decent screen since the Wisconsin game back in 2010.  Caper converted an important 3rd down and gained something like 40 yards.  
IIRC, it lead to us eventually converting and 4th and goal with a beautiful touch pass from Cousins to Cunningham to seal the win.

Frank Ricard wrote:We haven't run a decent screen since the Wisconsin game back in 2010.  Caper converted an important 3rd down and gained something like 40 yards.  
IIRC, it lead to us eventually converting and 4th and goal with a beautiful touch pass from Cousins to Cunningham to seal the win.

The problem with our offense being inept at screen passes is that it means our defense also struggles stopping them. If we don't run them in practice, or run them well, the D doesn't get reps against a very basic play that is in a lot of teams play books.

The times this year that I recall the D sniffing them out has usually been 1 player making a great open field tackle. Maybe I'm just being harsh, I know we've played some well, but it just gets frustrating to see other teams at least be in the open field 1 on 1, and we can't seem to do that.

Rodeo Burger wrote:

The problem with our offense being inept at screen passes is that it means our defense also struggles stopping them. If we don't run them in practice, or run them well, the D doesn't get reps against a very basic play that is in a lot of teams play books.

The times this year that I recall the D sniffing them out has usually been 1 player making a great open field tackle. Maybe I'm just being harsh, I know we've played some well, but it just gets frustrating to see other teams at least be in the open field 1 on 1, and we can't seem to do that.

I think a lot of it goes to the basic philosophy of stopping the run first. That means are LBs are in tight. Look at the Purdue game, they were getting space on the screens, and getting good WR blocking in the first half. In the second half, we had Harris playing out wider, which went a long way to shutting down their screens, as the WRs aren't going to have as much success blocking him. It also allowed for more coverage in the flat, and I noticed several times where they ran someone out there and he was covered.

Their success with that in the first half and the adjustments in the second half to shut that down was very reminiscent of the Indiana game in 2012.

InTenSity wrote:Maybe I'm just basing things off the last game. It seems that on 3rd and short, MSU tends to go for a knockout low percentage throw, rather than a crossing route for 3-5 yards or a screen. I'm sure I have just missed those things, or maybe the play is there, but can't see it on the screen, just seems that MSU goes for a knockout punch and this year it is backfiring on them.
I also joked at the bar that the reason MSU has such a tough time defending the screen is because they never have to defend it during practice, since Cook can't throw a screen pass.

That was more Cook going for the knockout blow rather than a philosophical thing for MSU, I think. I re-watched our offensive series in the 4th quarter after I got home from the bar Saturday. On our last two drives, each ended after pass plays on 2nd and 3rd down. The only completion on those 4 plays was a 2-3 yard short out to Kings on 2nd and 8 with 6ish minutes left. The other 3 were all fades down the left sideline. But on all 4 of those plays, Cook threw the ball quickly without surveying the field or letting routes develop. Only once was he under any kind of pressure, and even then he had another beat or two. On a couple of others they blitzed, but weren't close to him when he threw it up. What I'm getting at is that there were crossing routes coming across from the right side of the formation, but he never looked there. The defense was spread out enough that there wasn't a threat of a tipped ball across the middle landing in a safety's hands either.

Dantonio mentioned at least one of these as a bad decision. Mentioned another as not Cook's fault as Langford didn't secure his block and Cook had pressure (I think this was the 2nd and 5 with 3 minutes left, the only one of the 4 that I mentioned where he had any kind of pressure at all (though it still looked to me like he had another beat, or could have moved a little to buy time if he needed to...easy for me to say, though).

tl;dnr: There were shorter passes available in the 4th quarter, but Cook went for the low percentage throws down the sideline.