Anyone else hate seeing us pass on first down?

[Hanmudog]

I hate to sound like Bear Bryant here but I absolutely hate throwing on first down. Especially when we throw long, low percentage passes on first down. Inevitably it seems like we end up in third and long every time we do that.

It wasn't until we started running the ball that things started clicking. It just seems like every now and then we come out with a head scratching game plan.

By the way, where was Marcus Green Saturday?

 

[DAWG61]

Not at all. The pass plays I hate and every team does it are the pass plays to the sidelines that have to be pinpoint or they sail out of bounds 90% of the time. The risks are low but the reward is low too so it's a wasted down 9 times out of 10.

 

[shsdawg]

Not at all. I was in the stands the day back when Rocky was the HC that there was a standing ovation for an incomplete pass on first down.

 

[Sutterkane]

I'm..."ok" with it. I'd like to see us change it up more, as when we have an incompletion it sets us up for more throwing on 2nd and 3rd down and doesn't keep the defense guessing.

 

[patdog]

Not throwing the ball on 1st down is just stupid. You're thinking would go over OK 25 years ago, but in today's game you're going to have a whole lot of 2nd and 8s if you don't mix it up on 1st down. I do agree that we don't need to thow a lot of low percentage passes on 1st down, but our 1st down mix needs to be about 60-40 run.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

The only problem I had with throwing on first is they were trying the deep ball. Definitely need the high percentage pass on first down so you at least get some yards. Saturday night they were running deep routes on first down almost every time.

 

[Hanmudog]

Should have clarified, I am not so much talking about the halfback passes or swing passes. I am talking more about the 30 yard down field low percentage stuff which we did alot of in that horrid first quarter the other night. Look at Russell's completion percentage from Saturday. We threw too much down field.

 

[patdog]

I think you have to throw deep about 3 times per game on 1st down. It makes the defense respect the deep pass and opens up the shorter passes. Other than that, I agree that most 1st down passes need to be shorter percentage passes.

 

[fevans]

I think the point is that you have to try to keep the defense guessing. If they know you are going to run or throw a short pass on first down every time, they will keep 8 guys in the box to stop it. So even if it's unsuccessful, it helps set up the short passes and runs on first down later on.

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

i think russell just played his worst half of the season in the first half saturday. maybe some of it was play calling (maybe russell was just making the deep reads though and the underneath guys weren't open?), but i'd think the coaches might have wanted to toy around with some different 1st down approaches in this game and see what happens rather than wait and do it against tenn or bama or lsu or a&m.