Nick Saban calls out skill players for lack of explosive plays

Alabama head coach Nick Saban called out his skill players and pointed the finger back at himself and his coaching staff for Alabama’s lack of explosive plays through the first three games of the season.

“We’re working to make explosive plays,” he told media on Wednesday. “I think we just have to execute better. Give players more opportunities to make those plays. We’ve had some really, really good skill guys here and the players make the plays. Those guys made a lot of explosive plays. They’d catch a slant pass and run for 70 yards.

“We catch a slant pass and get tackled. It’s the players, the execution of what we have to do on each and every play so that we have a chance to make explosive plays and giving our guys good opportunities through good planning is something that we have to continue to try and do a good job of as well.”

Through the first three games of the season, Alabama is averaging 6.1 yards per play, compared to 7.8 yards per play in 2020. After averaging over six plays of 20 yards or more per game in 2020, the Crimson Tide offense has had just ten plays that went 20 yards or more through the first three games of the season, well behind the pace last year’s team set.

Replicating the offensive performance that Alabama has been used to in previous years was always going to be a challenge. The offense lost quarterback Mac Jones, running Najee Harris and wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith to the NFL over the offseason, not to mention offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian who took the head coaching job at Texas. Expectations remain high at Alabama and as Saban and his team venture deeper into conference play, explosive plays are going to be needed.

So far through the first three games of the season, starting quarterback Bryce Young has been efficient, throwing for 811 yards, ten touchdowns and no interceptions, completing 68% of his passes.

Saban has been pleased with his young quarterback’s performance in his first season as a starter, especially after Young’s performance in Alabama’s 31-29 win over Florida.

“I think Bryce did a really good job,” Saban told media after the game.“I think he was very composed. It was a difficult circumstance and situation to play in. We clapped some, we went on silent some but I thought he managed the game really well. Made some really, really good decisions, for the most part. We did a nice job on third down, which was really important in the game. Made some good reads, guys made some good catches. I thought offensively, other than those three three-and-outs in the second quarter, we did a good job of moving the football.”