The Offensive Line Freeze play

#1
sickemsmokey10

sickemsmokey10

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#1
I'm sure this has been discussed, but I don't feel like looking for it. I've seen it a couple times this season with our team and seen Florida State do it in the past. If they offensive draws someone offsides or thinks they drew someone offsides the entire o line stays put in their 3 point stance. I'm not a coach or one to question our coaches, but this makes absolutely no sense to me. You're giving the defense a free shot at your QB. It's ridiculous in my opinion. Thoughts?
 
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#2
#2
We saw the worst possible scenario against UF when we didn't get the offsides call and Peterman got injured on the play, and then got an offensive pass interference call on top of that. When you think of it in those terms the freeze play is a terrible idea. I just think it is taking unnecessary risk that we certainly can't afford when we are down to 3 QBs now. But before that play I still thought it was a dumb idea. I'd rather protect the QB and not get an offsides call then leave him vulnerable and try to coax a penalty.
 
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#3
#3
sickemsmokey10 said:
I'm sure this has been discussed, but I don't feel like looking for it. I've seen it a couple times this season with our team and seen Florida State do it in the past. If they offensive draws someone offsides or thinks they drew someone offsides the entire o line stays put in their 3 point stance. I'm not a coach or one to question our coaches, but this makes absolutely no sense to me. You're giving the defense a free shot at your QB. It's ridiculous in my opinion. Thoughts?
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If the someone on the OL "draws someone offsides", that's usually a false start on the offense.

As long as the QB gets rid of the ball in time, there will not be a free shot at the QB.

If it had worked as planned, it could have been a touchdown and everyone would be praising the genius of our coaches.
 
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#4
#4
FEARinSEC said:
If the someone on the OL "draws someone offsides", that's usually a false start on the offense.

As long as the QB gets rid of the ball in time, there will not be a free shot at the QB.

If it had worked as planned, it could have been a touchdown and everyone would be praising the genius of our coaches.
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But nothing about that play worked. Had we not frozen Peterman may not have gotten hurt. We never got the call. By freezing we are forcing ourselves into playing like we got the offsides call when we didn't. So Peterman is forced to launch the ball into the endzone when he probably assumed they had actually called the penalty and from there he could have been picked. There is only one positive from freezing and that is maybe increasing the chances of an offside call. In this case I think the risk outweighs the reward.
 
#5
#5
I can see both sides of this argument/discussion. While I was one of the ones praising our O-line against WK(iirc), I was with the commentators Saturday when they were talking bout how they bet the qb hates that play.

I do think the qb is coached to get rid of the ball. Unfortunetly, I think Peterman was just trying to get too much out of that play.

This is probably as relevant as the price of tea in China, but dang it looked like FL was lining up in the neutral zone a lot Sat.
 
#7
#7
KCVolLaw said:
But nothing about that play worked. Had we not frozen Peterman may not have gotten hurt. We never got the call. By freezing we are forcing ourselves into playing like we got the offsides call when we didn't. So Peterman is forced to launch the ball into the endzone when he probably assumed they had actually called the penalty and from there he could have been picked. There is only one positive from freezing and that is maybe increasing the chances of an offside call. In this case I think the risk outweighs the reward.
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You're saying that like it's a play call. That's not the way I understood it.
 
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#8
#8
It is my understanding that when that happens it is supposed to be a two step drop. I still don't know how we didn't get an off-sides call there.
 
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#10
#10
KCVolLaw said:
We saw the worst possible scenario against UF when we didn't get the offsides call and Peterman got injured on the play, and then got an offensive pass interference call on top of that. When you think of it in those terms the freeze play is a terrible idea. I just think it is taking unnecessary risk that we certainly can't afford when we are down to 3 QBs now. But before that play I still thought it was a dumb idea. I'd rather protect the QB and not get an offsides call then leave him vulnerable and try to coax a penalty.
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Yeah, when I heard about them practicing it this summer, I thought "Well, that's stupid. What a way to completely screw up your drive and endanger your players if offsides isn't called." (I remember when Majors' teams used to take a knee, which was also weird and backfired on us at least once too). Now, as usual, the worst case scenario plays out for us. I just hate that we wasted time in practice prepping for something like that when we're still really bad at fundamentals. Maybe next time, we can spend the time working on not throwing the ball into double coverage.
 
#11
#11
KCVolLaw said:
But nothing about that play worked. Had we not frozen Peterman may not have gotten hurt. We never got the call. By freezing we are forcing ourselves into playing like we got the offsides call when we didn't. So Peterman is forced to launch the ball into the endzone when he probably assumed they had actually called the penalty and from there he could have been picked. There is only one positive from freezing and that is maybe increasing the chances of an offside call. In this case I think the risk outweighs the reward.
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True. But again, if it is offsides, then it is a free play and a pick would not have mattered... A touchdown would have.

Hindsight is always 20/20. It's easy to go back now and ask why? Possible free shot at the endzone, take it every time, IMO.
 
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#13
#13
It's not a play call. It's what we do when the D jumps offsides. And KCVolLaw gets that and is spot on. It is stupid beyond reason and gives away a perfectly good chance at a free play, risks your QB and effectively accomplishes nothing besides giving the O-Line a play off.
 
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#15
#15
I honestly didn't think that play was offsides. I thought the Florida guy jumped back onsides before the ball was snapped.
 
#16
#16
WesternKyVol said:
It's not a play call. It's what we do when the D jumps offsides. And KCVolLaw gets that and is spot on. It is stupid beyond reason and gives away a perfectly good chance at a free play, risks your QB and effectively accomplishes nothing besides giving the O-Line a play off.
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I wouldn't mind it as much if the QB would just take a knee. I wonder if Peterman was trying to do a little more than he is coached to do on that particular play.
 
#17
#17
jamesthesame said:
I honestly didn't think that play was offsides. I thought the Florida guy jumped back onsides before the ball was snapped.
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not a true VFL! IMO

Nah, I agree on that play. It sure looked like they were lining up in the neutral zone a lot tho.
 
#18
#18
Lexvol said:
I wouldn't mind it as much if the QB would just take a knee. I wonder if Peterman was trying to do a little more than he is coached to do on that particular play.
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I want to take a shot down the field in these situations, which is what all NFL QBs are coached to do. (Granted, Peterman sucks.) But let's at least do it with all 11 players actively participating. It's not a dead ball after all.
 
#19
#19
WesternKyVol said:
I want to take a shot down the field in these situations, which is what all NFL QBs are coached to do. (Grante, Peterman sucks.) But let's at least do it with all 11 players actively participating. It's not a dead ball after all.
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I wish we would take more shots down field as is anyways. We are playing a very conservative offense. The other team just loads the box.
 
#21
#21
jamesthesame said:
I wish we would take more shots down field as is anyways. We are playing a very conservative offense. The other team just loads the box.
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I want quick hitting running plays and vertical passes after play action. We have an O-Line that should be able to execute that. To me that's Tennessee football. Unfotunately, it's not the Bajakian (sp?) system.
 
#22
#22
WesternKyVol said:
It's not a play call. It's what we do when the D jumps offsides. And KCVolLaw gets that and is spot on. It is stupid beyond reason and gives away a perfectly good chance at a free play, risks your QB and effectively accomplishes nothing besides giving the O-Line a play off.
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This!! It shoulda been a free play and a shot at the end zone, refs blew the call tho!!
 
#23
#23
A couple of things. The offense does not move on the snap of the ball in general, they move on the count (unlike the D, who watches for the ball to move). The center snaps the ball before the count because he thinks he has caught someone offsides. Even if the O line reacted at that point, they now have given a huge advantage to the rushers. It would basically be the same as if the entire Dline had known the snap count, as they DO watch for the snap. Therefore you will still have someone likely free to the QB. Also, had that been flagged as offsides, the ref is supposed to blow the play dead if a defensive player is unimpeded to the QB. I believe part of the theory of the line freezing is very similar to the catcher freezing his glove after he catches a pitch that he thinks is a strike... make the umpire/ref focus on the pitch/infraction.
 
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#24
#24
Lets analyze it from a pure cost benefit analysis:

Costs:

1. Gives up the chance for the QB to have enough time to hang on and throw the ball deep on a free play.

2. Basically lets your QB get hit risking injury.

3. If they are not flagged offsides risks a turnover or a sack

Benefits:

1. None any positive result of the play would happen just as well with the O-line blocking which is why there are no plays called where the O- line stands still and does nothing.

In conclusion it is beyond stupid and asks for injuries and turnovers with no benefits. Needs to be addressed now.
 
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#25
#25
So funny. There were threads circle-jerking about how incredible this was after the same thing happened during WKU. It seems silly to me to not try to block for your QB on a free play.
 
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