Alabama Football: 7 Ways To Improve the Crimson Tide's Offense

The question on every Alabama fans mind is what happened to our offense and how can it be fixed.

The answer to the first part of that question is simple.  Defenses are not afraid of Alabama's passing game and they are putting the safeties close to the line.

If you notice, every time Richardson/Ingram leaves the backfield on a pass play.  There is a guy standing right next to him.  When McElroy checks down to the running backs to avoid a sack they are making the catch, and they are being dropped right there.  

A two-yard gain is better than a seven-yard loss, but last year those check down plays were going for five to seven yards, and sometimes much more.

On straight up running plays or wildcat plays the safeties are reading the back and slamming in the running lanes.  The offensive line simply can't account for those safeties being there.  No blocking scheme can. 

Bottom line,  safeties should never be close to the line.  When they are,  Its because they have you figured incorrectly,  or they have you figured out.

So far in 2010 it's been more the latter.

Up until now every defense was worried about Julio Jones killing them deep.  They aren't any more.  I don't think Julio is a bad receiver at all, but he's not really a true deep threat.  He's a powerful guy who can catch passes short, or over the middle, and get five or sometimes 10 extra yards.  He's really dangerous in the red-zone.

On occasion you'll see him take one to the house, but that's so infrequent there is no use in game planning for it. 

If that sounds like I'm down on Julio, I'm not.  He's a very valuable receiver and you saw in the second half of the Ole Miss game that when he isn't out there we are not as good a team.

Plus there are other receivers out there, none of them have threatened secondaries to the point that apposing defenses will back the safeties out of the box.

Obviously if I definitively knew the answers I would be getting a call from Saban to be on staff, but I can propose some possible solutions, some of which I believe are already being implemented.

Solution No. 1: Greg McElroy

GMac was in a far worse slump this time last year and within weeks was riddling the most experienced defense in America.  He has a far smaller trip to make this year to get back to a championship level of play. 

More than any other man, Greg McElroy is the one who can turn this around.  If he can hit a few plays deep and regain his confidence, it would change everything.

Solution No. 2: Pass route selection

One thing I love about football, no action goes without a schematic reaction.  Last week we saw the staff attempt several quick slant routes.  With no safeties deep these low risk passes can sometimes go for big yardage and force the defense to adjust the safeties back. 

Julio dropped one because of his broken hand but Maze almost took another slant the distance.  Alabama is attempting changes to answer what defenses are doing.  In time I believe they will work some of this out.

Solution No. 3: Bell-Norwood

It is no coincidence that at one point last week you saw freshmen receivers No. 7 Kenny Bell and No. 83 Kevin Norwood on the field at the same time against Ole Miss.  Bell had the longest pass play of the day. 

The staff recognizes that the current starting receivers are not the fastest in the world and some of these young guys have some serious speed.  Throwing them out there doesn't solve the problem but the more they play the better they will get.  

The more these younger receivers play the more versatility the offense will have.

Solution No. 4 New kickoff returner

Last week we saw an improvement on punt return yardage when Marques Maze replaced the injured Julio Jones.  Jones wasn't doing badly, but Maze is just more dangerous.  His efforts consistently changed field position giving the offense far more options.  

Trent Richardson currently returns kicks, and for whatever reason, it isn't working that well.  Alabama needs to explore some smaller quicker players in that position. Again, the bye might give them a chance.

Solution No. 5: Tame the wildcat

The wildcat is a specialty offense, the more we use it the less effective it becomes.  Too often this is what Alabama goes to when other things aren't working.  It is still a very effective short yardage offense, but shouldn't be run otherwise, unless you're going to throw out of it.

Solution No. 6: The full spread

Earlier this season Alabama would run the true four receiver spread on one play and turn and run a smash mouth running play at you the next.  Since then the offense seems to have lost that flexibility. 

It's time to stop being so predictable and get wicked.  If Alabama is going to go down in battle, they should go down with no ammo left in the gun.  As a player and coach you should not be afraid of losing, you should be afraid of losing knowing you didn't do everything in your power to win. 

The worst thing ever is knowing you lost because you were trying not to lose instead of going for the throat.

Solution No. 7: Defensive pressure

The game of football is one of field position.  Alabama's defense has struggled to get off the field on third down.  The problem doesn't lie in the young secondary but the front seven. 

Basically when there is no pressure most good quarterbacks will find the open guy and hit him.  If Alabama could get more pressure from the front seven it would result in both more offensive snaps and better field position for those snaps.

One thing about Nick Saban, he's never satisfied.  He won't throw unprepared players on the field, but neither is any player ever safe.  It is clear in wake of the South Carolina loss that he is searching for solutions.  

It's their success or failure in finding them that will determine where Alabama goes bowling this year.