These #'s are based strictly by my count from watching the DirecTV shortcut version of the game.
So if I'm off by one or two vs the NFL.com or yahoo count, sue me :shifty:
I went back and charted this because I wanted to satisfy my curiousity with regards to what formations we ran vs the Texans.
And to see how we used Anthony Fasano since he didn't catch a pass in the game.
Some had said he wasn't targeted because he was being used to block more often than we'd like.
Here's what I found:
Regarding Formations,
I counted 60 plays total, we passed the ball 35 times to 25 times rushing (18 to 12 in the second half)
Of the 60 plays we lined up the following ways (#running backs / #tight ends / #wide receivers)
1/1/3 34 times
1/2/2 21 times
2/1/2 3 times
1/0/4 2 times
2/2/1 1 time
Of the 25 rushes we lined up the following ways:
1/2/2 17 times for 79 yards (Reggie was 2 for 6 yards out of this formation, Thomas was then 15 for 73 yards)
1/1/3 7 times for 48 yards (Reggie was 3 for 12 yards out of this formation, Thomas was then 4 for 36 yards)
2/2/1 1 time no gain (It was Reggie)
This does not count Henne's two runs for approx 27 yards.
I counted both of those as "pass plays"
We were in shotgun for 35 of 60 plays, we ran the ball 7 times out of these 35 plays, gaining 48 yards
It was clear to me watching the game that Lex Hilliard is not involved in the offense at all.
He was in on one drive in the second half as the lone back for a couple of plays while he spelled for Thomas.
But he is not involved in the game plan.
It really seemed like our running game got going not only when Daniel Thomas came in the game but when we switched from a 1/1/3 look to a 1/2/2 look with Jeron Mastrud as an H-Back / full back.
It was very evident that this formation helped get the ground game going and while Mastrud is no sledge as a fullback, he is effective enough to warrant use at this position.
I do look forward to when Charles Clay can get back though, healthy and 100%.
I think the offense will be that much better for it.
Because he just gives you another dimension that Mastrud cannot and that's as a pass receiving threat.
To follow up on the other thread mentioning ways to get Thomas and Bush on the same field.
We did try that against the Texans a few times.
Now for Fasano:
I have him in for 55 of 60 plays
He was targeted twice that I could see.
The first play, we were at our own 10 yard line or so, the ball was batted down at the LOS we were in 2/1/2 formation on the fourth offensive play of the game, it was a five yard out.
This was a really strange play because it looked like everyone else on the offense was running a screen play to the left to Daniel Thomas (we were in shotgun) and Reggie was split outside right.
It must have been an option route for Chad to either run the screen as called, or if there was a heavy blitz (which there was) to Fasano's side (the right side) he needed to get the ball quickly to Fasano.
If anyone else can go back and watch this one again, it's really an odd looking play.
If Henne sticks with the screen there's chance it could have been a big play, but unfortunately the blitz was coming from the opposite side the screen was setup.
Which no doubt blew it up and that's why Henne checked to his second option (the pass to Fasano)
The other play we were in 1/2/2 formation with Reggie in the backfield.
Garner is lined up outside of Colombo (I call him the second tight end this play though), Texans blitzed (they blitzed a lot when Garner was in as the sixth linemen, can't imagine why :lol:, incidentally I have Garner in for roughly five or six plays).
Fasano doesn't read the blitz but instead runs his 10 yard pattern and by the time he gets to the 10 yard mark, the ball is incomplete by Henne, thrown to the direction where he wanted Fasano to go had he read the blitz (5 yards instead of 10).
This is not to say that Henne couldn't have found Fasano on other plays.
He was open a couple of times to be honest and impartial :shifty:
namely a seam route on our seventh play of the game (1st and 15), he's running pretty much wide open, but Henne doesn't see him and the pass elsewhere is incomplete, not that Henne had the time to find him mind you.
How was Fasano as a blocker?
I didn't chart his effectiveness.
There were times when he blocks well and other times that leave you scratching your head.
There was that outside pitch to Thomas on our first drive of the second half, it was on 2nd and 7 and Fasano is out in front and just completely whiffs on the defensive back who ends up making the play.
Truth be told, he wasn't the only player that missed blocks on that play, although his block was the most crucial.
But I digress...
he was in 55 of 60 plays, targeted twice.
Is that what you want from your #1 tight end against a Houston team that is just in its second game of a 34 defense?
In the second half and only in the second half did he pass protect, six times to be exact, twice on the last drive of the game.
Interesting to note that of the five plays he wasn't on the field, we passed all five times, including, the pass interference call to Gates.
Mastrud was the tight end on that play, along with Garner as the sixth ol.
We went max protection, ready for the blitz and Gates flies by two defensive backs in the process.
Gates and Thomas are right now the only thing that keeps me going during the week... So the conclusion is that the decision to keep him in as a blocker on 6 of the 18 pass plays in the second half was a halftime adjustment to the pressure that the Texans were bringing on Chad Henne.
Might as well keep him in as needed since he's apparently not an option for you on the passing game. Of those six plays, Henne was unofficially 3 of 6 for approx 50 yards and one touchdown (the TD to Marshall)
One other note as I rewatched the game, after the TD to Marshall, Carroll is seen playing for Vontae Davis at the RCB position.
We forced a three and out on that Texans drive, two sacks on Schaub, one by Jones the other by JT.
Guess who is playing on the punt return team trying to block the Texans gunner, standing next to Will Allen?
#21 Vontae Davis.
And he clearly wasn't ready to play as he basically jogged backwards and let the gunner go around him to influence the return.
You could tell Will Allen was looking at Vontae and saying WTF in the process.
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