What TA could be.

[RamzFanz]

If they doubled his receiving and rushing touches from 5.6 TOTAL per game to 11.2 TOTAL, extrapolated out over 16 games.

1,555 yards.

13 TDs. (Plus 3 from punt returns or more if they actually punt to him).



There are probably at least two stars on this team (I think Quick will make three when he settles in). One, in his second full game, got 30 touches against GB, the other got 5 touches.

Every 5 touch game this season for TA we lost. Zero drops, best rushing average on the team, by far, and he is all but ignored.

In Green Bay, TA got 5 touches out of 70 plays. 7% of the plays went to TA.

In two games, Gurley touched the ball as many times as TA will in 9 games. NINE!

Cook has been targeted TWICE as many times as TA in the passing game.


This is a 100% inexcusable coaching error IMHO. Going forward I really hope we see TA get the ball half as many times as Gurley. Quick, Britt, and Bailey can carve up the rest based on situation. Getting Gurley and TA the ball over and over will leave Britt and Quick blazing downfield in man coverage.

A fan can dream, can't he?

 

[RhodyRams]

and here I am misreading the title

thought it said

"How good can T&A be"

thought we had another boobies and booties thread in the making !!!

 

[Legatron4]

Not much to disagree with. Please get this kid the ball before he loses his speed. Guys like him slow down quick.

 

[Athos]

I hope they start utilizing Austin more now that Gurley has really entered the fold.

You have an absolutely deadly combo with him and Todd on the field at the same time.

USE IT!

Fake to Todd, screen to Austin. Mash, Mash, Mash, with Todd. Hit em with Austin.

 

[jsimcox]

Pretty much agree with what you're trying to say here. Whilst obviously extrapolation doesn't quite work like this (law of diminishing returns needs to be considered) Tavon could no doubt get a lot of yards and more importantly, TD's with more touches.

What this analysis doesn't take into account though, is the plays in which Tavon is clearly involved even if he doesn't actually touch the ball, ie the various end around fakes that Cignetti has put in the offense. Not argueing that he needs to be used more, just the 5.6 touches stat, as it doesn't really give an accurate reflection on his true usage.

Somewhere around 5 carries and 10 targets is what i would probably call the sweet spot for Tavon. Give him that, and keep pounding it with Gurley and we will wil games.

 

[RamzFanz]

I hope they start utilizing Austin more now that Gurley has really entered the fold.

You have an absolutely deadly combo with him and Todd on the field at the same time.

USE IT!

Fake to Todd, screen to Austin. Mash, Mash, Mash, with Todd. Hit em with Austin.

While I know nothing more than anyone else, I think that is exactly what will happen going forward and god help the next 11 teams trying to stop it (wait, no, don't help them!).

Todd - 25+ touches
Austin - 10-15 (it should be more, but it won't be)

Then torch them deep with Britt and Quick. Bailey will be used for clutch plays replacing Cook. Cook sightings are all but over if not over.

This is the point in the season when Fisher seems to have enough data to override his own decisions.

 

[ChrisW]

It was funny thinking back on the Green Bay game. EVERY time we went to Cook, a drive stalled. When we focused with TA and Gurley we drove the ball down the field. It wasn't until an attempt to get Cook a touch that we stalled.


The rest of this season needs to be TA and Gurley with Stedman on third downs. (Quick and Britt can also be called on to mix it up.) I'd like to see the TE's used for change of pace and blocking only. Let's get 2 TE sets with Cunningham and Harkules going.

 

[bwdenverram]

Not getting TA and Gurley as many touches as possible per game would be a huge mistake by this coaching staff. They are our two game changers.

Quite frankly you would think that would make things that much easier for Cook, Britt and Quick.

So something we're doing is just off. There is talent on this team, we should not struggle on offense like we are.

 

[RamzFanz]

Pretty much agree with what you're trying to say here. Whilst obviously extrapolation doesn't quite work like this (law of diminishing returns needs to be considered) Tavon could no doubt get a lot of yards and more importantly, TD's with more touches.

What this analysis doesn't take into account though, is the plays in which Tavon is clearly involved even if he doesn't actually touch the ball, ie the various end around fakes that Cignetti has put in the offense. Not argueing that he needs to be used more, just the 5.6 touches stat, as it doesn't really give an accurate reflection on his true usage.

Somewhere around 5 carries and 10 targets is what i would probably call the sweet spot for Tavon. Give him that, and keep pounding it with Gurley and we will wil games.

There is a point of diminishing returns and in his career we only saw that as a rookie when he was the only real offensive threat. This season and last we haven't even tested the top.

If TA gets 10+ touches a game, I don't think anyone regrets it.

While he adds to the game as a diversion, that is only out of respect for what he could actually do if they gave him the ball. I would expect 10+ touches would only make him more valuable as a diversion.

We'll see. I'm hopeful there will be a demise of attention on and Cook and an awakening of TA. I've been hoping that for years though.

 

[Picked4td]

It's easy to say just give Tavon more touches, but its much harder to actually do. Sure they can give him guaranteed touches by giving him carries but every carry he gets is 1 less carry Gurley gets. And you can only run so many screens to him per game. In the end, if Tavon wants more touches hes gotta earn them in the passing game by getting open. Not saying the coaching staff shouldnt aim to get him more touches but to simply say they should give him 10 every game is easier said than done

 

[Merlin]

Cook has been targeted TWICE as many times as TA in the passing game.


This is a 100% inexcusable coaching error IMHO. Going forward I really hope we see TA get the ball half as many times as Gurley. Quick, Britt, and Bailey can carve up the rest based on situation. Getting Gurley and TA the ball over and over will leave Britt and Quick blazing downfield in man coverage.

Could not agree more. And if the rumors are to be believed Fish and Cigs have noted exactly that and it is why they are dangling Cook. Even cutting him outright will not hurt this team, since anyone can come in and drop key passes.

Give Cook's snaps and targets to Austin and Bailey and this offense will move the chains more and score more points. Britt needs to have a diminished role as well, btw. We need consistency in the passing game.

 

[RamzFanz]

and here I am misreading the title

thought it said

"How good can T&A be"

thought we had another boobies and booties thread in the making !!!

I like your idea better.

 

[VegasRam]

If we're all thinking it, Cigs and Fish are too. That said....

THEN WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU DO IT!!??

Remember the GSOT days, as in "who do you cover"? Maybe Gurley will end up being 'Faulkish".
But we don't have the 2nd and 3rd WRs (let alone the #1)

 

[drasconis]

Not sure what his sweet spot is. I see him more like a Sproles - a weapon, as opposed to a traditional position player - I do worry that his effectiveness drops the more he is used. Not sure he can ever be a "center piece" WR or RB more of gimmick guy to keep teams off balance. While he may occasionally pop up with a big 10-15 touch game, around 6 is probably good, if he went up to 10+ teams would key in on him more and he would take many more hits. Right now I think some of his effectiveness is that players focus less on him because many times he is a distraction and they think the play is going elsewhere.

 

[RamzFanz]

It's easy to say just give Tavon more touches, but its much harder to actually do. Sure they can give him guaranteed touches by giving him carries but every carry he gets is 1 less carry Gurley gets. And you can only run so many screens to him per game. In the end, if Tavon wants more touches hes gotta earn them in the passing game by getting open. Not saying the coaching staff shouldnt aim to get him more touches but to simply say they should give him 10 every game is easier said than done

I have no problem with 7.6 YPC TA stealing 2-3 touches from 5.6 (WOW!) YPC Gurley.

Add in end arounds, pitches, screens, and slant routes and TA can get his 10+ easily. The more play at or near the LOS only helps the long ball threat. When Quick shakes off the rust, with just 2.5-3 seconds of a clean pocket, Rams could be a downfield nightmare. In fact, if we could sell our kingdom for a pocket, send Britt, Bailey, and TA long... that's scary every now and then.


In the end though, they've had 3.25 seasons to figure it out. It's not rocket science.

 

[RamzFanz]

Could not agree more. And if the rumors are to be believed Fish and Cigs have noted exactly that and it is why they are dangling Cook. Even cutting him outright will not hurt this team, since anyone can come in and drop key passes.

Give Cook's snaps and targets to Austin and Bailey and this offense will move the chains more and score more points. Britt needs to have a diminished role as well, btw. We need consistency in the passing game.

Britt had one bad game, right? Dude has been a rock most of this season as I recall.

I would trade Cook AND a late draft pick for an above average O lineman with versatility.

 

[TheDYVKX]

We had to use Tavon as a distraction to set up Gurley. Now that he's established, we can use Gurley as a distraction to set up Tavon. I see big things from these two going forward.

 

[RamzFanz]

I believe Cook is the preferred target because of play design. That's how it was in TC at least. Some of that is on Foles and/or TA for sure, but it ultimately lies with coaching. Plan to get TA the ball and he will get the ball.

 

[Merlin]

Britt had one bad game, right? Dude has been a rock most of this season as I recall.

I would trade Cook AND a late draft pick for an above average O lineman with versatility.

I don't think Britt's all that good man, just my opinion. He stays healthy and can stretch the field, but just like Cook his size doesn't translate into an ability to catch contested balls. Way I see it this offense is better with Austin/Quick/Bailey as the guys getting the lion's share of snaps and early reads in the passing game.