After almost every handoff that doesn't include Buchele taking a few steps in the opposite direction as if he were keeping the ball on a zone-read, includes Buchele stepping back and faking throwing a play-action pass. Or at least, attempting to fake throwing a play-action pass, but actually just kind of flopping his arm out from his body. What's up with that? It has to be either a Gilbert thing, or an idiosyncrasy of Shane's, because if it were a Charlie thing then it would have happened with other QBs and before this year. Even though it's never once going to fool any defender, I supposed it's also not going to hurt us either, so maybe it's harmless. But it does kind of hammer home how lackadaisical this team seems to take a whole lot of things in the game of football, seeing a fake attempted with so little effort to make it genuine that it's worthless.
I don't know. I like this better than just handing off and turning to see what happens to the RB. Even if a defensive player gets half a step out of place then Foreman squeaks through. I have felt the same way when on a zone read the QB hands off, then just stops and watches what happens. I would rather see them do something to at least try and get a defender out of position.
It doesn't fool anybody or distract the D enough to allow the RB to get a split second burst to open ground, so why do it?
Okay, crazy theory, but could it be a useful discipline to practice the rhythm and motion and the looking up at the defensive secondary to drill in having the same timing and process for handoffs as for play action? Just a place-keeper for timing, like a golf or tennis follow through, to ensure that fakes and handoffs look the same--since the end motion in the sequence (while not needed) is always the same?
Some defensive players only see flashes out of the corner of their eye as they are engaged in something else, it may not work all the time or even very often but if you get a guy to lean or step once in the wrong direction then it is worth it. Now, let's talk about the two minute drill and Shane faking the handoff to nobody on every play....
You are discussing the offense. Therefore, you must think the offense is the problem. The offense is not the problem. Didn't you hear?
If the end motion were the same, it might give a defender pause at times. But it's not done decisively and doesn't really even look much like his actual passes.
Wise guy, huh!? Or you could say - our defense is so awesome we don't need the offense to score more than 7 points. Didn't you hear?
What I am saying is that perhaps it is not done for the purpose of a fake pass, but as the end of a timed rhythmic sequence designed to make sure everything UP TO that passing motion is is the same regular rhythm as a play action. By the time the passing motion starts on its sequence, its use is over so the follow through is just deceleration. Not saying I know this--just explaining my idea.
