Whitehurst's Fourth Drive: What Whitehurst Did, Part 1

by John Morgan on Aug 17, 2010 2:42 PM PDT

Think Whitehurst's performance was meaningless in the grand scheme of things? What if he played like Chris Simms? So you see, good, if not conclusive, is better than comically bad.

I might split this into more than one post.

3. 1-10-SEA 39 (13:51) 6-C.Whitehurst pass short right to 81-G.Tate to SEA 42 for 3 yards (20-A.Verner).

Timing on three-step drops is still a problem for Charlie Whitehurst. That and a little inaccuracy is how this play breaks down. Yet, three yards. Yay passing game.

Whitehurst drops three steps, pats the ball - just a little. Golden Tate runs a quick hitch in front of the corner, who is playing off coverage. The pass is poorly timed and behind Tate and Tate has to struggle to get back to it. The corner is on him and the play is over.

5. 3-6-SEA 43 (12:33) (Shotgun) 6-C.Whitehurst pass short right to 88-C.Morrah to TEN 44 for 13 yards (51-G.McRath).

This is an improvised play made possible by pocket awareness, communication and Cameron Morrah's ability to run away from a linebacker in man coverage. Whitehurst starts out of shotgun. Russell Okung is out. Mansfield Wrotto is in. Morrah runs a curl just a little past the first down marker, but the route is dead. In the ~second it takes Whitehurst to step forward and away from impending pressure from the left, the linebacker has settled under Morrah and blanketed the route. Whitehurst does something that looks like an aborted pump fake and Morrah takes off towards the right sideline. Improvised dig route. Charlie hits him in stride and Morrah runs away, cuts up field and is stopped but only after a good gain and the first.

6. 1-10-TEN 44 (11:56) 6-C.Whitehurst pass incomplete short left to 88-C.Morrah.

And then Morrah drops a gimme reception on a speed out.

Yeah, two parts.

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Comments

On the Morrah first down...

Is that play correctly termed improvisation? Morrah really bolted after a beat. I’m not arguing it was a two-part route (e.g. an out and up). But, I wonder if the play reads to run a dig if the curl is smothered. Or maybe a general fire-drill logic for when a route is completed?

I guess its a semantic argument at a certain point, but I’m wondering whose genius it is that Morrah runs parallel to the LOS and not towards the QB, or what the talking heads always call “helping the QB” when he’s under pressure. Morrah’s? Bates? Whitehurst’s (communicated perhaps with the pump fake)?

by rymong on Aug 17, 2010 3:07 PM PDT reply actions

I'll answer from the end back, you asked a lot of questions.

A pump fake can’t be a communication technique during improvisation, because a receiver can’t know that the QB will not release it, they have to be ready to catch the ball. A pump and go is the only case where a receiver can ignore the arm and ball coming at them.

Helping the QB by breaking into open area after your route is dead is just the right thing for a receiver to do, something you should see from NFL level players. So that’s going to be something that in the time Morrah has put in, he’ll have either picked up from a veteran, or from coaching. I’d like to assume coaches teach that in the NFL, but I have no idea. Can’t really put that on Bates, while Morrah absolutely gets credit for making the heads up play, and Whitehurst for seeing it and making the throw.

Yes it is possible that Bates teaches for specific routes on specific plays to turn into different routes…option routes on every play. Hawaii has automatic option routes integrated into their basic routes. But I think your “general fire-drill logic” is the right answer, if by that you mean “if the route is finished and it is completely covered, get yourself open.” It’s just impossible to guess with certainty whether it was a great individual play by Morrah, a general coaching point for terminated routes, or a specific option given to that route in that situation.

by cashless on Aug 17, 2010 10:26 PM PDT up reply actions