[CardinalSagehen]

On the bright side, St. Brown has been very effective, catching a high percentage of deep balls for big yards per catch and impact on offense.

I think St. Brown looks very promising, but he has only caught 6 passes on the year so far.

He seems to have a knack for getting open deep. However, watching those routes it appears that some of that knack comes from the DBs thinking we're not going to throw to him so are cheating off and looking for a play going elsewhere. ly, as it tends to get rid of any yards gained after the catch, but I sometimes wonder if that has become too ingrained into Costello right now.

Shaw has a way of working first-year players into the rotation with just a few key plays where they're targeted and meant to execute really well.  Before these players become notable, this is a workable strategy without being too obvious. In St. Brown's case, his plays seem to be the bubble screen (as a substitute for Wedington, and along with Michael Wilson) and the deep post or fly. We're not bothering with much else for him, other than boxing out the DB on running plays where he's often the lone wideout. We can also run play action to him in these running formations. 

On his first target at ASU, he was lined up wide, a few yards off the LOS, with another receiver nearby in the slot at the LOS.  I declared to my ASU-grad colleague at the game that it was going to him, and it was either a bubble-screen or a bomb.  It had all the hallmarks of a bubble screen, but instead he went deep and drew the PI call. A DB looking to blow-up the bubble screen and experiencing St. Brown's speed for the first time could easily be beaten on this play. When we came back to St. Brown a bit later, we actually did run the bubble screen to him (if memory serves) for -3 yards, but I think ASU knew we were turtling by then.

It's on film now, but I wouldn't be surprised if we try to pull off the bubble-screen fake to him again in the coming weeks. It's one thing to kind of know it might be coming, and another to try to keep up with the guy for the first time after over-respecting the bubble and under-respecting his speed.

[CardinalSagehen]

On the bright side, St. Brown has been very effective, catching a high percentage of deep balls for big yards per catch and impact on offense.

I think St. Brown looks very promising, but he has only caught 6 passes on the year so far.

He seems to have a knack for getting open deep. However, watching those routes it appears that some of that knack comes from the DBs thinking we're not going to throw to him so are cheating off and looking for a play going elsewhere. ly, as it tends to get rid of any yards gained after the catch, but I sometimes wonder if that has become too ingrained into Costello right now.

Shaw has a way of working first-year players into the rotation with just a few key plays where they're targeted and meant to execute really well.  Before these players become notable, this is a workable strategy without being too obvious. In St. Brown's case, his plays seem to be the bubble screen (as a substitute for Wedington, and along with Michael Wilson) and the deep post or fly. We're not bothering with much else for him, other than boxing out the DB on running plays where he's often the lone wideout. We can also run play action to him in these running formations. 

On his first target at ASU, he was lined up wide, a few yards off the LOS, with another receiver nearby in the slot at the LOS.  I declared to my ASU-grad colleague at the game that it was going to him, and it was either a bubble-screen or a bomb.  It had all the hallmarks of a bubble screen, but instead he went deep and drew the PI call. A DB looking to blow-up the bubble screen and experiencing St. Brown's speed for the first time could easily be beaten on this play. When we came back to St. Brown a bit later, we actually did run the bubble screen to him (if memory serves) for -3 yards, but I think ASU knew we were turtling by then.

It's on film now, but I wouldn't be surprised if we try to pull off the bubble-screen fake to him again in the coming weeks. It's one thing to kind of know it might be coming, and another to try to keep up with the guy for the first time after over-respecting the bubble and under-respecting his speed.