Michigan Game Recap Primer

Grading

I look at each play and do my best to determine who was responsible for what happened. Players are graded on a scale from -2 to +2, in half-point increments. Because of the nature of this system, different values mean different things for different players and different positions. Some things to consider:

• For a QB, +12 -6 = +6 is an okay day. This could mean the team ran the ball a bunch or stuck to safe throws. To get the whole story, you’d have to look at the box scores and/or the numbers for the backs and receivers. I will link to a box score for this purpose. +18 -12 = +6 is not great. Something like that is effectively a minus day for a quarterback.
• It is easier to score a minus than a plus in pass blocking. In pass pro, zero means you were fine – the QB remained upright. A particularly good block will register a plus. More points are given out on runs because on every run, there is someone responsible for what happens, whether it’s good or bad.
• For a defensive lineman who sees a good amount of snaps (40%+ or so), average is almost always at least +3.
• A +2 -2 =0 day from Jourdan Lewis, for example, is much better than the same from, say, Brandon Watson. The former saw a whole bunch of snaps and QBs decided not to test him. He made a mistake or two over the course of the game and the QB took advantage. In the latter’s case, he saw significantly fewer snaps, was tested comparatively more and was okay when he was.
• We’ll see how aggressive Don Brown gets with his free safety, but in most cases with the position, it’s easier to register a minus than a plus. A good portion of the job there is keeping the play in front of you. Like the situation I described with pass blocking, that’s something that requires you to go above and beyond to score a plus.

Position Terminology

H-Back is a sort of Tight End/Fullback hybrid guy. They’re more of a factor in the passing game than a fullback, but not a true TE. This replaces the “TE-H” label I used last year. They will be grouped in with the backs and abbreviated “H-B,” the dash hopefully keeping readers from confusing this position with the HB in Madden, which is what they call running backs.

The role guys Jabrill Peppers and Chris Evans figure to play in Michigan’s offense – a RB/WR hybrid – will be called STAR and noted in any play diagrams (not involving Michigan players; for Michigan players, I will use the players’ numbers) by a, well, star.

I’ll be using E for End for the second TE in a set where one’s not an H-Back (e.g. if I were using letters to diagram a Michigan play where Butt and Bunting were on the field together, one would be E). In goal-line sets, the third TE will be denoted with J for Jumbo.

WDE is called End (E) in Don Brown’s system. That’s what I’ll be calling it when talking about Michigan. SDE is called Anchor (A). 3-Tech is called Tackle (T). Nose is nose (N) and is usually a 1-tech, but may line up in a 0 or 2 here or there.

Peppers will be called “LB/DB” like he is on the official roster, but will be grouped with the linebackers for position breakdowns. No, I’m not getting into the fifteen different names Don Brown has for all the specialty roles he has in his defense, many of which Peppers can play because he’s just that awesome. Players similar in role to Peppers on other teams will be denoted with “H” for hybrid.

Twitter: @KSchroeder_312

E-mail: schroeder.giig@gmail.com