Is it Tavon time … finally?

This topic has 12 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 1 month ago by nittany ram.

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September 18, 2015 at 9:39 am #30788

zn
Moderator

Welcome to “Six Points” for Week 2, a quick trip around the league with Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13676485/chip-kelly-coached-johnny-manziel-two-different-s-nfl

Is it Tavon time … finally?

When Tavon Austin lined up in the Rams’ backfield and took a handoff from Nick Foles to run 16 yards for a touchdown in their win over the Seahawks, it was one of the ways Rams coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead had always envisioned Austin could be utilized when they made him the eighth pick of the 2013 draft.

It was a clever design on the scoring play. The diminutive 5-foot-9 Austin lined up in a pistol-like formation directly behind Nick Foles in the shotgun. Ask the Seahawks defenders. It was difficult to see and track Austin on the play. Austin was a Texas high school running back who was used as a jack-of-all-trades player at West Virginia. In fact, Austin delivered one of the greatest single-game collegiate performances on Nov. 17, 2012, when he had 517 all-purpose yards against Oklahoma, 344 of them coming when he was lined up at running back.

When Frank Cignetti was named offensive coordinator for the Rams after Brian Schottenheimer bolted for the same job at the University of Georgia, one of his goals was to simplify the offense but still find ways to take advantage of Austin’s hybrid talents. Cignetti saw a very focused Austin take huge leaps in preparation during the offseason program. He particularly praised his improved pass-route running; in the meantime, Austin’s return skills still must be respected. He had a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Seahawks, as well.

September 18, 2015 at 9:33 pm #30826

NERam
Participant

So, did it take 3 years for Tavon to understand the offense, or is Cignetti just being more creative than Schotty?

Maybe a little bit of both?

September 18, 2015 at 9:44 pm #30827

zn
Moderator

NERam wrote:

So, did it take 3 years for Tavon to understand the offense, or is Cignetti just being more creative than Schotty?

Maybe a little bit of both?

I don’t think it has anything to do with the coordinator. IMO last Sunday we saw all the same plays we always saw from Tavon…just executed more effectively. He even ran up the middle.

I don’t think it was just understanding the offense…I don’t think he was polished enough as a route runner to be used effectively in a variety of ways. He said he worked on that this off-season, Cigz said he worked on that this off-season (and that the difference was night and day). So I just believe he worked on it and made himself more effective.

It took Brian Quick 3 years. Why not Tavon.

.

September 18, 2015 at 10:08 pm #30828

NERam
Participant

zn wrote:

It took Brian Quick 3 years. Why not Tavon.

.

Well, that’s a good point.

Maybe I put too much emphasis on Tavons afterburners, and expected a superstar from day 1.

If it’s taken a couple of years to mature and fine tune, so be it. Hope it continues in a big way.

I still gotta wonder about those runs up the middle, though. The guy tags in at around 175, doesn’t he?

September 19, 2015 at 8:30 am #30837

Dak
Participant

He’s also healthy. For TA to be effective, his legs need to be fresh. A twinge in the ankles or knees slows him down some, and then he’s got no advantage since he’s so small and can’t break tackles.

To me, the difference in this game was he saw the field a little better, but also that move he put on Sherman to get open. If Foles can catch up with TA’s speed, maybe we get a few more home run balls to him this year.

September 19, 2015 at 8:50 am #30838

wv
Participant

Dak wrote:

He’s also healthy. For TA to be effective, his legs need to be fresh. A twinge in the ankles or knees slows him down some, and then he’s got no advantage since he’s so small and can’t break tackles.

To me, the difference in this game was he saw the field a little better, but also that move he put on Sherman to get open. If Foles can catch up with TA’s speed, maybe we get a few more home run balls to him this year.

I have not seen Sherman beaten that badly before. Not that
i watch him all that much, but I aint seen that before.
Looked like he had sherman by three yards at one point.

Tavon’s been open deep before and the QB has missed him
or missed seeing him. You add those chances to the TD’s
that have been called back, and he’s had some big plays.

My thing with Tavon is drops and fumbles. Themz is big.
Can he improve on that.

w
v

September 19, 2015 at 9:40 am #30841

bnw
Blocked

NERam wrote:

QUOTE

That is the real question. Likely some of both but I would think more on Schottenheimer. Imagine what Martz would have done with Tavon.

The upside to being a Rams fan is heartbreak.

Sprinkles are for winners.

September 19, 2015 at 9:40 am #30842
NERam
Participant
Dak wrote:

To me, the difference in this game was he saw the field a little better, but also that move he put on Sherman to get open. If Foles can catch up with TA’s speed, maybe we get a few more home run balls to him this year.

wv wrote:

I have not seen Sherman beaten that badly before. Not that
i watch him all that much, but I aint seen that before.
Looked like he had Sherman by three yards at one point.

w
v

Sherman was toasted, for sure. He was beaten badly, and IIRC on that particular play, a poorly thrown ball forced TA to slow down and allowed Sherman to catch up, where he did commit a DPI that I thought should’ve/could’ve been called.
- This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by NERam.
September 19, 2015 at 10:02 am #30844

NERam
Participant

bnw wrote:

NERam wrote:

QUOTE

That is the real question. Likely some of both but I would think more on Schottenheimer. Imagine what Martz would have done with Tavon.

Az-Zahir Hakim v2 ??

September 19, 2015 at 10:32 am #30849

bnw
Blocked

NERam wrote:

bnw wrote:

NERam wrote:

QUOTE

That is the real question. Likely some of both but I would think more on Schottenheimer. Imagine what Martz would have done with Tavon.

Az-Zahir Hakim v2 ??

Wow, lets hope without the fumbling!

The upside to being a Rams fan is heartbreak.

Sprinkles are for winners.

September 19, 2015 at 11:07 am #30853

zn
Moderator

NERam wrote:

Az-Zahir Hakim v2 ??

IMO Tavon is both more than and less than Hakim.

Hakim developed into a 1st rate receiver (for example I think he was the best pure receiver in the Patz superbowl). He was obviously also a good PR. People remember the fumbles, but he actually had far more as a returner than as a receiver.

Tavon is not the route-runner Hakim was, and I don’t know if he ever will be. But it’s also not necessary because Tavon is just a different kind of animal.

Tavon, for example, is a real option running out of the backfield.

IMO this year Tavon is finally getting to be a good enough receiver to be a much more consistent part of the mix. (I think him being held back in the past had nothing to do with the coordinator—I think he was just not effective enough running routes to be used in any other ways than the ways they did use him. He says, and Cigz says, he dedicated himself to improving that part of his game, and from what we’ve seen so far I think it’s possible that really worked.)

So Tavon offers more variation than Hakim and is an interesting chess piece when it comes to that. You can run him out of the backfield, or decoy him, or line him up as a runner then throw to him, or line him up as a receiver then hand off to him (eg. on jet sweeps or reverses) or you can send him out in a variety of routes as a receiver. Plus he returns. So that’s more than Hakim did. Hakim did not have this elaborate deception game built around what he was doing because he would never be considered a serious threat if he lined up as a runner (last year, on runs to the outside for example, Tavon averaged nearly 8.3 a carry).

So, short version: you can do more things with Tavon but Hakim was a much more polished pure receiver.

.

September 19, 2015 at 11:55 am #30856

InvaderRam
Moderator

i suspect it’s a lot of things. a lot of it has to do with tavon himself. came into college as a running back left a wide receiver. very raw i think he’s had to develop those receiver skills the past couple years. and not just technique but learning an offense. learning how to read defenses. i also think he’s gotten stronger. we’ll see but on that punt return for a td i think he woulda gotten knocked out of bounds in the past. too early but I suspect we’ll see a stronger tavon this season.

but there were things out of his control as well. having a healthy starting qb makes a huge difference i think. he’s dealt with clemens, davis, and hill so far in his career. hopefully foles stays healthy. hopefully they can establish a rapport.

as far as oc. i don’t know. i think i’d rather have cignetti only because he’s the shiny new object. not just for tavon but for the entire offense. sometimes change is good.

look. this could all blow up this coming sunday. tavon so far has negative passing yards on the season. yeah he had a potential long td underthrown but he’s had long tds taken away in the past.

on the other hand i remember the tavon his rookie season right before he got injured and i see a guy who can make a ton of plays for this team.

September 19, 2015 at 5:21 pm #30866

nittany ram
Moderator

Of course I’m happy that it looks like Tavon is becoming a bigger part of the offense, but truthfully if he never develops into anything but an outstanding punt returner, I could live with that.

He is such a weapon as a returner that it make ups for deficiencies in other parts of his game, IMO.
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