You do realize that Vandenberg is being told to lock onto guys during some plays correct? Like that 4th and 3 play. That play is only designed for the dump off to the FB. Vandenberg had good protection early in the season and the results were the same. Vandenberg had also regressed largely because this offense isn't right for him. How many times is he and the WR's not on the same page? I don't know how difficult this is to grasp, but you can tell the players are not comfortable with it. Just last week CJ and Shumpert I believe ran outs within 5 yard of each other to the same side of the field. That's either a busted play or a terrible play design. If guys still can't catch onto this offense at this point it's clear it's not sinking in.
I agree Vandenber has been bad, and his WR's have had drops, but you need to understand that this offense isn't made for a QB to go through progressions. It's mainly lock onto the 1st guy and get him the ball. The guys at the Gazette have said as much on their podcast. I encourage you to listen in and then watch the games. You'll get it.
I find this very, very hard to believe.
I do as well. Here's a little excerpt from the postgame presser.
Q. The fullback, on the 4th and 3, is that the primary read on that play?
KIRK FERENTZ: Most plays have a couple reads. There are plays where you just send two guys out or one guy out, like the one we threw it to the guy in the end zone, we had one eligible receiver on that play, but most plays that we run have at least three guys involved, and coverage dictates where the ball goes. That's usually how the passing game works, whether it be one guy out, two guys out, three or five. That's just the way it goes.
If there is one guy out in a route, it makes sense that he's only looking for one guy, although locking on isn't in the best interest of the play. Even the most remedial pass plays in football generally require a read of just 1 defender...if he there, I here; if he here, I there. Short of a tag on the play call, the passing concepts generally require that you at least utilize some sort of read/progression.
I don't want to misstate what Herkyalert posted, as I'm not sure how many "some plays" in the first line of his post constitutes. But I've coached in HS offenses where 75% of the pass plays read one defender. Granted, we generally scouted the opposing defense well enough to know approximately where that one defender would be and would thusly coach the player to be looking for a specific guy in a concept, but he still had to make the read.
