FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Do Tight Ends Matter?

USC has completed 59 passes in two games and exactly one went to a tight end as Erik Krommenhoek has a 5-yard reception.

If USC is 2-0, maybe it doesn’t matter. But a tight end is a weapon in any offense. Apologists will say a pass was thrown at Josh Falo vs. Stanford. Hurray!

And I don’t care where Falo lines up, he is a tight end. And he isn’t getting many chances. Maybe USC will throw more to the tight end once teams place more pressure on Kedon Slovis.

High school tight end D.J. Rogers told USC247.com he isn’t worried but that is because he considers himself a hybrid.

“No, the lack of passes to the tight ends doesn’t worry me,” Rogers said. “I’m more of an hybrid player and I don’t quite know where USC would put me. But the fact that they are air raid and throwing the ball more excites me.”

But the conventional tight ends probably feel different.

  • I heard tailback Markese Stepp was upset in the locker room after the Fresno State game when he did not get any carries. He got three against Stanford for 33 yards. I think he is USC’s best back.
  • Jets coach Adam Gase said QB Sam Darnold will miss Monday night’s game with mono.

62 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Do Tight Ends Matter?”

  1. Gomer did have something to say about the departure of Devon Williams

    ( Insert players name here ) “He is a part of my family for life, and I wish him nothing but the best in the future. He is a special, special individual,” Helton said.

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  2. Stepp is SC’s best back, but Gomer will fawk him over until he’s in the transfer portal and then he’ll say

    “He is a part of my family for life, and I wish him nothing but the best in the future. He is a special, special individual,” Helton said. “

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  4. Gomer spoke today about Lynn Swann’s ” resignation ”

    “He is a part of my family for life, and I wish him nothing but the best in the future. He is a special, special individual,” Helton said.

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  5. Stepp has a remarkable combo of speed (4.4 40 time) and power (he carries tacklers with him, as we saw against Stanford). He has potential to be the second coming of LenDale White (before LenDale lost control of his weight…).

    Hoping Stepp gets quality carries against BYU.

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    2. Gomer has his favorites, the kid might as well bail now because once Gomer sets his pea brain to playing a player it doesn’t matter how much better you are than that player, you won’t play.

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  7. This is another example of where Scott is being snarky but making an irrefutably correct point…if you can run this offense, any offense, without putting all of your pieces into play, and win a national championship…my hats off to you and go for it…but I find that a dubious prospect…as I pointed out yesterday, while I’ve been reluctantly compelled to adjust my attitude towards the air raid (in a modified version that includes more emphasis on the running game), I still would point to how NFL’s teams have adapted it to fit the pro game (and as a reminder, USC’s biggest advantage historically, in addition to sitting in the middle of the greatest concentration of high school talent in America, is that it has been The NFL factory, and that in turn has largely stemmed from the fact that players wanted to play there because USC ran pro-type systems before any of the other major programs were doing it, so it gave players the best possible preparation for a professional career)…

    The Patriots with Gronk, the Chiefs with Kelce (and locally, to a much lesser extent, the Chargers with Gates for many years)…

    You must use all of your pieces, and put them in positions of competitive mismatch…

    If Harrell can do this without using TEs…as with the result of last weekend’s “Fine 40 Minutes,” I’ll eat crow, and do it publicly…

    The upcoming schedule will provide a sufficient test of the differing view points…

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    1. The problem with not using all of your players is that you eventually run into a team or teams with equal talent and good coaching, though anyone who coaches against Gomer already has a leg up, and they see that you only throw the ball to 3 people and they adjust for that. Gomer and Opie can get away with this schoolyard offense against the shitty PAC 12 but it probably isn’t going to fly against an Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State etc,

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      1. Budda-Agreed and I’ve made the same argument for several months here…pro-style balanced offenses (to include the modern trend of incorporating aspects of up-tempo air raid/spread) is the way to go, and you design your playbook/calls to create mismatches, based on matchups, formation, and motion…look at what the Pats have done with that set of receivers (heretofore), because they had Gronk (and the “other one”), and never stopped picking the right spots to run (like their whole playoff run last year)…

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      2. I quickly checked the North Texas stats from last year. Tight ends (under Harrell’s offense) caught somewhere around 35 balls, perhaps a few more, during the season, so roughly 3 TE receptions per game.

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      3. James — I can’t believe some poor team isn’t gonna get a big dose of Josh Falo. Using the converse of karma’s argument, it would have been a waste to spring Falo against Stanford (he wasn’t needed). Better to keep Utah and/or Notre Dame guessing how and in what situations Falo is going to be allowed to say hi to them……

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      4. MG
        I hope you’re right…and if that proves to be the case, good on Harrell for having the ability to think ahead like that (we haven’t seen that spirit here, since…1969…oh sorry…I meant Norm Chow)…and boy I could see that being a nightmare for them if they come in not having properly gameplanned for it because he hasn’t shown it, and because they have neglected using tight ends more or less for a decade…
        Same thing ’67 is suggesting with Stepp in a way…in addition to what Wolf is saying about if you don’t use these kids, this new fad of jumping into the portal isn’t a fad anymore…it’s the new norm…

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    2. The problem is Belichick has more brains in his little toe than Gomer does in his fat head, Gomer doesn’t know what exploiting a shot spot means. Gomer and Opie will continue to do what they are currently doing even if they run into a team, or teams, that shuts it down, then he can use the ” players didn’t execute the plays properly defense ” or his ever popular ” I have to look at the tape” BS.

      I don’t think BYU’s newbie QB will do much against SC but they will be physical on defense, LDS U has always played dirty. Utah will be physical, so will ND and UDUB, the next 4 games will tell a lot about what this team is.

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      1. Agreed totally…
        Do it against ND, UW, Utah…
        We will see…
        Great job last week, but one game doesn’t wash away the past decade and Helton/Clancy’s role in that…

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    3. James — Don’t you get the feeling Harrell is “saving” some things til later in the season? Dan Weber reported on the smart use of the tight ends and the tailbacks as far back as spring practice…..

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      1. What is Opie saving ? He said they have like 4,5 plays, what’s to save ? All of a sudden Opie’s going to tell Slovis to start throwing the the TE ?

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      2. MG
        I don’t know – it’s possible…my thinking is clouded by the fact that USC has pointedly not used TEs (and Dan used to go bonkers over this, along with Coach Hyde) over the past several years…but if that’s what they’re doing, and they add that in…again, I’m not close-minded or hateful about it at all (have slowly been adjusting to the changes in offensive football, and it helps, as I was explaining to a work colleague, that the adjustments have actually been an aggregation of older approaches to offensive football dating back to the single wing…in short, you can draw a line probably from say at least Roger Staubach through Steve Young to Patrick Mahomes…and there are others, better and worse)…

        If that’s what they’re doing…and it works…and the receivers are good enough to beat press coverage/blitz packages (which are coming soon, bank on it)…

        I’m still flying my Trojan flag out front (as depicted in icon)! Just wish it was more Charles White than Air Harrell…but with time…low fat Italian tastes almost as good as fat fat Caesar’s once did! sort of a pun…

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      3. Michael, they ran 0 mesh plays vs fresno and only 3 vs furd…this will probably be the staple play for us by the end of the year…as far as who we throw to, do you think Slovis purposely looks away from wide open receivers? Does have have reads that tell him which receiver is first read or second.
        Nah, they purposely look away..that f’n Slovis is probably getting paid by the WRs to throw outside.

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      4. Poor Hugs was kept out of the removal of Swannie just like MacDuff was kept out of the loop on King Duncan’s murder. The only way he can save himself is by going to the NC playoffs now. He better use the TEs.

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  9. Unbelievable, the Piglet has contracted mononucleosis(!) and will be sidelined for significant (7 or 8) weeks – LOL.

    With whom has Piglet been playing kissy-face?

    #thePigletfightsoninbed

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    1. owns, you have claimed several times that ucla will beat Oklahoma 24-17 on Saturday.

      WOW!!!!!

      My advice:

      #Don’tWatchTheGame

      and

      #StayOffThePeyoteWhenMakingPredictions

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      1. ’67
        MG stepped in and cut a deal with Owns (essentially absolving him of that prediction)…
        And Owns was stand up about saying he will go down with this prediction anyway…
        So he’s back!
        He always had Piglet snark for Sam (as Sam becomes a star in the league…current difficulties notwithstanding…we will undoubtedly see/hear more on this front)…

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      2. James, I am going to stick with “owns was on peyote” when he made his prediction. Oklahoma can easily run up 35 on almost any team, and sadly for owns, ucla is far down the foodchain of Oklahoma opponents.

        The only question is at what point does Lincoln Riley insert the 3rd string.

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      3. Oh yeah…MG can plea bargain it down, but the judge’s sentencing guidelines can’t be completely set aside!

        UCLA has had an interesting history with teams from the midwest…some big upsets, but some crushing destructions…this one sure looks like it will be the latter…

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      4. 67 — Being a bit impulsive myself, I kinda like the fact Owns is saying “let it ride”……
        #UCLADoesn’tHave1ChanceIn75OfWinning…..
        #ButGuysLikeOwnsAndMeThinkThoseKindOfOddsFavorUS….

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    2. And Rosen is buried in Miami with the worst team in the NFL, who is also tanking, he’s playing kissy face with a lot of ugly DL. Oh wait, he can’t even get on the field on the worst team in the NFL, nevermind

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      1. Thing is Rosen is upright and ready to go, as opposed to the Piglet unable to perform because he’s bedridden with the HS kissing decease.

        The Dolphins are 0 – 1 just like the 0 – 1 Jets, who snatched defeat 16 – 17 from the jaws of a Bills victory. The Piglet choked the game away in the 4th qtr.

        #Some things never change.

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      2. Or…was it poor receiver play (as the head coach clearly communicated)…or a kicker missing three must-make kicks (leading to immediate release)?

        Just food for thought…

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      2. I was inspired by Budda’s earlier use of videos to a certain extent (normally I wouldn’t be offering up Janet – unless maybe it’s “Pleasure Principle”…more likely Tool or my LA favorites Intronaut)…

        And I’ve gotten a little carried away with snark over the outstanding differences in everyone’s appreciation of the trendlines so to speak…so will throttle back on that account…

        Matters are going to come clear over the next few weeks and then at the end of the season…and that could take many forms…

        At least we are all in again and without a doubt interested (even Owns and Cal 75 and the rest of the 5th Column crowd, without whom this place would be a lot less fun)…

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  11. Clay Helton doesn’t need the traditional tight end, or offensive lineman, he’s a 7 on 7 coach, like most in the PAC 12. Great entertainment, but not national championship type of football.

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    2. We should bring back coach O who knows how to win. We should play Saban ball as well. Oh wait, both those guys are now spread pass heavy offenses. Maybe Dabo and Clemson? Nope, spread pass heavy. Oklahoma? Nope air raid there too. Maybe we should play like Stanford? That worked well last week.

      That 7 on 7 coach is best offensive mind we have had here in a long time.

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      1. Demonstrably incorrect – go check the statistics for Alabama and Clemson for any season – at most a 50/50 run-pass mix, usually run heavy…when playing each other in championship games they pass more because each team has had strong defensive lines/run defenses…

        The valid comparison is to the Big 12 … home of the Air Raid … no national championships … annual beatdowns in matchups against SEC and ACC teams (with Oklahoma having one win over Alabama in a non-playoff game) …

        Keep watching…those 40 minutes are past…there’s ND, UW, and Utah to come…

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      2. Funny thing about clemson, when the game was in question in the first half vs bama, they threw the ball 2x more than they ran it. It was the same pattern as their regular season, where in the second half they’d go run heavy to kill the clock.

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      3. That’s debatable…particularly when Watson was there it was more, as with Alabama, a matter of play-calling based on the mobility of the quarterback and creating run/pass options…and going to pass heavy is what got Kiff and Sark both sacked by Saban…
        Funny thing about the Patriots was that they went run heavy based on down/distance/time/score…what all smart coaches do…

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      1. And grasping at one game (just like grasping at 40 minutes within one game)…how did they use that NO TE Gronk over the previous 8 seasons? to the tune of 5 AFC championships and 3 Lombardi trophies…

        And as to the other nonsensical argument being propounded…those same Pats, when it came time last season, in addition to riding Gronk, ran the ball to win the championship…don’t take it from me if your memory doubts it…go check the box scores and reread the recaps…

        Fact, not opinion.

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  13. Don’t ask Cary Angeline lol….Trojan Nation, these are all spiritual matters, whether you think so or not….Careful who you credit, for the Creator has a tinge of jealousy 😆! You may find it here, Deuteronomy 4:24…For the Lord your God is a consuming fire 🔥, a jealous God…..thank Him, NOW! OFTEN!

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    1. Notice in my 7 lines of text, I noted Him 5 times! Thank you, dear Lord, for You are strong and mighty in battle…You are the potterer, I am the clay….

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      1. I’m saying on the tight end matter, I’ve been writing on this for some time, now lol….LOOK UP ABOVE AT SCOTTS OLD RELATED POSTS/STORIES!!!! You will find my comments on Cary Angeline…

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  14. I saw Falo downfield running wide open on a pattern in the Fresno St game, but the ball went to the other side of the field. The TEs are weapons in this offense and I think they’ll get more action as we go along. There are a lot of balls to go around on this team and I wouldn’t get too upset if I was a TE.

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  16. This offense is about taking what is given and exploiting it. I am sure the tight ends were there to block. If the defense gives in by rushing fewer players to the quarterback the tight ends will indeed be needed. As for Stepp he’s good so he needs to be in the mix. But we are finally talking about something about Lynn Swann… well sorta

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