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The sophomore said UT has worked on an offensive package in which he joins receiver Gerald Jones in the G-Gun, in which Jones plays quarterback.

"They've got some stuff up their sleeve," Berry said of UT's coaches. "It's going to be pretty interesting once they decide to do it."

Berry, who played quarterback for four years at Fairburn High School in Creekside, Ga., said he was supposed to play on offense against Auburn on Sept. 27. Just before he was to enter the game, a penalty against the Vols caused UT's coaches to decide against unveiling the package.

Link 8 months ago Fiddler_on_the_roof_fiddler_1__tiny Joel Comment 12 comments 0 recs |

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I’m skeptical of using Berry on offense. One the one hand, there’s definitely value to placing him with Jones on the field at the same time. The dude would be a sweet lead blocker in addition to his ball skills. Heck, a 4-man Single-Wingish backfield with Jones, Berry, Hardesty and Cooper would be absolute dynamite. Add in any two of our tight ends, and you’d have an offensive set that could switch fluidly between a power run kind of game to a spread-’em-out look without having to change personnel. (Or you could place all three tight ends on the field with one in place of either Hardesty or Cooper!) You could run a no-huddle out of that and flip from one extreme to the other, which would place fantastic pressure on the opposing defense.

However, it’s not a sustainable idea unless you remove Berry from the defense. Despite the “there’s an injury risk on every play” theory, it’s not a linear progression of risk. Berry’s already full-time on defense and effectively full-time on special teams. At this point, each added play contributes more than one play’s worth of injury risk due to fatigue and wear considerations. To place Berry on the field for the offense, you now have to limit his plays elsewhere.

If you limit his plays on special teams, that buys you a few plays – but only a few. That’s not enough to warrant a significant offensive package with Berry on the field. You could rotate him in for a play or two (much like the way the G-Gun has been run), but that comes at the deterioration of our already-inept special teams play. There may be some gain, but it’s not going to be what many people are hoping for.

If you limit his plays on defense, you could be more expansive with the Berry-Jone concept. But yeah, you’re taking the best player away from a defensive unit that is effectively holding the team together right now. We don’t know where the tipping point is for the defense from being very good to being mediocre; limiting Berry might be that tipping point.

I believe that the key to getting Berry involved on offense is to first figure out how to keep the defense off the field. If the D can get better at 3rd-down stops and the O can do a better job at sustaining drives then the number of defensive plays will diminish. That is the best place (IMO) for the team to find the margin that allows Berry to play on offense. But even that requires the offense to get better, which is the biggest argument put forward for Berry’s use on offense in the first place. It’s kinda like needed gas in the tank in order to drive out and get gas in the tank.

by hooper on Oct 9, 2008 10:38 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Eric Berry Should Not Play on Third Down

-We don’t want your best players to get injured
-Berry is our best player
-Thus, we don’t want Berry to get injured

-Playing in more plays increases the opportunity for injury
-Playing on third down means playing more plays
-Thus, playing on third down increases the opportunity for injury

In conclusion, Berry should no longer play on third downs.
QED

by kidbourbon on Oct 9, 2008 7:27 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I understand the argument-by-absurdity.

But if keeping Berry out of third downs was the difference between a healthy Berry for the full season and an injured Berry, which would be the better option? There are injuries as a result of a given play (which you can’t predict and can only minimally control) and injuries as a result of overworking (which you can predict and control almost completely).

by hooper on Oct 9, 2008 8:45 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Actually, I like this logic better

Dynamic players help offenses score points
Eric Berry is our most dynamic player
Thus, Eric Berry will help our offense score points

Scoring points helps teams win games
Thus, playing Eric Berry on offense will help the vols win games.

QED

by kidbourbon on Oct 9, 2008 7:34 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Heh.

I certainly don’t dispute the logic behind having Berry on offense, and I can see the potential gain as well as anybody. I just see that you have to find a balance to keep Berry from getting overworked. As rblakeh noted, the effect of the hits received on offense can be different than the effect of the hits given on defense, especially if the Berry package gets him involved against D-linemen and linebackers. And a defensive player would certainly try to slow down Berry if given the chance; slow him down and you’ve just helped your own offense against the Tennessee defense.

I just see it as an eggs-in-one-basket kind of an argument. Use Berry for too much, and he will become less effective – either by injury or by fatigue. If they find a way to compensate and give him some time off in the game, I’m fine with it.

by hooper on Oct 9, 2008 8:42 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

balance

I agree that there is a balance and that neither option is quite as clear cut as my syllogisms make them out to be. I vote for playing him on O b/c I think the magnitude of the spark he could provide our lethargic offense outweighs the risk of injury that he might sustain in those extra plays. If our offense wasn’t in such dire need of playmakers I might lean more towards your argument.

by kidbourbon on Oct 10, 2008 7:05 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I love the idea

Any time Berry has the ball in his hands I feel hes never going to stop going. Theres been plenty of players who are used on offense defense and even special teams as well. I think a Berry wrinkle on offense could only put an “uh oh” factor against opposing defenses. However, once again it seems penalties are slowing the offense more than we think. argh!

by Getoffmyvols on Oct 9, 2008 12:21 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Keep In Mind...

Berry does look great when he has the ball in his hands, but he is also going up against an offense that just committed a turnover, not a defense that is keying on him.

That said, he is obviously a dynamic player (played QB in college), so I think if there is some way we can intelligently use him on offense, that would be awesome.

by rblakeh on Oct 9, 2008 12:41 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

edit

QB in highscool.

by rblakeh on Oct 9, 2008 12:41 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Ultimate spread

The main thing I find intriguing about having Jones and Berry both in the backfield on offense is that it puts our two most dynamic players in position to run either direction. The Jones/Foster dive play has worked pretty well, with Foster hitting a 41-yarder against UCLA (I think) and Jones generally doing pretty well when he keeps it instead. Substitute Berry for Foster, and you have dual jets. Which way is it going to go? Whichever way it blasts off, it’s going to go fast. And with wiggle.

Go Vols!

by Joel on Oct 9, 2008 1:04 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

What I don't get

Is that we apparently had this package ready to use against Auburn. We desperately needed just a first down or two to put ourselves in position to win. Our “regular” offense was doing nothing effective. And yet we still didn’t try Berry on O. Why not? Pucker factor?

by CornFromAJar on Oct 9, 2008 8:25 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

If they have the package in place, they might as well use it.

Even in light of what I’ve said above, it only makes sense to make good on the practice time you’ve spent. Otherwise, use the practice time on something else.

by hooper on Oct 9, 2008 8:46 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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