Nebraska Football: Team wise to use two tight end sets
\Nebraska Football wants to continue to use the tight ends.
Nebraska Football is always trying to find ways to get better, and as they head into Saturday’s game against Northwestern, they have seen some things they really like. Nebraska has been applying the use of two tight ends, and it seems like the coaches are pleased with what that accomplishes.
Jack Stoll leads all tight ends with 10 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown. Other than Stoll, we haven’t really heard a lot from the others in the tight end room. Part of that is an issue in terms of offense. Adrian Martinez has had trouble throwing the football recently, and as result the tight ends haven’t been able to get into a rhythm either.
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Nevertheless, tight end coach Sean Beckton is pleased with the way they are progressing. Watching the games, I have noticed that their blocking has improved. This is certainly an important development, especially if the offensive line continues to struggle. They may need to be more relied upon from here on out.
I am certainly not against two-tight end sets. It allows for essentially two big-bodied receivers to have the chance to make plays. It allows for more blockers in the running game, and it makes life easier for running backs, as the opportunity to create running lanes will be there. Nebraska has used the two tight end set over the past two weeks, and it has certainly worked well enough to make it a prominent feature in the offense.
"“I’m really, really ecstatic with the way those guys are playing,” said Beckton, who shed light on a grading system he’s used for many years. “A 1.5 is a winning grade, and those guys have been close to 2.0, which is really, really high for what we’re trying to accomplish.”"
I certainly wouldn’t be against using the two tight end set for the rest of the season. That certainly adds a wrinkle within the offense, and gives Nebraska more weapons. I wasn’t really too sure about what the production would be heading into the season for the tight ends. So far, it seems like they have surpassed expectations.
I can’t wait to see what this unit does for the remainder of the season. There is certainly a lot of potential for them to grow, and I could see them becoming a factor later in the season. Particularly if teams lockdown the Nebraska wide receivers, the tight ends might be the only option. We will have to see how it all plays out.