For Clemson to put the Alabama dynasty talks on hold until, well … next season, Deshaun Watson is going to have to make plays inside and outside of the pocket. Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, he’s very good at both.
During Saturday morning’s Media Day in Tampa Bay for the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, Alabama coach Nick Saban was asked what concerns him the most about Clemson heading into the rematch of last year’s title game.
“The quarterback,” Saban told reporters.
“Their entire system, their entire scheme, but Deshaun Watson, I’ve said this all week long, is probably the most dynamic player in college football, maybe the best player in college football relative to what he does for his team.”
Saban knows good and well about Watson’s ability to take games over with his play. During the first meeting between Saban’s Crimson Tide and Watson’s Tigers, Watson torched Saban’s five-star loaded defense for 478 total yards and four touchdowns in the thrilling 45-40 title game won by Alabama last year.
For Clemson to push Alabama to the limit once again on Monday night, and to potentially hand the Tide their first loss since Sept. 19, 2015, Watson is going to have to make (and extend) plays inside and outside of the pocket to help the Tigers win their first national title since 1981.
“I think trying to disguise things is important,” Saban said on Saturday morning in terms of attacking Watson with his extraordinary defensive unit.
“But I also think not allowing him to extend plays, which is where – they made some big plays on us a year ago where the defense breaks down because of his athleticism and then he takes advantage of it.”
This 3rd & 4 scramble away from the pocket by Watson during the first quarter of last year’s title game is the type of play that keeps defensive coordinators awake at night.
Clemson called a “pick play” that was designed for Watson to simply roll right and fire to Hunter Renfrow on the outside for a first down. Alabama’s defense read the play well, but Watson got good protection, recognized the throw wasn’t there, and scrambled away for a nice first down on a drive that resulted in a touchdown to tie the game early last year on a lovely throw to Renfrow.
The play you see above might have been the best throw Watson made in the entire game during the first meeting.
Watson didn’t trust the quick slant where the hot read was on this play off the handoff fake. Alabama outside linebacker Denzel Devall saw the slant route and sat on the route, seemingly taking away the window for Watson to let it fire.
With the initial play gone, Watson looked to bounce free on the left side again. He quickly rolled back to the right and delivered a strike down the right sideline for a first down. Against a defense the quality of Alabama, that’s impressive.
So, on this edition of “That Was Very Johnny Manziel-ish” from a quarterback, Watson not only shakes off a collapsing pocket and the ruthless Ryan Anderson’s sack attempt, he picks up a first down and nobody that was watching at home or in the building knows how Watson did this.
On this 16-yard scramble, Watson saw Alabama pressure with five in a three-deep zone look defensively.
The expression “take what the defense gives you” rang so true. In that look, Watson wasn’t going to find anyone open with five rushers. He made the quick decision to break loose with the opening he had and picked up yet another first down with his legs.
During last year’s meeting with Alabama, Watson ran for 73 yards on 20 carries. The most any player on Alabama’s schedule this season ran for was 62 yards. That’s how important Watson’s ability to use his legs will be on Monday night.
For the second straight season, Deshaun Watson will be the best quarterback Alabama will face. Watson’s ability to make a play where there wasn’t one almost won Clemson a title last year.
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Those plays just might do the job this time around.