The past few weeks, one area has become troubling with respect to our offense: we don't seem to have an answer for the blitz, particularly on second down. As a result, we're not converting even on second and short, we're giving up too many sacks, and most disturbingly, we're exposing our QBs to hits that could potentially lead to injuries.
What do we need to do to improve our blitz pickups and hot reads? Is it coaching, formation, player, or a combination of all three?
There's a few things and I think we have had a glimpse of where it is going.
1- Staccato, Staccatissimo
2- Hawkins? Cobourne? Hawkins?
3- Everybody Slide
1 & 2: LOL, what? 
3: Good point, but how effective is a slower guy like Calvillo going to be sliding away from pressure? It might work better for McPherson.
Hmmm....how about using a 2-back set more often?
Don’t they already use a two-back set pretty frequently? Seems to me Carter is Calvillo’s checkdown safety valve in many situations.
With guys like Richardson, Cahoon, and even Cobourne, I wonder why we can’t successfully go to our hot reads more often when the other team brings pressure.
I agree that this is an area of weakness on the offense. The old screen play is one of the best options, but for some reason, the Als don't seem to execute that one very well. Opposing D's know that AC is a stay-at-home pocekt passer and that makes him vulnerable, not only to QB sacks, but injury. Perhaps they should think of sending in McPherson on 2nd-and-longs as well as 3rd-and-shorts?
Nowhere near as much as they used to when guys like Soles and then Heppell were around. Anyway…was just a thought.
Interesting. I wasn’t a fan during the Soles days, but I do remember Heppell. Carter is easily twice the back Heppell ever was, and someone who should be more involved in our offense. He can block, get a first down in short yardage, catch passes out of the backfield (two TDs, and one was no joke to haul in), and when you give him the rock, he runs like a running back. Carter really reminds me of Thomas Haskins with less speed but more size and power.