Nick Saban: "We Need to do a Better Job Around Bryce"
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — For the duration of Alabama football's game at LSU last weekend, it seemed apparent that Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young wasn't feeling up to his usual self.
Miscommunications, hesitations and a plethora of short or overthrown passes to receivers were a common occurrence throughout Alabama's 32-31 overtime loss at LSU. In total, Young finished the game having completed just 25-of-51 passes for 328 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
Despite all reports that Young has fully recovered from his shoulder injury that he suffered last month at Arkansas, his game still hasn't returned to its normal success in the weeks since his return. On Monday, Alabama head coach Nick Saban stated that Young is still telling him and the Crimson Tide trainers that he feels fine.
"All indications in terms of what he says to us — to me, to the medical staff — is that he feels good, that he's fine," Saban said. "I guess you would have to ask him to really get a sense of how he feels but he is telling us that he is fine. He said he was fine in practice relative to what he did."
Saban then added that in order for Young to improve, the players around him also need to do so.
"We need to do a better job around Bryce," Saban said. "We gotta protect him better. We can't let people push the pocket on him. We gotta do a better job of running routes so that we have trust that people are going to do exactly what they're supposed to do, and then we've got to read it out and throw it to the right guy. That was the goal going into the game and that's something that we all need to do a better job of."
Against the Tigers, Young was sacked twice and was hurried a total of 10 times. While the two sacks for a loss of 10 yards is not abnormally high, the 10 quarterback rushes clearly depicts an issue on the offensive line.
Crimson Tide offensive lineman Javion Cohen agreed that he and his fellow linemen need to do a better job of providing protection.
"I think it just takes us getting on the same page with each other," Cohen said. "Putting more effort forth and more trusting each other and focusing on our gameplay more this week."
Alabama needs to provide Young with better protection if it hopes to win its final three games. This coming weekend, the Crimson Tide travels to play the Ole Miss Rebels before back-to-back home games against Austin Peay and Auburn to close the season.
While Alabama is favored to win all three of those games, lackluster pass protection would no doubt be a key factor should the Crimson Tide drop a third loss this season.
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