Burrow, receivers believe strong connections built in offseason will breathe new life into offense
After more than a year together, it's like clockwork between junior wide receiver Justin Jefferson and senior quarterback Joe Burrow.
The two have one of those rare connections between a receiver and quarterback that makes it easy for them to know what the other is thinking. That was evident in 2018 when the two combined for 54 catches, 875 yards and six touchdowns.
Those strong statistical achievements were sort of a blessing and a curse, as Jefferson more than doubled any other Tiger receiver in every statistical receiving category, leaving the offense one dimensional in the passing game at times.
Burrow believes the reason behind last season's target disparity is a combination of a couple of factors with Jefferson being the best receiver on the team, the offense being centered around getting him the ball and the slow development of some of the younger receivers.
"This year we're going to be spreading the ball out some more just based on the concepts that we have," Burrow said. "I think we have four or five different guys that could be No. 1 options on a team so that's nice to have."
The goal in 2019 is for Burrow to build that strong rapport with other members in the passing attack, which will in turn lead to a more spread out offense with less disparity in targets. That's why passing game coordinator Joe Brady was brought on board in the offseason and his influence is already rubbing off on the LSU offense.
"It's definitely going to change, be more balanced," Jefferson said. "You can see that in practice with Ja'Marr having his days, Terrace having his days. The ball is going to be spread out more this season. It's just about being a team player and feeding everybody."
That connection between Jefferson and Burrow will only grow stronger with the help of Brady. Jefferson said the connection between he and Burrow is even better than it was a season ago because of the development of guys like sophomores Ja'Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall.
Chase and Marshall both showed flashes of what they could be but were never able to put put it together for four quarters of a game their first seasons. Chase caught 23 balls for 313 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman while Marshall hauled in 12 receptions for 192 yards in 2018.
With pass protection being a major issue in 2018, the Tigers weren't able to air it out as much as they wanted to as a result. That all changed with the Fiesta Bowl win over Central Florida when offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger decided to spread the ball out more by utilizing the running backs in the backfield and spreading the receivers out, giving Burrow multiple quick reads.
Burrow went 21-of-34 passes for 394 yards and four touchdowns in that game including a 32-yard strike to the freshman Chase, who figures to be a bigger part of the deep passing game in 2019 after averaging 13.6 yards per catch his freshman season.
Chase along with Jefferson feel there is an abundance of deep threat receivers on the team including Marshall, Racey McMath and freshman Trey Palmer, who has impressed in camp when healthy. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound sophomore feels the deep ball game will be more utilized in 2019 and was initially surprised with how much the offense is being spread out.
"It could happen every play but we have to get our run game going first," Chase said. "Everybody likes their catches and we're always going to want the ball. I think the way it's spread out is more than what I expected coming in."
What Brady has brought with him is teaching the receivers how to not only read different coverages, but know which routes to run based on the coverage they're given.
"We run different routes on different coverages," Jefferson said. "Being able to read the coverage and see what they [the defense] is running is only going to help our offense in getting open balls."
Burrow said after every period the quarterbacks and receivers come together to discuss what coverage was thrown their way and how they can be more effective in different situations.
"I really feel like we are all one mind and that starts back in January after the bowl game when you start throwing with your guys," Burrow said. "This time is really meant for polishing up what you did in the offseason."
Another quality trait Jefferson said the receivers are being taught by Brady is finishing out a route before turning and looking for the ball.
"Coach Joe has been teaching us to look up for the ball," Jefferson said. Keeping our heads down, finishing our routes and look up for the ball since the ball should be there already. Just having that connection, having that timing down is the thing that will help with the deep ball."
Jefferson admitted this year is more about the quick routes between he and Burrow but said make no mistake in thinking the LSU offense won't be taking deep shots in year two of Burrow behind center.
"We have too many deep threats this year," Jeferson said. "We're very well with working in space, very well with bringing in deep balls. It's going to be a big passing year for us."
