Alabama Crimson Tide Still Has Plenty of Problems to Fix
By Tim Letcher
@TimLetcher
Nelson Chenault, USA TODAY SPORTS
The Alabama Crimson Tide won on Saturday, but the game proved that there are still many flaws with this team.
Problems continue to plague the special teams. Seemingly simple things like catching a kickoff or fielding a punt have become an adventure for this squad. Nick Saban seems to cringe whenever his team is forced to return a kick of any type. Ironically, as bad as the special teams play has been for the Tide, it was a blocked extra point that allowed ‘Bama to escape with a 14-13 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday night in Fayetteville.
It’s not just the special teams that are having issues, though.
The Alabama offense continues to sputter, accounting for just 227 yards against Arkansas. Blake Sims is unable to make enough plays to get the passing game going, which allows defenses are able to key on the run to shut down T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry.
Late in Saturday’s game, Alabama had a chance to seal the game, but they had 12 men in the formation, giving them a five-yard penalty, taking a third-and-one to a third-and-six, which they did not convert. Saban always talks about “the process” and he preaches discipline to his team. Silly mistakes like missing short passes, not opening holes for outstanding running backs and silly penalties must be driving him nuts.
The good news for the Tide is that they went on the road in the SEC and got a win, which is never easy, even against an Arkansas team that has not won a league game in nearly two years.
The bad news is, if the Tide don’t get these mistakes fixed soon, it could be a long second half of the season.
Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com and a member of the Football Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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