DaedalusX
On the Game Day Roster
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2007
- Messages
- 434
- Reaction score
- 28
I think that more than a few of us agree that offensive and defensive play-calling has been sorely underwhelming, predictable and entirely containable. Now, on to solutions.
Defense:
I want to start here because I feel it's the most obvious fix: play way more aggressive. The league has changed too much and offenses across the league are too explosive to just play prevent defense anymore. Bend but don't break no longer applies to dealing with the offenses of today. The defense needs to be way more aggressive, force plays, be free to take risks to get the big play.
The problem defensive coordinators have with being aggressive is that it exponentially increases the downside of giving up the play. But when executed well, the result is consistent, dominating and discouraging for offenses. The best defenses in the league all employ far more exotic packages, far more aggressive postures, accepting far higher risk. And are more often successful at shutting down even the most explosive offenses.
In addition, we need to start thinking of the defense as a possible scoring unit. If your defense never returns a pick 6 and is middle of the pack for yards and points allowed, you're not doing enough. It's not enough to stop the other offense - you must punish them.
We finally have the personnel to make this happen. We need to pull the trigger and get nasty.
Offense:
Pure smash-mouth football relies on personnel that most modern offenses don't have. Certain teams can pull it off, but most teams don't have Adrian Peterson on payroll. You need to build the offense around that philosophy to make it work against the defenses of today. We need to stop thinking a stable of star running backs is the final answer. It's part of the answer, but not the answer. Maroney is not the problem - he just needs to be used more effectively (I'll get to this in a minute).
Further, west coast, spread offense and pure pocket passing are no longer new, unseen and intimidating. Defenses know how to stop it, or at least disrupt it enough to severely deflate its effectiveness. In many cases, that's more than enough. And even if that weren't true, we can't count on always have Wes Welker and two running backs healthy in order for this offense to function.
Finally, we need to be unpredictable on offense. And I don't mean balancing running and passing with one or two flea flickers thrown in every other game. What am I getting at?
Miami. I'm thinking about what Miami has been doing. And anyone who watched the game last night should be thinking the same thing.
I used to loathe the wild cat. I felt it was the last resort of a team with no quarterback. I was wrong. The wild cat won the game for Miami against a very, very good defense. It is the future. Not the entire future, but part of it.
Now, before people have a conniption, I'm not suggesting Brady go out there and start blocking for Maroney. What I AM suggesting is, stop thinking of Brady as the linchpin of this offense and start mixing wild cat formations - using Hoyer, Endelman, Maroney and another RB, TE or large receiver (Galloway, want to earn your keep?) - with a strong smash-mouth game AND the spread offense with Brady at the helm. Give them absolutely NO @#%&ing clue what you're about to do. Sub packages constantly. Run the 2 minute drill with a spread offense, next possession run the wild cat, next switch between screens, the wild cat and one bomb to Moss.
I think Maroney would be awesome in the wild cat, with Hoyer or Endelman as the QB.
Anyway, I'm sure people are going to think I'm nuts or a ******, but I think this would give us an unprecedented, perhaps temporarily unstoppable (this season), edge.
Thoughts?
Defense:
I want to start here because I feel it's the most obvious fix: play way more aggressive. The league has changed too much and offenses across the league are too explosive to just play prevent defense anymore. Bend but don't break no longer applies to dealing with the offenses of today. The defense needs to be way more aggressive, force plays, be free to take risks to get the big play.
The problem defensive coordinators have with being aggressive is that it exponentially increases the downside of giving up the play. But when executed well, the result is consistent, dominating and discouraging for offenses. The best defenses in the league all employ far more exotic packages, far more aggressive postures, accepting far higher risk. And are more often successful at shutting down even the most explosive offenses.
In addition, we need to start thinking of the defense as a possible scoring unit. If your defense never returns a pick 6 and is middle of the pack for yards and points allowed, you're not doing enough. It's not enough to stop the other offense - you must punish them.
We finally have the personnel to make this happen. We need to pull the trigger and get nasty.
Offense:
Pure smash-mouth football relies on personnel that most modern offenses don't have. Certain teams can pull it off, but most teams don't have Adrian Peterson on payroll. You need to build the offense around that philosophy to make it work against the defenses of today. We need to stop thinking a stable of star running backs is the final answer. It's part of the answer, but not the answer. Maroney is not the problem - he just needs to be used more effectively (I'll get to this in a minute).
Further, west coast, spread offense and pure pocket passing are no longer new, unseen and intimidating. Defenses know how to stop it, or at least disrupt it enough to severely deflate its effectiveness. In many cases, that's more than enough. And even if that weren't true, we can't count on always have Wes Welker and two running backs healthy in order for this offense to function.
Finally, we need to be unpredictable on offense. And I don't mean balancing running and passing with one or two flea flickers thrown in every other game. What am I getting at?
Miami. I'm thinking about what Miami has been doing. And anyone who watched the game last night should be thinking the same thing.
I used to loathe the wild cat. I felt it was the last resort of a team with no quarterback. I was wrong. The wild cat won the game for Miami against a very, very good defense. It is the future. Not the entire future, but part of it.
Now, before people have a conniption, I'm not suggesting Brady go out there and start blocking for Maroney. What I AM suggesting is, stop thinking of Brady as the linchpin of this offense and start mixing wild cat formations - using Hoyer, Endelman, Maroney and another RB, TE or large receiver (Galloway, want to earn your keep?) - with a strong smash-mouth game AND the spread offense with Brady at the helm. Give them absolutely NO @#%&ing clue what you're about to do. Sub packages constantly. Run the 2 minute drill with a spread offense, next possession run the wild cat, next switch between screens, the wild cat and one bomb to Moss.
I think Maroney would be awesome in the wild cat, with Hoyer or Endelman as the QB.
Anyway, I'm sure people are going to think I'm nuts or a ******, but I think this would give us an unprecedented, perhaps temporarily unstoppable (this season), edge.
Thoughts?
