Simplify the offense to make it more teachable?

[Fencer]

McDaniels on reducing offense - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Lombardi says yes, McDaniels tap dances around the question.

What jumps out at me is that Romeo is said to have done that for the defense in 2001, which worked out pretty well.

 

[BradyManny]

Let's see...you have the #2 offense in the league, and offense which carried a subpar defense to the brink of a Super Bowl, in large part thanks to its complexity and its players mastery of it. Then you have added three wide receivers with experience in your offensive system while losing none of your offensive weapons.

So, why again should we dumb it down? If anything, it should go the other way. With the experience guys like Gronk, Hernandez, Welker, Lloyd, Gaffney, Branch, Stallworth have in this offense - let the maestro QB Tom Brady work his magic.

If anything, McDaniels answer to me suggests he's going back to the lab to see what wizardry he can come up with to shock the league the way he did in 2007, with unseen explosiveness out of the gates. O'Brien was a solid OC, but I think McDaniels is salivating over this cast of unrivaled weaponry.

 

[Deus Irae]

I think you just have to go back, re-teach your foundation, establish what you believe in and your core each year, and then build it from there and allow the personnel to kind of dictate which direction you go.”

Seems pretty clear...

 

[Off The Grid]

Haven't we...ummm...already exhausted this subject, recently??

 

[Deus Irae]

Haven't we...ummm...already exhausted this subject, recently??

The recycling threads, post-2008....

1.) Offense too complex

2.) Too much empty backfield

3.) Not enough running game

4.) Not enough blitzing

5.) Not enough pass rush

6.) Offensive coordinator sucks

7.) Belichick's trying to do too much

8.) DBs can't cover

9.) Don't question BB (in one form or another)

10.) BB's lost it (coaching/GMing/both)

Edit: Also a newer, but still repeating, topic

Belichick's version of the 3-4 is obsolete

 

[BlueThunder]

From a fan's POV you forgot...

The cheerleaders routines are getting old.

 

[Off The Grid]

Ah, yes.....

 

[BelichickFan]

Haven't we...ummm...already exhausted this subject, recently??

Six weeks ago.

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...llent-proposal-reduce-complexity-offense.html

 

[TB146]

Six weeks ago.

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...llent-proposal-reduce-complexity-offense.html

But that's like 60 in off-season weeks.

 

[Bombdog]

I disagree I could watch the cheerleaders do their routines all day, Oh and by the way the offense will be amazing this year

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

For Ocho yes. We need a stick figure highlight to show that guy how to run routes in our system

 

[Arrington Planet]

Being a bit of an a**hole...

 

[Fencer]

Six weeks ago.

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...llent-proposal-reduce-complexity-offense.html

Oh yeah; I even posted in that thread. But it got derailed ...

 

[nabwong]

Let's see...you have the #2 offense in the league, and offense which carried a subpar defense to the brink of a Super Bowl, in large part thanks to its complexity and its players mastery of it. Then you have added three wide receivers with experience in your offensive system while losing none of your offensive weapons.

So, why again should we dumb it down? If anything, it should go the other way. With the experience guys like Gronk, Hernandez, Welker, Lloyd, Gaffney, Branch, Stallworth have in this offense - let the maestro QB Tom Brady work his magic.

If anything, McDaniels answer to me suggests he's going back to the lab to see what wizardry he can come up with to shock the league the way he did in 2007, with unseen explosiveness out of the gates. O'Brien was a solid OC, but I think McDaniels is salivating over this cast of unrivaled weaponry.

I think I came a little after reading this.

 

[Metaphors]

I think I came a little after reading this.

-- Rex Ryan after getting the transcript of the Welker press conference prior to the 2010 playoff game

As for the OP, who exactly requires this "simplification"?

OL? Gallery is the only new guy and there are options if he flops.

TE? Fells is new but is playing a role that reserve tackles can master.

RB? O'Brien did a fine job but his use of the RB talent in the offense was more kindergarten than graduate level study. This will be the single biggest area of potential improvement with McDaniels back at the helm.

WR? I fully expect the 12 WR candidates to rise out of the Gillette turf on platforms waiting for the training camp horn to signal the start of their competition. Whichever 5 are left standing after confronting the complexity of the offense (and the cold stare of the Game Master Brady) get to move onto the regular season roster.

QB? A complex offense plays to Brady's greatest strengths.

If the simplification argument is based on some deficiency in WR development/production, that shouldn't be a problem in 2012 absent injuries. They have plenty of players that have had significant success with Brady and/or McDaniels (Welker, Lloyd, Branch, Gaffney, Stallworth). Considering how infrequently a #4/#5 receiver is needed in this offense, that is more than enough without even considering the others.

 

[Fencer]

Reasons one might want to simply the offense:

1. WRs have trouble learning it. Counter-argument A -- choose from among lots of WRs to find ones who can. Counter-argument B -- the young TEs seemed to do well enough.

2. Brady hasn't made consistently great choices in. Counter-argument A -- Nobody's perfect, and he's as close as to perfect as it comes. Counter-argument B -- He'd make better choices if he trusted his receivers more, which he would if he were right to trust them more.

3. RBs have trouble learning how to pass-block. Counter-argument -- Does that really have much to do with the scheme?

4. OL make mental errors. Counter-argument -- Who except Mankins has a big problem with that? And how bad are his problems anyway?

Fair enough ...

 

[Wolfpack]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[BradyManny]

2. Brady hasn't made consistently great choices in. Counter-argument A -- Nobody's perfect, and he's as close as to perfect as it comes. Counter-argument B -- He'd make better choices if he trusted his receivers more, which he would if he were right to trust them more.

Since the era of the McDaniels/Brady/Belichick offense has gone explosive, in four seasons as a starter (including one coming off a major injury), Brady has won 2 MVPs, gone to 2 Super Bowls, thrown for 153 touchdowns versus 37 interceptions, piled up 18,339 yards, completed 66.5% of his passes.

For frame of reference, that means his average season is 38 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and 4854 yards per season.

What part about that isn't consistently great? Bottom line - this offense doesn't have to reinvent itself, McDaniels will just give it a tune-up. It just needs to continue to work on making itself as impervious to defenses like the Giants as it can. And we got Lloyd to do just that.

It's the defense that needs a revolution, and Belichick has that process under way.

 

[Patriot Missile]

If by simplifying it you mean power running game when its called for I'm game. Otherwise why change the complexity? If new players added have a hell of a time learning it, what does that say about opposing defenders trying to break down film? Dumb it down so it's easier to plan a defense against?

 

[Snake Eyes]

Welker seemed to jump right in after having 1 offseason in the offense, same with Moss. Crumpler, Gronk, and Ahern also took to it very quickly, as did Woodhead.

Is the problem the offense or player selection? I think the offense is just fine with the guys we have now.