I was glad i found it ... it's really a team process ... everyone has input.
A week inside the mind of the Patriots - The Boston Globe
Yup, and that's a little different than what you will find with most teams and as a process a darned sight different that what you will find when the HC is dependent on coordinators hired to manage an aspect of the game based on their own system or track record with one, as opposed to those hired, taught and groomed to implement a system and scheme that emanates from the HC.
In NY for example, prior to implementing his new red, yellow, green light rookie QB managment system Rex Cryin' had NO involvement with anyone's offensive game planning. Didn't even understand the verbiage in Shotty's scheme (which he inherited). He was hired to be a PSL selling, figurehead HC and defacto DC of the NYJ. Replacing Shotty may require hiring a coordinator to install an entirely new system he is proficient in and teach it to a sophomore QB and his offense since Rex has none for that side of the ball... When Dungy was hired by Polian he inherited an offensive scheme and OC and Offensive staff fired former JC Mora, Sr. built and taught to young Peyton Manning, and Dungy's input and staffing was limited to the defensive side of the ball.
Here the system endures, only the names of the much maligned implementers change periodically... Within the scheme adaptations and evolutions occur over time born of necessity as it's own personnel and opponents strengths and weaknesses change over time. By and large Bill is the architect of that change since he has full control of football ops and ultimate say in draft and FA decisions and he spends his limited free time in the offseason investigating trends in the game and picking the brains of protogees and innovators.
There are hundreds of plays in a teams playbook entering every season yet each week only 70 or so are selected and practiced for that weeks game. Decisions are made in advance on playcalling options given down and distance as well as unique situational circumstances. Initial series are scripted. Teams determine a handful of pre selected best situational plays for 4th and short, 2 point conversion, 3rd and long and basically none for 3rd and 27...because there isn't ever a good one for that... Based on both their own teams strengths and any opponents trends and weaknesses picked up as a result of extensive film review. That's what's on that laminated card every playcaller covers his yap with when he's calling in the plays. It's all color coded and broken down to facilitate ease of playcalling. There are no plays on that card that the QB is uncomfortable with executing or lacks players to execute with (unless the OC has a death wish). There are also multiple option formations for running each play and often players are cross trained to run similar routes with dissimilar personnel groupings. And there are preferred personnel groupings for every play. We do a lot more with personnel groupings than some teams like say Indy who tends to run the same base personnel with few substitutions barring injury.
Add to that here we run a read and react offense that adjusts routes and depths and protections based on pre and post snap reads... and it's flat out hysterical to listen to all the armchair OC's moaning about how we should have simply, clearly called whatever was the opposite of the play that didn't just work...and how the OC sucks independent of how the players executed. When Bill reviews the coaches tapes of each game he knows exactly why a play did or didn't work. 9 times out of 10 it comes down to failure of one or more players to execute. Once in a while it's a lousy call or an unanticipated outstanding play by an opposing player or players.
Guys who do a consistently lousy job of playcalling generally don't last long and rarely get rewarded with a franchise of their very own...
This post 2006 season thread is just the beginning of one posters oddessy to head the can the coordinator campaign. It's become an annual equivalent akin to spamming. Read it to it's end where it even includes a thinly disguised cameo appearance by his predecessor, the banned legend in his own mind who elevated OC bashing here at patsfans to a comedic art form.
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...josh-mcdaniels-handicapped-patriots-team.html