Often they will stick to the script, regardless of down and distance. I'd imagine they deviate in extreme situations
They draw up enough plays to usually account for holding, small and large gains. Usually they do not number the plays but rather have plays depending on circumstance. For example the first play may be designed to be a running play and the second a deep route. However if Foster rumbles 90 yards on the first play they just pull a short yardage play they may have used on 1st down or 3rd and short. Mostly it is just that the offense practices the set of plays in practice a number of times and a few special plays thrown in.
I don't think it's as strict as it sounds. There's variations depending on how the previous play worked out. If they planned 2 straight running plays and the first goes for 9 yds, they might have an alternate play for that situation.
We can probably consider this situation settled - Bruce Arians has filled the last open HC position available at the moment. It may not be completely settled, as Denver's OC position is now void (along with a few others) and Dennison has made his affection for the Broncos very clear. Not sure if he is putting himself out there for lateral moves though, and teams don't necessarily have to make coordinators available in non-promotion scenarios.
I think people have always taken this much too literally. The idea is to run certain routes, show certain personnel packages and/or blocking assignments, etc., so that the offensive coaches can do two things: 1) set the defense up for counter-plays later; 2) force the defense to reveal how it plans to defend certain things. I don't think it's ever been: we're going to run these 15 plays come hell or high water.
When the Texans script the first 15 plays it works out pretty well so that they don't have to worry about offensive playcalling on the first 5 drives.
Question: how can I, within reason, feel so dissatisfied and annoyed with our OC when the numbers are so extremely good? AJ had his best season, yardage-wise, in his career. Foster set the league on fire two years in a row. This offense has been nearly elite. Am I stupid to think something's not right with this offense?
they didn't know how balance the pass and the run, on paper it was almost 50/50 but too many times they would conflict against each other. when the run wasn't working, we were wasting crucial downs to try to make it work. Two things have to happen: either make sure the run never stops working, with the most superb line play like before exiling eric + Briesel or spreading it out more, letting the pass set up the run sometimes. If a team can't stop the pass and manhandles the run, why run it when they're expecting it?
the last few weeks of a season really put a shadow over the entire season. Don't know if the team chocked, other teams wanted it more or if other teams just found a flaw and exploited it. I love the methodicalness of the offense when it's working on all cylinders but when it's bad, it's really bad and there doesn't seem to be a "backup plan" to jump start it when it's bad.
We suck balls in the red-zone. If we could punch it in more there would be zero complaints but numerous times this year we settled for FG's even though we were deep in the opponents territory.
It all depends on circumstances, and where in the game those yards are coming. For instance, Matt Schaub threw for 343 yards and 2 TD's in the playoff loss against New England. However, every one of us knows that WHEN IT MATTERED, this offense sputtered time and time again, and Schaub threw an incredibly costly interception. He racked up something like 169 yards and a TD when the score was already 38-13 and out of reach. However, if you were to simply look at the stat sheet, you would think people are crazy for criticizing Schaub. I'm not saying it's a direct correlation, but there are tons and tons of opportunities for empty yards and scores in a football game.
Depends. With Schaub, this team enjoyed a 16-game stretch of elite offensive performance (and four of the games were without Andre Johnson). And then the wheels blew off and it struggled for 4.5* of the final 6 weeks. The team is older, there's a young challenger in our division, we all still have very fond memories of the Oilers never getting past this round during the Moon era...... But I would suggest - right now and until we have ample reason to think otherwise - that the smarter play is to buy stock in those 16 games and not the final 6. (*4.5 - the offense was dominant in the first Colt game and, save for Schaub (who wasn't bad; he just wasn't good, either), dominant in their playoff game against Cincinnati.)
perhaps. but your Oilers comparison is too poignant too ignore. Kubiak should say that the door to the SuperBowl goes through NE and we're gonna kick the SOB in.
He wasn't bad, he wasn't great. He was average. He didn't make the big play when they needed it on that drive where he threw a INT. Then again, no one really made a big play when the texans needed it, offense or defense.
Denver promoted Adam Gase to OC I'd say your right, we can consider this settled. Edit: Denver also hired Greg Knapp, so no potential return here.
