Belichick Discusses WCO & Coryell/Gibbs Offense

[scruffylookin]

Any wonder why Belichick wins? The man knows his stuff. That was a great read.

[Zguy28]

No wonder he's a great defensive coach.

[Seabee1973]

One thing I'd quibble about in your assessment of a "Joe Gibbs Offense" is you left out the play-action game. In fact you seemed to generally dismissed the idea that Gibbs featured a downfield game at all.

Yes, Joe liked to pound the ball, and yes, he was a master at converting 3rd downs in order to grind it out and wear down defenses, but he was also a cold-blooded assassin in terms of setting up the deep ball.

Just for illustration, here's the '91 Redskins offensive regular-season production:

Passing: 261 of 447, 3692 yards, 30 TD, 11 INT, 8.1 yds/att.

Rushing: 540 rushes, 2049 yards, 21 TD, 3.8 yds.att.

Of note:

The 8.1 yards per attempt passing was best in the league by almost a yard. San Fran finished second at 7.3.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1991/

Hard to argue that the downfield passing game wasn't a -- if not THE -- key component of his best offensive team.

Who was the offensive coordinater of those teams? i know Dasn henning left in 88 i believe and after that it seemed the redskins passing game really took off especially in 91

[jtyler42]

Who was the offensive coordinater of those teams? i know Dasn henning left in 88 i believe and after that it seemed the redskins passing game really took off especially in 91

I believe it was Don Breaux after Henning left...

[SonnyJ]

Any wonder why Belichick wins? The man knows his stuff. That was a great read.

I didn't find it particularly insightful. Many who follow NFL football with some degree of passion could have given you the same info. Not to mention the fact that, as mentioned earlier, Wyche was Ickey's coach in Cincinnatti, not Brown.

That said, I'm quite certain that Belichick is quite well-versed in all of these offenses and understands them at a fundamental level. I just didn't find these press conference ramblings of his to be particularly enlightening.

[cphil006]

So what he is saying is...

We should fire Vinny, hire a GM, and get a head coach that can run a version of Coryell/Gibbs offense???

[33]

I didn't find it particularly insightful. Many who follow NFL football with some degree of passion could have given you the same info. Not to mention the fact that, as mentioned earlier, Wyche was Ickey's coach in Cincinnatti, not Brown..

I'm assuming (and could be wrong), that Belichick was referring to the fact that Brown was the de facto GM at the time they brought Ickey in.

[Chicken Fried]

I seriously wonder if Zorn knows all that. I hate Belichick, but you have to admit he's a damn good football mind.

[Cdowwe]

I'm assuming (and could be wrong), that Belichick was referring to the fact that Brown was the de facto GM at the time they brought Ickey in.

"For example, I-Formation was a very minimal part of that offense as Bill Walsh ran it, not as Paul Brown ran it. Paul ran a lot of "I" when he had [Paul] Robinson and Ickey [Woods] and those guys. He ran a lot of that I-Formation. So each coach has modified it a little bit."

I dont know, it sounds alot like he thought Brown coached Ickey since he included Paul Robinson, who Brown coached. He compares Walsh running an offense with how Brown ran an offense... you wouldnt compare how a coach runs an offense with how a GM ran an offense with Ickey Woods. Not that it really matters, but I think King Bill was just mistaken this time

[Going Commando]

That adds some very interesting insight into the reason that Belichick is so successful. The man even knows who runs what variation of which offense and from whom it came. Unreal.

And to just recall it off the top of his head for the interviewer like that? Even the names of the players from the 60's and 70's? I know I'm not paid to remember things like he is but I can't even remember some of the starters from our own team 10 years ago without looking it up. That's really impressive. The man is a football scholar.