Exploiting strengths, concealing weaknesses

[Guest The Angry Buddha]

Just a laundry list of some things I've observed and ideas for improvement. Feel free to add, disagree, etc...

OFFENSIVE STRENGTHS:

* Rifle-armed QB

* Bruising all-around tailback

* Big WRs

* Well-rounded OL (not road graders, not finesse pass blockers, but more than serviceable in both run and pass protection)

OFFENSIVE WEAKNESSES:

* Unintelligent QB that is weak in a timing based, structured passing game

* Poor TEs and no pass catching threats out of the backfield

* Soft interior blocking

* No legitimate possession WR to help move the chains

CONCLUSION:

* Shift to a one-back set, using a fullback only in goal line situations. Run Stephen Davis through all holes 25 times per game or more, using a moving TE as his lead blocker and your big WRs to pick off safeties and LBs that come up into the box.

* Forget the 2 TE sets. Make use of more 3 WR sets to get targets downfield in lanes for George to hit. George is at his best when he has multiple big play options downfield rather than one intermediate pass and three checkdowns.

* Move the TE around not just to lead for Davis, but to improvise in pass protection and occasionally sneak into a seam downfield (Rasby fits this role best).

* Forget the short passing/ball control approach. Smallish 5'10" guys can run 7 yard hooks for you all day long. Big 6'2"+ receivers run hard slants, posts, and fly patterns. Play to the strength of the receiver corps rather than to the "system."

DEFENSIVE STRENGTHS:

* Two shut-down cornerbacks.

* Linebackers with excellent sideline-to-sideline speed.

* Fast but undersized DL.

DEFENSIVE WEAKNESSES:

* Safeties and LBs have much trouble covering RBs and TEs out of the backfield, and are almost useless against WRs.

* LBs do not fill-in the holes that the DL cannot cover.

* DL is smallish and very soft in the middle.

CONCLUSION:

* (This is where I bite my tongue). Shift to a "read-and-react" scheme to exploit your team speed and protect the soft middle. Use the DL to contain rather than pursue, and pull your LBs off the line of scrimmage a couple of yards so they can move to the play rather than get caught inside on a downfield block.

* Sacrifice your best run-stuffing DB by sitting Sam Shade in favor of Keith Lyle at strong safety. Then rely on the one-on-one coverage skills of all 4 DBs so that the 7 men in the box can react to slashing runs and short passes.

[Sailor]

Good post, Buddah, but I think we're all getting carried away with this WCO thing. The way I see it, the problem is not the WCO, it's that we can't complete a short to intermediate pass, period.

One of the stats quoted last night is that we are only something like 3 for 20 in third down conversions. All these three and outs are keeping us from scoring and wearing our defense out. Letting George air it out is not going to solve the problem. We have to be able to complete some short passes to keep our drives alive.

Actually, letting Jeff throw more long passes plays away from our strength with Davis and the running game. If you give Davis the ball, you're going to see a lot of 3rd downs with 3 to 6 yards to go. You don't want Jeff airing it out on third down, not if you want to sustain drives.

We could really use a possession receiver, but we don't have one. Marty and Jimmy Raye are going to have to find another solution. If it were me, I'd try starting Lockett. Or I'd try three wide reciever sets, maybe with McCants. Put three big guys out there and try to create a mismatch. Or maybe two TE's with Alexander and Flemister. Somehow the coaches have to figure out a way to convert 3rd and 5.

[Brave]

Sailor, there is no doubt that the execution has not been there. Even so, this scheme seems lacking in every area to me. There is talent there ... talent that has performed in the past. For them to look so completely lost makes me think the players don't know how to execute. It looks like they don't know what they are doing, and for that the coach or coaches must bear some blame.