So how would you fix it?

[Urrymonster]

Joey Galloway? :gnorsi:

Lol, no I wasn't talking personel, more play calling.

Not if our defense can dominate. Many teams have won a superbowl with no real downfield threat.

I am not a huge historical expert, but were most of the teams that got by with no down field threat in the possession of attacking defenses? Ones that scored and had high levels of turnovers? We do not have that. Whilst we can limit the points, our modified Cover 2 system essentially needs our offense to score a few points so the D can prevent big plays and stop the opposition getting quickly back into the game

Like I said, correct me if I have this all wrong!

That's made up for by the fact that defenses have to spread laterally against a WCO to account for the large number of sideways of very short passes. It allows to offense to attack along the entire line of scrimmage as opposed to just between the tackles.

It doesn't mean you never take a shot down field if you get the perfect match up but that should only be a couple times a game max.

And for what its worth, we don't have a down field threat now. Sure Jake throws deep but D's are hoping he does these days, not fearing it. So we need to take it out of the game plan because right now the risk/reward for those plays doesn't calculate in our favor.

I like the idea of spreading the defense out, but not sure if there is any way we could realistically use it. Do we have the receivers for the system and more importantly do we have a running game that can be translated to this system as well. That is our bread and butter so we can't move to a system that prevents us doing that. Otherwise our formations will simply telegraph what we are doing.

I seem to recall a few short passes being pick 6's this season...

[Vagrant]

Regardless of how poorly Steve Smith is playing, not many teams are going to be willing to leave him out there 1 on 1 against anybody the danger of a double move will be enough to keep the offense honest along with a few deep shots during the first few drives to establish Smith as a threat.

The A number 1 game plan for next week should involve getting Smith the ball 5 times on our first two drives if we run 10 plays or more. I would like to see a modified version of the smoke route where we stack three on one side and let Smith come back in under them and read the play from there. Cornerbacks know that the smoke is an option, so we have to mix it up. Also, throwing in a fake smoke route to Smith may cause the whole side of the defense to collapse against that side and make a good opportunity for a counter play. Our entire passing game is predicated on teams being afraid of Steve and right now it's just not happening. When we open Steve up and get him pounding his chest and doing his thing, then we open up the rest of the field. One thing I have noticed is that our pass catching guys hardly ever break route to come back to Jake when he's facing a ton of pressure and that would really help him. Giving him somebody to knock the ball down instead of getting sacked all the time would make his life so much easier.

If I were Davidson, this is what the first drive would look like next week:

1st play - Deangelo Williams single back formation draw to the right side.

2nd Play - Single back Williams play action fake slants quick read to Smith, second option check down to King sitting down on the first down marker.

3rd Play - If short, I formation Stewart rush up the right side. If long, see me Steve Smith smoke route.

4th Play - Deangelo Williams I form strong left side draw.

5th Play - Steve Smith reverse rush from single back fake draw to Moose's side.

6th play - If short, Moose on a quick hitter slant from single back with Stewart. If long, Steve Smith double move to the endzone with Rosario crossing the field as a safety valve in case of double coverage on Smith.

7th Play - Fake Smoke to Smith, backside handoff to Stewart up the middle.

8th Play - 3 Wide Curls with the TE in to block. 3rd WR 5 yard turn, Moose and Smith 10 yard turn.

9th Play - Deangelo Williams pitch to Muhammad's side.

10th Play - Three step drop quick read. Progression: Smith then Moose then King.

That would be my first ten scripted plays.

[CRA]

Basically, steal a page from NE and there short screen passing game that was cranked up a notch last year w/ Cassel. That would require new formation and ditching the tired schemes that the entire world see coming each week.

[Kevin Greene]

Jake=Kobayashi Maru

[Cyberjag]

Jake=Kobayashi Maru

So you're saying only Bellichik could win?

[pstall]

Lots of screens. STOP throwing deep to Moose. STOP throwing those epic lame 5 yard outs to Hoover or King with somebody draped all over them.

DO roll out more. Get him out of the pocket. This also opens up the running game AND offset the pass rush. Hard to sack a guy when he moves away from the pressure.

More and more reverses. To Smitty or Moore or bring Deangelo in motion.

Why line Dwill as a WR and you don't throw to him or run his way? Wasted play and talent.

The coaching staff needs to rebuild his confidence as well as protect him from himself.

[panthers55]

The solution isn't short passes or long passes, slants and whatever. It isn't that easy. You have to pick your passing play at the line once you see what defense they are in. You can't run a slant if the corner is in press coverage on the inside shoulder taking away the inside. But you surely can run an out.

The problem was illuminated by Moose very well. The defense knows what we are going to run because we have too many tendencies to run specific plays out a certain set. We don't do what Davidson said he was going to do when he came here. And that was develop some core sets and run multiple options out of them so they look like a play we ran before but we do somethng completely different out of it.

Or we put more folks in motion to spread things out and get better matchups.

On the other hand,

I guess it it were this easy, we would already be doing it.

[Vagrant]

The solution may not be easy, but right now we know what throws that Jake is incapable of making right now.... perhaps ever again.

1. Balls with enough zip on them to throw out routes to the sideline. These are seen coming a mile away and the CBs jump the route. Those throws are predicated on arm strength of which Jake has not proven this year he still has.

2. Balls with enough distance and the proper amount of loft to hit the deep ball with any consistency.

3. Throwing to a spot instead of a set of hands.

4. Leading the target.

So what does that leave him with? Well.... a useable amount of accuracy on quick hitters and short slants. Any throw outlined above needs to be taken out of the playbook as long as Jake is our quarterback.

We need to create stationary targets for Jake to throw to or we need to run the ball. That's all there is to it.

[Scrumtrilescent]

Initiate the Steve Walsh Protocol.

Wait, is he still alive? Hmm........

[firstdayfan]

I think the the offense can be fixed (namely the passing game) by utilizing two principles that we have lacked so far this season.

1) Get the ball to Smith in space. This doesn't have to be deep throws all the time. Smith can take that smoke route and break it for a 70 yard TD. Thats the kind of player he is. The problem is that his routes simply keep him contained to one side of the field. Have him to some crossing patterns in order to lose the convoy that follows him around. Use other players to shield Smith and get him the ball so that he can make some things happen. This could also work with a variety of other guys like Williams, Moore, Stewart, and Goodson...which brings me to my next point.

2) Spread the ball around. Even though Smith is a playmaker we have the thinking that he is the only one. Goodson has fumbled a lot but he can also make guys miss, get him in there (when healthy) and let him make some plays. Get the ball to the tight ends more down the field instead of the short dump off plays. Hit Jarrett and Moore in the slot regularly instead of Moose so much. If we can effectively spread the ball around then the defense will be forced to react instead of attack.

All of these things would open up the running game which would in turn make the offense work like it did last year. If the offense can get going I feel strongly that the defense can stop good teams (except maybe the Saints).

[panthers55]

The solution may not be easy, but right now we know what throws that Jake is incapable of making right now.... perhaps ever again.

1. Balls with enough zip on them to throw out routes to the sideline. These are seen coming a mile away and the CBs jump the route. Those throws are predicated on arm strength of which Jake has not proven this year he still has.

2. Balls with enough distance and the proper amount of loft to hit the deep ball with any consistency.

3. Throwing to a spot instead of a set of hands.

4. Leading the target.

So what does that leave him with? Well.... a useable amount of accuracy on quick hitters and short slants. Any throw outlined above needs to be taken out of the playbook as long as Jake is our quarterback.

We need to create stationary targets for Jake to throw to or we need to run the ball. That's all there is to it.

Most of what you indicate as incapacity are realy timing and confidence issues. He does throw the ball but often late. Why? Because when he throws a timing pass to a spot as often as not, as happened against Washington, the receiver is running the wrong route. There was a time when he could throw to a spot and guys like Smith would be there and make the catch. Unfortunately that isn't happening right now and both Jake and receivers have to share the blame. Quarterbacks who throw to spots have to believe that the receiver will be there when the ball arrives. Right now Jake is waiting for the player to clear and throwing late allowing coverage to catch up. It is also why some passes are overthrown or off target. Once the timing and rhythm are thrown off it screws up the play. Other times Jake is hurrying the throw as he is getting buried. It takes both receiver and quarterback to complete a pass. Jake is no worse off physically than last year in my opinion but his timing and confidence are not very good.

[pstall]

And the bottleneck to this....A #3WR is needed. Put Moose there and put Moore at # 2 or whatev.

But not having that is blocking the ENTIRE offense from moving forward.

There isn't as many tells as there is nothing complicated to gameplan for.

Smith in the slot? Pass to Smith.

Guy goes in motion? NO pass to the person in motion.

RB lines up wide? NO pass to the rb.

I have seen formations where King goes in motion all the way to the sideline? Then they pass left and you would think a run to where ya know, King's guy WAS?

#3 WR boys and girls. I mentioned how bad the WR corps was over the summer. And as the fad thing to say right now, "and I don't get paid to know this, so imagine pro teams"

[Guild]

Is K Moore fast enough to be a deep threat? If so I would start with him as my way to open up the offense. Run plays that no one in the league has seen us run before and take advantage of them having to use their brains and react rather than memory and practice.

[monstercat]

I'm no expert, but the if they used more 4 WR sets, motion, and bunch formations, there would be no more triple coverage on Steve Smith. Everybody complains about the QB, but they have got to find a way to get seperation for their best WR, because almost all of these INT's are happening because Delhomme is trying to force it to Smitty when he's not open. Well, get him, or at least somebody, the hell open on 3rd and 8 and Delhomme will hit them... if he has time, that is.