[RedShift]

So, one thing about this thread that I find curious is that everyone just accepts that the complex playbook is why we don't start true freshman QBs. I have a few questions about this:

1) Is our playbook actually that complicated? Someone mentioned that we don't actually have that many plays, but we have a lot of formations and run the same plays out of those formations. This matches my understanding of NFL offenses (at least I've heard this about the Patriots). I suppose that's harder to learn than, say, Mike Leach's "just run 4 verticals all game" offense, but I don't think we're talking about doing rocket surgery here.

2) If the playbook is actually complicated, is that why we don't play true freshman QBs? Shaw could just be, you know, lying about it. Using it as a general "GET BETTER" to the freshman. Or something else. Or nothing. Who knows? Why is this pretty much the one thing that we take his word on?

3) Is the playbook the reason we've been offensively challenged some years? .
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...

Back in October when Roman was fired by the Bills and replaced by Anthony Lynn, I came across an interesting comment by a Bills' vet in MMQB:
"Anthony Lynn isn’t directly responsible for the Bills’ resurgence after that 0-2 start, but he has made a big difference in establishing an offensive identity for a team that needed one, and cohesion with what Ryan wanted to do defensively. And while wholesale change in midstream is, of course, pretty much impossible, Lynn’s tweaks have made a difference. “The changes aren’t super simple,” said one Bills vet. “We’re running the same plays that we did under G-Ro. It’s just that with Roman, we had a brobdingnagian playbook and we could run absolutely anything from week-to-week. Anthony’s all about matchups… He played [in the NFL], so he knows matchups are brobdingnagian.......  Second, as the players see it, Lynn is more apt to go back to something that’s working than Roman was. ”
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/10/13/nfl-w...tman-fired

I would think Shaw's playbook has changed some from that of the Harbaugh days, but (1) I've no reason to believe that it has gotten smaller, and (2) Shaw's offensive philosophy has shifted from what it was when Harbaugh brought him to Stanford. The issues raised by the Bills' player are issues I've seen with Harbaugh, Shaw and Roman when they were together and then separately. 

Having said all that, I will again make my ritual bow of deference and respect to Shaw. If he continues recruiting at the level he's doing now, the Cardinal will be perennial top-20 team regardless of deficiencies (real or perceived) with regard to coaching of offense  or in-game playcalling decisions.

[RedShift]

So, one thing about this thread that I find curious is that everyone just accepts that the complex playbook is why we don't start true freshman QBs. I have a few questions about this:

1) Is our playbook actually that complicated? Someone mentioned that we don't actually have that many plays, but we have a lot of formations and run the same plays out of those formations. This matches my understanding of NFL offenses (at least I've heard this about the Patriots). I suppose that's harder to learn than, say, Mike Leach's "just run 4 verticals all game" offense, but I don't think we're talking about doing rocket surgery here.

2) If the playbook is actually complicated, is that why we don't play true freshman QBs? Shaw could just be, you know, lying about it. Using it as a general "GET BETTER" to the freshman. Or something else. Or nothing. Who knows? Why is this pretty much the one thing that we take his word on?

3) Is the playbook the reason we've been offensively challenged some years? .
...
...

Back in October when Roman was fired by the Bills and replaced by Anthony Lynn, I came across an interesting comment by a Bills' vet in MMQB:
"Anthony Lynn isn’t directly responsible for the Bills’ resurgence after that 0-2 start, but he has made a big difference in establishing an offensive identity for a team that needed one, and cohesion with what Ryan wanted to do defensively. And while wholesale change in midstream is, of course, pretty much impossible, Lynn’s tweaks have made a difference. “The changes aren’t super simple,” said one Bills vet. “We’re running the same plays that we did under G-Ro. It’s just that with Roman, we had a brobdingnagian playbook and we could run absolutely anything from week-to-week. Anthony’s all about matchups… He played [in the NFL], so he knows matchups are brobdingnagian.......  Second, as the players see it, Lynn is more apt to go back to something that’s working than Roman was. ”
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/10/13/nfl-w...tman-fired

I would think Shaw's playbook has changed some from that of the Harbaugh days, but (1) I've no reason to believe that it has gotten smaller, and (2) Shaw's offensive philosophy has shifted from what it was when Harbaugh brought him to Stanford. The issues raised by the Bills' player are issues I've seen with Harbaugh, Shaw and Roman when they were together and then separately. 

Having said all that, I will again make my ritual bow of deference and respect to Shaw. If he continues recruiting at the level he's doing now, the Cardinal will be perennial top-20 team regardless of deficiencies (real or perceived) with regard to coaching of offense  or in-game playcalling decisions.