09-29-2012, 12:56 PM
Glenn--
One posited exception to the above rule. As someone mentioned in another thread, if the coaching staff is still going to be dedicated to the wildcat, I'd like to see what Hogan or another running QB could bring to that formation. The direct snap to a running back allows the safeties and the corners to worry about nothing except run support and containing the edges to allow the defense to flow to the ball. There's at least got to be a small possibility of a lob over the top to hold them for a split second.
The other thing I worry about is not so much the predictability of the offense as the lack of creativity. One difference between the Harbaugh staff and this one is the lack of variation or inspiration in the offense (maybe partly attributable to a new QB, but still). With Harbaugh and especially Luck, those 3 play options at the line of scrimmage all had a shot at being called. With Nunes, very little checking or changing. How about the multiple shifts, unbalanced lines, and other variants that were meant to confuse and move the defense and still be able to run power? What about throwing the ball to a tackle-eligible on a short-yardage play, or at least spreading the field slightly?
The short-yardage play is a case in point. When we run that 3 back triangle, with Hewitt or Taylor deep in what was Stewart's spot last year, the only thing the defense has to worry about is whether the deep back will run to the left or the right of center - the ball is never given to one of the up backs, never sent outside. The one exception was the toss to Kelsey Young from the upback spot, and that worked damned well. And they've never done it again.
And I'm with you and the others who're worried about the screen being tipped in some way.
VG
One posited exception to the above rule. As someone mentioned in another thread, if the coaching staff is still going to be dedicated to the wildcat, I'd like to see what Hogan or another running QB could bring to that formation. The direct snap to a running back allows the safeties and the corners to worry about nothing except run support and containing the edges to allow the defense to flow to the ball. There's at least got to be a small possibility of a lob over the top to hold them for a split second.
The other thing I worry about is not so much the predictability of the offense as the lack of creativity. One difference between the Harbaugh staff and this one is the lack of variation or inspiration in the offense (maybe partly attributable to a new QB, but still). With Harbaugh and especially Luck, those 3 play options at the line of scrimmage all had a shot at being called. With Nunes, very little checking or changing. How about the multiple shifts, unbalanced lines, and other variants that were meant to confuse and move the defense and still be able to run power? What about throwing the ball to a tackle-eligible on a short-yardage play, or at least spreading the field slightly?
The short-yardage play is a case in point. When we run that 3 back triangle, with Hewitt or Taylor deep in what was Stewart's spot last year, the only thing the defense has to worry about is whether the deep back will run to the left or the right of center - the ball is never given to one of the up backs, never sent outside. The one exception was the toss to Kelsey Young from the upback spot, and that worked damned well. And they've never done it again.
And I'm with you and the others who're worried about the screen being tipped in some way.
VG