[Goose]

I believe that the data suggests poor offensive line play but, because I believe that the O-line *should be* and *actually is* better in 2024 compared to 2023, the answer has to include a.) poor and possibly deteriorating QB play and b.) flaws in the offensive gameplans. I glibly posted once that this data suggests TT is in over his head. What do other people think?

IMO the increase in TFLs is twofold. First, TT is trying to run the ball more. Last year, we didn't run the ball much at all because we established early on that we couldn't. Shaw's did the same in his last few years. Shaw had a QB who could get the ball out quickly and was accurate so that approach kind of worked. TT realized that he absolutely needed a running game. The passing game just wasn't and isn't anywhere near good enough to dominate the game on its own. Our run games this year is "better" than last year, arguably because the OL is "better". However, the fact is the OL isn't that much better. The defense often gets into the backfield and gets the TFL. Our QBs sometimes hold the ball too long and then belatedly try to run. This results in a TFL. However, IMO that factor isn't any worse than it was last year.

TT is also an aggressive play caller and often calls slowly developing run plays that rely on misdirection/overpursuit. We generally aren't fooling anybody with these plays. The defense gets so much penetration the play is destroyed before it starts, thus the TFL. TT is IMO going to keep doing that because he believes you can't win if you limit your playbook to the few plays you actually run "well". You need to learn to execute the other plays well too. He probably feels he has no other choice. In one sense he is in "over his head" in that he can't find running plays to call that don't risk excessive TFL and yet "work". IMO probably such plays do not exist. He so far has elected to stay the course. He could cut down TFLs by calling the game differently, but in his opinion the result in terms of winning would be worse, not better. Some might say that is stubborn. Where have I head that before?

[Goose]

I believe that the data suggests poor offensive line play but, because I believe that the O-line *should be* and *actually is* better in 2024 compared to 2023, the answer has to include a.) poor and possibly deteriorating QB play and b.) flaws in the offensive gameplans. I glibly posted once that this data suggests TT is in over his head. What do other people think?

IMO the increase in TFLs is twofold. First, TT is trying to run the ball more. Last year, we didn't run the ball much at all because we established early on that we couldn't. Shaw's did the same in his last few years. Shaw had a QB who could get the ball out quickly and was accurate so that approach kind of worked. TT realized that he absolutely needed a running game. The passing game just wasn't and isn't anywhere near good enough to dominate the game on its own. Our run games this year is "better" than last year, arguably because the OL is "better". However, the fact is the OL isn't that much better. The defense often gets into the backfield and gets the TFL. Our QBs sometimes hold the ball too long and then belatedly try to run. This results in a TFL. However, IMO that factor isn't any worse than it was last year.

TT is also an aggressive play caller and often calls slowly developing run plays that rely on misdirection/overpursuit. We generally aren't fooling anybody with these plays. The defense gets so much penetration the play is destroyed before it starts, thus the TFL. TT is IMO going to keep doing that because he believes you can't win if you limit your playbook to the few plays you actually run "well". You need to learn to execute the other plays well too. He probably feels he has no other choice. In one sense he is in "over his head" in that he can't find running plays to call that don't risk excessive TFL and yet "work". IMO probably such plays do not exist. He so far has elected to stay the course. He could cut down TFLs by calling the game differently, but in his opinion the result in terms of winning would be worse, not better. Some might say that is stubborn. Where have I head that before?