[OutsiderFan]

While it is true that superior execution can make any play work, and sometimes coaches adopt a "we don't care if you know what's coming, go and ahead and stop us" mentality, the ability to know tendencies is still the greatest tactical asset a defense has.  If a defense knows what is coming, based on video study and preparation, it's odds of stopping an offense increase.

So at the end of the day, play calling is effective based on the right combination of doing what is working, what a unit can execute, and keeping the opponent off balance, so it can't anticipate what will happen and employ a tactic to neutralize what's coming. 

One person's bad play call is another's poor execution.  That said, it seems logical that being unpredictable is on balance a bit more valuable than superior execution, because a play has more margin for error when it is unexpected, and less when anticipated.

[OutsiderFan]

While it is true that superior execution can make any play work, and sometimes coaches adopt a "we don't care if you know what's coming, go and ahead and stop us" mentality, the ability to know tendencies is still the greatest tactical asset a defense has.  If a defense knows what is coming, based on video study and preparation, it's odds of stopping an offense increase.

So at the end of the day, play calling is effective based on the right combination of doing what is working, what a unit can execute, and keeping the opponent off balance, so it can't anticipate what will happen and employ a tactic to neutralize what's coming. 

One person's bad play call is another's poor execution.  That said, it seems logical that being unpredictable is on balance a bit more valuable than superior execution, because a play has more margin for error when it is unexpected, and less when anticipated.