Why is it never brought up

[BillsVet]

I don't have any trouble realizing the coverage just based on the defensive alignment and the first few steps they take on TV. Doing it from behind the LOS with 300lb mean SOBs flying at your face is a different story.

 

Let me just also point out that three things must happen for the ball to be thrown effectively downfield:

 

1. The receiver must get behind the coverage. When the WR is double teamed or the defense is playing a soft zone, this is nearly impossible, and thus the correct read is to throw the ball where the coverage has vacated, an action that is referred to with much reverence on this board as "checking down".

 

2. The QB must recognize the coverage AND have a receiver who can exploit that coverage. Lee Evans can not do this effectively because he lacks the size to be effective over the middle and in jump ball situations. TO can do this extremely well but we all know how he is prone to drop balls.

 

3. The QB must have time to plant and throw. This is by far the most important and has been by far the biggest problem. If you cannot block a 4 man rush you simply cannot expect to be effective throwing the ball. It is a fundamental rule that is the basis for so many defensive schemes in the NFL. If teams are rushing 5 or more defenders then it is unrealistic to expect the O-line to be able to consistently pick up the rush and therefore you must exploit blitzes with screens and short quick passes to the areas that are vacated by the blitzing defender(s).

 

Last year we had problems with #1 and #3. This year we still have problems with #1 and #3. And as long as #1 and #3 are continuous problems, it is hard to say whether or not #2 is occurring with enough accuracy to be effective.

 

I'm not challenging your fanhood by saying this, but being at the game gives a whole new vantage point as opposed to watching at home. That said, Owens and Evans were getting open, and you don't have to get behind the coverage to do this. The greatest skill a WR can have is the ability to get separation from the defender. This requires solid route running and a good understanding of when the ball will be thrown. I'm not saying Evans and Owens are the best route runners, but they were open, and Edwards elected to throw short.

 

Protection wasn't terrible, but Edwards has been holding onto the ball longer than he should. It's almost as if he doesn't trust himself, the receivers, or both.

[colin]

i think our issues on O and D tend to be that we are too "balanced". we are a jack of all but a master of none. by this i mean we want trent to read before and after the snap, go through progressions, find the open guy, etc etc. we don't seem to have any plays that are specialized in running one way to one guy. we don't have those pre snap quick throw reads that the pats use all the time, we don't have those inside/outside routes that the colts run all the time when manning sees something in the d. we have seen freddy make some good plays, but have we seen him covered by an LB and we exploit that? i don't recall that, just swing outs when everyone else is running around down field.

 

these quick slants, direct quick passes, one read one throw type plays let the O run very quickly and put pressure on the D. since we just have to be perfectly balanced to handle every kind of D on every kind of play we end up not being ready for any of it.

 

imo as a fan these aggressive quick plays on O dictate to the D and put them on their heels (we see them beat us on D all the time). that's going to open up everything. i think that's what we did in NE.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Well, they got rid of Turk. I know that was a hot topic for discussion. AVP can't change the playbook now, he can change the plays that are called, but he's stuck with the playbook for this year. But it's not always the QB, it's usually the coach, Ralph, "GM", or former GM's that get the blame on this board..

 

Why?

 

Can't you have a playbook for the year with 16 different variations... Basically 16 different playbooks. KISS: Keep Simple Stupid. With that, IMO... I thinkyou can have 16 different "looks."