Interesting repercussions of running down the Play Clock

[Avigatorx]

I saw it mentioned somewhere and it really got me thinking. Jay Cutler continuously let's the clock run down to 1 or 2 seconds before the ball is snapped.

I was at the game yesterday and EVERYONE was tired of It, so many TOs had to be wasted because he has ZERO sense of urgency.

What all does this have an effect on?
- It completely takes the guessing part out of it for the defense. Once it gets down to 2 or 1 seconds they know exactly when the ball HAS to be snapped. Allowing them to jump counts and pin their ears back.

- It puts our O-line behind the 8-ball because of what was mentioned above, makes their job a lot harder.

- He incorporates very very little hard count is his game because he doesn't leave himself time. Even though it's a very useful tool to have when a defense is chomping at the bit.

- Lastly and most importantly, we get more delay of game penalties and burned TOs because of thus bum.

I feel like that might have something to do with the fact that our O-line looked like it was playing better once Moore stepped in. He was actually running hurry up and changing the tempo.

Thoughts are welcomed.

The problems are actually much worse than what you listed.

When you break huddle with 7 seconds left on the play clock, there is no way for the QB to get a good pre-snap read. He needs to see who is in single coverage, where the safeties are shaded, how many guys are in "the box", is the D showing blitz.

Then he needs time to account for this and call for certain protections, have guys pick up blitzers, put guys in motion to recheck the D, and maybe audibe if needed.

Audibles aside, imagine having someone blindfold you and drive you somewhere, then put you in the driver's seat of he car and remove your blindfold and tell you to GO!

Its kinda like that, and at least IMO a BIG part of the reason our offense has sucked so often this year.

 

[psfign]

It's definitely annoying as eff.

 

[phins_4_ever]

The problems are actually much worse than what you listed.

When you break huddle with 7 seconds left on the play clock, there is no way for the QB to get a good pre-snap read. He needs to see who is in single coverage, where the safeties are shaded, how many guys are in "the box", is the D showing blitz.

Then he needs time to account for this and call for certain protections, have guys pick up blitzers, put guys in motion to recheck the D, and maybe audibe if needed.

Audibles aside, imagine having someone blindfold you and drive you somewhere, then put you in the driver's seat of he car and remove your blindfold and tell you to GO!

Its kinda like that, and at least IMO a BIG part of the reason our offense has sucked so often this year.

What is even worse is when he goes under center with 15 or 16 seconds left and stands back up with 8 seconds just to go back under center and snap with 1 second left.
I am not an OL guy but it must be annoying as hell and hard staying in your stance for almost 20 seconds.

 

[CSONKA1966]

Cutler is just bad. His footwork sxcks, He does have a strong arm however when you constantly throw off your back foot and play scared as a qb,you lead a talented team to the 32 nd ranked offense in the nfl.

 

[njFinsForever]

I like Gase, but thinking Cutler could salvage this season was/is poor judgement. To think people were saying it wouldn’t be a big drop off in QB play from Tannehill...the only thing he does have over RT is a better feel for the pocket, tho RT was showing improvement in that regard last yr. Cutler is garbage

 

[Digital]

OK, I have a different take than most people. IMHO, this is 100% a planned strategy. Our defense needs us to bleed as much time (on or off the clock) between when they leave the field and when they return to the field. We need to shorten the game. This methodical approach lets our defense rest and the other team's QB to get cold. It worked like a charm against Atlanta, and honestly, it's been a big help all year.

When your defense has old guys like Cam Wake, William Hayes, Lawrence Timmons and Reshad Jones, it's best to let them rest when they can. Because when they're at full energy levels, they're dominant, but they tire quickly at their ages. Also, preventing the opposing teams from finding their rhythm is probably our most effective feature for our defense. Think about it, Atlanta scored 17 in the first half and if we hadn't bled clock it would have been much more. They scored zero in the second half, and that was in large part because they just didn't get that many drives and were never allowed to build a rhythm.

We're not winning shootouts, because we simply cannot generate enough offense to do that yet. But, if we keep the score low and the game close, we have been able to opportunistically eek out a few victories.

It's not the most exciting way to play complementary football (where the offense complements the defense and vice versa), but hey, it has been effective.

 

[Avigatorx]

OK, I have a different take than most people. IMHO, this is 100% a planned strategy. Our defense needs us to bleed as much time (on or off the clock) between when they leave the field and when they return to the field. We need to shorten the game. This methodical approach lets our defense rest and the other team's QB to get cold. It worked like a charm against Atlanta, and honestly, it's been a big help all year.

When your defense has old guys like Cam Wake, William Hayes, Lawrence Timmons and Reshad Jones, it's best to let them rest when they can. Because when they're at full energy levels, they're dominant, but they tire quickly at their ages. Also, preventing the opposing teams from finding their rhythm is probably our most effective feature for our defense. Think about it, Atlanta scored 17 in the first half and if we hadn't bled clock it would have been much more. They scored zero in the second half, and that was in large part because they just didn't get that many drives and were never allowed to build a rhythm.

We're not winning shootouts, because we simply cannot generate enough offense to do that yet. But, if we keep the score low and the game close, we have been able to opportunistically eek out a few victories.

It's not the most exciting way to play complementary football (where the offense complements the defense and vice versa), but hey, it has been effective.

Sorry bro, I'm not buying it.

You can work the clock fine without breaking the huddle 7 seconds before the clock runs.

If they want to bleed the clock there is no reason they cant get to the line early and work the hard count till the clock runs down.

Thats besides the fact that we have been playing from behind almost every game. If that's Gase's strategy then I need to quit watching football.

 

[Digital]

Sorry bro, I'm not buying it.

You can work the clock fine without breaking the huddle 7 seconds before the clock runs.

If they want to bleed the clock there is no reason they cant get to the line early and work the hard count till the clock runs down.

Thats besides the fact that we have been playing from behind almost every game. If that's Gase's strategy then I need to quit watching football.

IMHO, they break the huddle early to limit situational substitutions and if they see the defense caught out in the wrong personnel or in a blown pre-snap alignment, they can snap it early and take advantage of it.

But, I'm confident that this is Gase trying to mimic a ball-control offense with an offense that lacks a decent OL. He's trying to shorten the game, and IMHO, it's working. When we say Gase is winning with smoke and mirrors, I'd say that this is part of the smoke, LOL.

 

[fish920]

I was at the game and it seemed like my whole section was screaming "snap it!" Thank you matt Moore, if it wasnt for him all of us at the game would have had to listen to those miserable jets fans spell a 4 letter word over and over again. Amazing game to have attended, also the 72 team was there for halftime which was pretty cool.

 

[Mustangbee]

OK I went back went back and re-watched the game. Miami didn't use a timeout in the first half until the final 90 seconds before halftime and the only instances of Cutler burning a timeout to keep the clock from expiring was early in the 3rd quarter. When you say "so many timeouts had to be wasted" do you mean just one?

Maybe he exaduated a little, but he has a point. He does run the playclock down to 1-2 seconds way too much. And he doesn't run the hurry up offense like he previewed in the preseason. (Which was really promising at first.)

 

[hoops]

some of it is he's resetting or verifying protections...most of these late clocks come on non motion based coverage ids

there's more of a check with me with cutler than matt moore

 

[fansinceGWilson]

Sorry bro, I'm not buying it.

You can work the clock fine without breaking the huddle 7 seconds before the clock runs.

If they want to bleed the clock there is no reason they cant get to the line early and work the hard count till the clock runs down.

Thats besides the fact that we have been playing from behind almost every game. If that's Gase's strategy then I need to quit watching football.

Which leads me to a question. Cutler's been around long enough to know to get to the LOS befor the closk shows 7 seconds. And I noticed a few times Cutler seeming to wait, looking at the sidelines, as if waiting on the play. How much of this 'slow to the LOS' is Cutler and how much is Gase slow to get plays in? I honestly don't know. I agree - get to the LOS fast and diagnose the D. THEN run the clock down, if desired.

 

[hoops]

cutler is given more check with me run pass options...matt moore I think is given the play and roles with it...although when you are chasing the scoreboard you gonna even if you do get checks stick with the pass a lot

gase trust cutler to put us in the best play more based on what the d shows...and I'd agree with that...even if the qb execution post snap sucks

 

[BobDole]

Maybe he exaduated a little, but he has a point. He does run the playclock down to 1-2 seconds way too much. And he doesn't run the hurry up offense like he previewed in the preseason. (Which was really promising at first.)

Exaduated is one of the most impressive misspellings I've seen on here. Get a like for that one.

 

[Vaark]

OK, I have a different take than most people. IMHO, this is 100% a planned strategy. Our defense needs us to bleed as much time (on or off the clock) between when they leave the field and when they return to the field. We need to shorten the game. This methodical approach lets our defense rest and the other team's QB to get cold. It worked like a charm against Atlanta, and honestly, it's been a big help all year.

When your defense has old guys like Cam Wake, William Hayes, Lawrence Timmons and Reshad Jones, it's best to let them rest when they can. Because when they're at full energy levels, they're dominant, but they tire quickly at their ages. Also, preventing the opposing teams from finding their rhythm is probably our most effective feature for our defense. Think about it, Atlanta scored 17 in the first half and if we hadn't bled clock it would have been much more. They scored zero in the second half, and that was in large part because they just didn't get that many drives and were never allowed to build a rhythm.

We're not winning shootouts, because we simply cannot generate enough offense to do that yet. But, if we keep the score low and the game close, we have been able to opportunistically eek out a few victories.

It's not the most exciting way to play complementary football (where the offense complements the defense and vice versa), but hey, it has been effective.

IMO, whatever edge you might gain by giving the D more of a breather, you lose even more of one offensively for all the reasons already cited.