Communication thru play calling

[Finland]

I find this stuff interesting. Anyone have any thoughts.

Communication thru play calling is one of the coolest things to watch. The Pats call of going for it on 4th down early in the game against Indy was all about communication. to your team, the other team, the rest of the teams the other coach etc. It said many things. For sure that included, we can move the ball and we ain't too scared of you. Unfortunately it also said, it is early in the game and we are already sure we need to gamble!

Then Indy went for it on 4th even further away from the end zone the next drive, as if to say do what you want, because we sure can. I think they were in their own end in the first QTR!

So, back to the Fish. Linehan did not run as much as we all expected after last week. Why? Expose the DB's on New England? Maybe.

Why the two fade passes tot the end zone ESPECIALLY AFTER EVERYONE questioned putting the game in Gus's hands last week. All I can do is guess. (of course) Was it again because it was what he thought would be least expected after last week? Same reason for the 2nd attempt only more so?

I wonder if he often does, what "he thinks" others are not expecting, rather than what plays are likely to be executed. I wonder if he was trying to show us GUS could win the game. Was it a way to try and shut up the boos as much as it was about the right call.

Bill B talked endlessly about Ronnie Brown before the game. Why? To make us think they had a plan for him and we thinking a lot about him. Did Bill B. do this to help Linehan think about the passing game more.

He is sa cute caller thats for sure, but he proved again too cute. With 4 downs it should have been run, run, run, run and worry about comminicating through play calling the next week.

Regardless of what he was trying to say and to whom...THE END OF THE GAME IS NO PLACE FOR SUCH NONSENSE. It is the time to win the game not communicate and dink around.

I give him credit for getting us down the field however, I was surprised we got down to the 10 in the first place. He go that right since it was no time for a long running drive. But damn we were down to the 10 with soooo much time...almost a minute.

Maybe he actually thought it was the play most likely to succeed !

 

[Superself]

Why the two fade passes tot the end zone ESPECIALLY AFTER EVERYONE questioned putting the game in Gus's hands last week. All I can do is guess.

Yeah, me to...and after weeks of watching these zany plays, I have concluded that Linehan is a fool.


It goes deeper than that though because somebody not only hired him...Saban also manage him during gametime. Obviously he agrees with the rubbish which we see every week.

Something has to change.

 

[FIN-IN-RI]

Something has to change.

Yeah, that something just might be the team that you support. :rofl:

 

[Finland]

Yeah, me to...and after weeks of watching these zany plays, I have concluded that Linehan is a fool.


It goes deeper than that though because somebody not only hired him...Saban also manage him during gametime. Obviously he agrees with the rubbish which we see every week.

Something has to change.

There is more than a single thought going on there (at the end of the game) for sure. This must be part of the PROCESS.

 

[Finland]

Yeah, that something just might be the team that you support. :rofl:

Bring it on PLEASE. Without change there is no news.

 

[FIN-IN-RI]

You freking people and your instant gratification nonsense.. Grow the F up and root for the COLTS!

 

[Finland]

You freking people and your instant gratification nonsense.. Grow the F up and root for the COLTS!

Are you talking to the thread starter...me? What?

How does this thread get from the orginal to this in just 5 posts?

Instant gratification? My God I've been cheering since 1975 Dude. 30 years is a LONG way from instant don't you think?

The topic was clearly, communication thru play calling,.... the messages a coach can send. It was an interesting topic to me. But maybe I am just a simple person...I grew up in Kingston R.I. and watched football games at the University.

 

[AquaInferno]

Why must everyone fight in every thread? Just shut up... But I say some dumb **** too and start stupid little fights

Really tho, about the original post: You have a point about subliminal messages one team can send to another, sometimes intimidating, sometimes eluding, and sometimes hints of desperation. NE going for it was a hint of desperation, B.B. praising Ronnie was somewhat elusive I think, however I think at this point all of the opposition prepares for Ronnie. He's considered a legitimate threat.

 

[Finland]

Why must everyone fight in every thread? Just shut up... But I say some dumb **** too and start stupid little fights

Really tho, about the original post: You have a point about subliminal messages one team can send to another, sometimes intimidating, sometimes eluding, and sometimes hints of desperation. NE going for it was a hint of desperation, B.B. praising Ronnie was somewhat elusive I think, however I think at this point all of the opposition prepares for Ronnie. He's considered a legitimate threat.

Ya it seemed a bit desperate to me as well, but what a beautiful way to ansy by Indy. They have some swagger at this point.

 

[Dolphin North]

I find this stuff interesting. Anyone have any thoughts.

Communication thru play calling is one of the coolest things to watch. The Pats call of going for it on 4th down early in the game against Indy was all about communication. to your team, the other team, the rest of the teams the other coach etc. It said many things. For sure that included, we can move the ball and we ain't too scared of you. Unfortunately it also said, it is early in the game and we are already sure we need to gamble!

Then Indy went for it on 4th even further away from the end zone the next drive, as if to say do what you want, because we sure can. I think they were in their own end in the first QTR!

So, back to the Fish. Linehan did not run as much as we all expected after last week. Why? Expose the DB's on New England? Maybe.

Why the two fade passes tot the end zone ESPECIALLY AFTER EVERYONE questioned putting the game in Gus's hands last week. All I can do is guess. (of course) Was it again because it was what he thought would be least expected after last week? Same reason for the 2nd attempt only more so?

I wonder if he often does, what "he thinks" others are not expecting, rather than what plays are likely to be executed. I wonder if he was trying to show us GUS could win the game. Was it a way to try and shut up the boos as much as it was about the right call.

Bill B talked endlessly about Ronnie Brown before the game. Why? To make us think they had a plan for him and we thinking a lot about him. Did Bill B. do this to help Linehan think about the passing game more.

He is sa cute caller thats for sure, but he proved again too cute. With 4 downs it should have been run, run, run, run and worry about comminicating through play calling the next week.

Regardless of what he was trying to say and to whom...THE END OF THE GAME IS NO PLACE FOR SUCH NONSENSE. It is the time to win the game not communicate and dink around.

I give him credit for getting us down the field however, I was surprised we got down to the 10 in the first place. He go that right since it was no time for a long running drive. But damn we were down to the 10 with soooo much time...almost a minute.

Maybe he actually thought it was the play most likely to succeed !

Pretty much what I was thinking with some extra thoughts added in. Nice post (I don't know why anyone would dump on you for it, it's very interesting). I especially agree / hope that it's part of the process of showing the team that we can pass to win, to get out of the previous regime of running up the middle for like 2.9 yds. I also agree that at the end of the game, an important message for our guys would be that they can win, be in the lead for the division, beat a division rival, end this losing streak, etc, etc, etc. Leave the mindgames for times other than the end of the game and just help your guys get the win I say! I don't think our guys are in the mood to win only on a passing TD. I think they'd take one no matter how it came at this point.
On the other hand, maybe behind the scenes they know what the coaches are trying to accomplish in the long run and are willing to suffer more losses now (buying in). I hope it's that.

 

[Finland]

Pretty much what I was thinking with some extra thoughts added in. Nice post (I don't know why anyone would dump on you for it, it's very interesting). I especially agree / hope that it's part of the process of showing the team that we can pass to win, to get out of the previous regime of running up the middle for like 2.9 yds. I also agree that at the end of the game, an important message for our guys would be that they can win, be in the lead for the division, beat a division rival, end this losing streak, etc, etc, etc. Leave the mindgames for times other than the end of the game and just help your guys get the win I say! I don't think our guys are in the mood to win only on a passing TD. I think they'd take one no matter how it came at this point.
On the other hand, maybe behind the scenes they know what the coaches are trying to accomplish in the long run and are willing to suffer more losses now (buying in). I hope it's that.

What could they possibly gain at that point in the game. All I can think is,

A. he truely believed they would not be ready for it
B. the upside would show the players he has confiedence in the passing
C. If succuessful they players then start to believe in themselves and Linehan a bit more

But damn. I remember plenty of times saying "Why do they run when they could put the ball in Marino's hands 4 times in a row". It is the same thing only different.

 

[Finland]

Some more interesting stuff on playcalls.

By Gregg Easterbrook...Miami holds two timeouts. The timeouts mean the Marine Mammals can rush four straight times against the 23rd-ranked New England run defense, and four straight rushes are highly likely to result in a touchdown. Oh no! Pass, pass, pass, pass, defeat.

As this column documents ad infinitum, rushing at the goal line usually works better than passing. Yet many offensive coordinators insist on going pass-wacky when the end zone is near. Why? Self-promotion. The unspoken belief is that passing is a complex, almost magical activity, and thus passing success means the offensive coordinator must be brilliant; while running is just ill-tempered brutes colliding, anybody can call a run in an obvious-run situation. A subset of coaches seem to think compiling passing stats proves them to be masterminds, whereas rushing stats don't matter on the resume. Scott Linehan, Miami's offensive coordinator, may have subconsciously been driven by the desire to win the game with a pass and be praised for brilliant play-calling. Maybe it's even true that in today's NFL, offensive coordinators advance their careers only by calling passes, since clubs looking for offensive coordinators to hire undeniably are swayed by flashy passing stats. But for the team, a victory via rushing is a lot better than a defeat as the air rained passes. Note that Tom Moore of Indianapolis, the best offensive coordinator in today's NFL, often calls runs near the goal line. When the Colts reached the Houston 5 on Sunday, Moore called a run -- touchdown.

Linehan is hardly alone. Last night, on a night when Philadelphia ran well for the first time since the Warren G. Harding Administration, Eagles coaches just could not resist the urge to throw one more pass. Philadelphia led 20-14 with 2:53 remaining, the situation was well under control -- second-and-7 with the Cowboys already burning timeouts, the Eagles already having rushed for 181 yards and a healthy 5-yard average per run. Grind the clock!!!!!! Instead pass, interception, touchdown return, Dallas wins. This had nothing to do with He Who Need Not Be Named filing grievances or a rookie receiver running the wrong route: It had everything to do with Eagles coaches preferring passing yards to rushing yards. (The fateful call was a sideline out, meaning the clock was likely to stop even if the throw had been complete.) As this column regularly notes, "Often all a football team needs do is run up the middle and things will be fine." But Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Brad Childress couldn't just do the obvious. The assumption is that passing success proves the coaches are brilliant, whereas anybody can call a run in an obvious-run situation. There's a reason obvious-run situations are obvious-run situations!

In other football news, last week yours truly lauded Dick Vermeil for going for the win from the 1 at the end, rather than kicking a field goal and proceeding to overtime. This Sunday, Jon "Once I Was A Teenaged Coach" Gruden faced almost exactly the same situation. One minute remained, the score was 35-34, a Washington penalty put the ball on the 1 for the Bucs' PAT attempt -- a kick probably means overtime, but a deuce probably wins it. Gruden went for the win and the football gods smiled, even causing officials to raise their arms though Mike Alstott appeared not to get in.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback contends it is playing the percentages to go for the win in this situation -- but am I right? Of course I am or I wouldn't set it up that way! The invaluable book Pro Football Prospectus 2005 analyzed all fourth-and-1 plays in the NFL from 2002 through 2004. Teams that ran needing 1 yard succeeded 74 percent of the time; teams that passed needing 1 yard knew 62 percent success. So think about the percentages in the choice Vermeil and Gruden faced, between attempting a 1-yard run to win or launching a short kick to force a fifth quarter. What the sports media calls a "huge gamble" wins the game 74 percent of the time, while what is called the "safe" strategy leads to a 50/50 chance of victory.

 

[Frank B]

I wonder if he often does, what "he thinks" others are not expecting, rather than what plays are likely to be executed. I wonder if he was trying to show us GUS could win the game. Was it a way to try and shut up the boos as much as it was about the right call.

After looking at the situation again on NFL Primetime, I think I understand Linehan's thinking. I think Booker and Chambers were matched up against Ellis Hobbs on both plays. Hobbs is a rookie. I think Linehan believed that Booker and Chambers would both have a good shot at going up and getting the ball, and if they didn't make the catch, Hobbs' would committ a pass interference penalty. I think Hobbs did hold on one of the plays, but it wasn't called. The other thing working against us was the sun. Hobbs was playing off the receivers and could pick up the ball much sooner than our receivers that had to turn back for it and find it in the sun. That was a miscalculation by Linehan and the offense.

 

[Finland]

After looking at the situation again on NFL Primetime, I think I understand Linehan's thinking. I think Booker and Chambers were matched up against Ellis Hobbs on both plays. Hobbs is a rookie. I think Linehan believed that Booker and Chambers would both have a good shot at going up and getting the ball, and if they didn't make the catch, Hobbs' would committ a pass interference penalty. I think Hobbs did hold on one of the plays, but it wasn't called. The other thing working against us was the sun. Hobbs was playing off the receivers and could pick up the ball much sooner than our receivers that had to turn back for it and find it in the sun. That was a miscalculation by Linehan and the offense.

Ya maybe it was that simple. Interesting to guess at and we will never know likely.

 

[Canadianfishfan]

But NE did have a plan against the run... They dared us to pass. the loaded the box and said... beat us... And besides odd run by Ronnie.. We wasn't busting for big yards all day like people think. He was getting smaked left and right.. The Pats linebackers had excellent sideline to sideline pursuit.
I know your frustration.. But i kind of do understand the mentality. Although I dont agree. I want to be a team that can go downfield... and make big plays... But there are times you just have to make a statement.. you just have to drive that ball down their throats.