(11-14-2023, 01:49 PM)flsprtsgod Wrote:

(11-14-2023, 01:36 PM)Caldrac Wrote: That's what I was saying earlier. Some guys just have a better overall feel and sense of how a game is going and it's probably to Pederson's advantage at this point to take over play calling duties again. He's been on record at some point, believe it was last year, where, he said if the offense was not moving well due to his play calling he would fork the duties over to Press or somebody else.

Maybe Doug knows when to call the perfect tendency breaker or pallet cleanser on offense. Something Press lacks in his experience.

Well, it's clearly been different this year Vs. last year. Think it's time for the master to take back over the steering wheel and let the student sit back in the passenger seat for awhile because we need to get this offense moving somehow with eight games left. Need to get them driving in the right direction. Would it alter the three losses? Probably not.

The first two losses happened back in September. It was primarily on execution. You had a number of crucial drops and fumbles that left plenty of points on the board with the Chiefs and then you had some really bad breakdowns on defense with the tinhorns and that crazy FB run for a TD on special team's that broke the camel's back in that one. 

Outside of that? This offense has still been very, very ho-hum, even in their six wins. The 57% completion percentage on 3rd and short or 4th and short is down from last year. The redzone struggles are worse than last year's redzone struggles. The fact that the NFL is catching up to us with tape is even more evident in my opinion that Doug should take back over.

Goes back to looking ahead, anticipating the defensive alignments, blitzes and looks. What do we have to lose by giving Doug the reigns back a bit on offense? Other than more football games? What hurts more? Losing games and a chance at making the play-off's and letting your team, fans and legacy down? Or, hurting the ego, maybe, of a young offensive coordinator that's chasing his brother's success in Cincinatti?

BUt there's the rub, coaching doesn't change the fact that we can't power run the ball and other teams know it. That's why red zone is down, that's why short yardage is an adventure in futility, because they know what we can't do and so sell out on what we can. Vic Ketchman used to say that about quarterbacks, the defense figures out what you can't do and that's the only thing they let you do. Changing the play call isn't fixing that because what you could change it to we simply cannot do with these guys. That's why we need the Smoke N Mirrors, becaus we are not capable of just playing physical football.

I think you're wrong. Coaching CAN change and SHOULD change things about the team conceptually when and if the same concepts continue to fail. It's a mindset. 

We can't power run the football? I agree. We sure as hell can't power run the football when it's starting from the shotgun formation with Etienne having five lineman in front of him and no lead blocker, a TE or H-Back pulling around off tackle or shooting back inside to push the interior.

We'll never know because the staff continues to call the same stupid [BLEEP] there that continues to fail. When was the last time this team actually lined-up on 3rd and short or 4th and short with Lawrence under center and with a split backfield or power formation with TE's stacked on either side?

And what smoke and mirrors are you referring to? The same smoke and mirrors that our opponents continue to routinely see right through and snuff out? Again, even with a 6 - 3 record. Let's not sit back and pretend like this offense has been the catalyst to this team's success.

Coaches can absolutely call plays, design plays, install plays and use formations to offset some of their weaknesses while still going back to some of their bread and butter [BLEEP] that they just have to have in their offense.

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