(12-31-2023, 09:28 PM)Caldrac Wrote:

(12-31-2023, 09:20 PM)rfc17 Wrote: Said in an earlier thread that CJ starting could be a benefit as Press and Doug would be forced to change their game plan. Jumping out to a lead helped but we saw far more runs than we had been. More plays from under center. Saw some play action from under center.  I could be wring but it didn't feel like we were as horizontal as normal. Playing a bad carolina team obviously made everything easier.  But I hope we call the game similar next week no matter who starts.  Offense had gotten too stale and too predictable. And relied on Trevor having to do everything.  It is possible CJ made some safe 3rd down conversions trevor would have missed but it also felt like there were bigger plays not hit because trevor wasn't in there.

It's a soup of things.

CJ taking what the defense gave him today and the unflinching commitment to get Etienne involved was probably preached all week knowing Lawrence's injury situation.

Lawrence is guilty though of looking for the homerun plays way more frequently than taking the easy base hits to extend drives.

I think it's something he personally needs to invest himself with during the off season on film collectively because it has been a difference in some of these games.

Playing Carolina with a defense that stayed on them from the very first snap also helped. It's the worst team in football.

I think that's fair criticism of lawrence although that doesn't change my original point about how the coaching staff designed the gamelan. They flat out abandoned the run the prior three weeks even though the browns and ravens game were still close in the 4th quarter. But they stuck with it yesterday. Our ypc was awful until etienne broke the long td in the 2nd half. They need to continue this mindest even when lawrence comes back. It was different than what it had been of late. There were a lot of different looks. Actually ran it on short yardage at times. More traditional play action. Etc, etc...

Yes carolina isn't good and they didn't need the qb to make a play or carry the offense which I'm sure influenced the playcalling. And if we are going to make some noise in the playoffs we'll need the qb to play above the x's and o's of course. But maintaining balance and mixing up the looks will also be needed. And I think this game forced the coaching staff to do that.

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