(01-13-2025, 04:52 PM)NYC4jags Wrote:

(01-13-2025, 04:40 PM)Caldrac Wrote: Wouldn't have mattered. The offense was predictable because the offensive line was predictable. If you can't run the football you can't sell anything downfield.

We could have tried more bubble screens or something but it would have been like cutting tough meat with a plastic butter knife at some point and teams would have schemed against it as well.

I think what they failed in was having adequate freedom and functionality for Lawrence and I think they may have been scared at times to get him moving around and outside of the pocket to fit most modern offenses to avoid injuries (him getting decapitated at home probably proves this point). 

They decided they wanted him to be more under center in 2024 and that's fine, until your running game is abysmal and proves it pointless. Which is exactly what happened.

I agree with all of this. 

Being more creative with the playcalling could have helped a bit, but that would have been exposed too at some point. And the run blocking killed so many opportunities and allowed defenses to focus elsewhere. 

Piggybacking on what you said about having freedom and function for Lawrence, I'd add that Pederson (after the 2022 season) announced he'd be taking input from TL and reworking the playbook to suit his strengths. 

I am firmly of the opinion that this is when began turning south. 

Not because of Lawrence's input, but because Pederson identified that Lawrence had a bad habit of staring down one guy sometimes, and maybe only making two reads at other times, or making multiple reads to only one side of the field. He didn't do this all the time, but he did it too often IMO. 

They collectively rearranged the playbook to try and give Lawrence more reads to one side, inserted more one read plays, and essentially took away a ton of options from the kid trying to suit his bad habit instead of DEVELOPING his ability to go through his progression in 2.3 seconds. 
It was a major mistake. 
This is where all of those "why are there two receivers in the same place" play came from. This is when we saw the emergence of the plethora of low percentage throws being forced. 

I realize there is some speculation in my opinion here, but there is also a lot of analysis, I assure you. 
 And that is what I believe happened.