Quote:I think the idea that changing playbooks ruins a player's progress is a myth. We have seen over and over again teams switch offenses and in one season improve dramatically. I also think the idea of continuity is overrated. Many times an offense will come out hot the first year and then in later years go stale.


IMO it's really a matter of playcalling and execution. Switching from playbook to playbook doesn't make that much of a difference since all the general football concepts are the same. The difficult part is learning new terminology. Success comes from calling the right plays at the right time and players executing. So, no, I don't think they start back at square one.

 

If you consider the defensive systems, there certainly is a major difference between a Lovie Smith 4-3 cover-2 system, a Dick Lebeau 3-4 zone-blitzing system, and a Wade Smith 3-4 single-gap man-to-man system.  Not only with the style of the system, but even the type of players that fit in to it.

 

On the offensive side I think there are similar differences.  In the running game, the difference between OL players\RBs fitted to a zone-blocking offense that Shanahan/Kubiak bring, to a power-blocking system that the Steelers run is pretty substantial. 

 

In the passing game there is quite a difference between a west-coast passing system that Jim Harbaugh had brought to the 49ers and is currently being used by the Chiefs, Browns, and Bengals, compared to the Erhardt-Perkins system used by the Patriots, Panthers, and Cardinals.  Examine the Chip Kelly spread-based offensive system to Mike Martz's "Air Coryell" system and it really shows the difference between how teams attack the opposing defense.

 

QB is the position most affected between the various systems that are brought in.  The 3/5/7 step drops, the ability to check in and out of plays, control over the pace of the offense, and finally the progression of reading routes from the route tree are all different based on the system that is in place.

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