CFZ Individual Matchups/Execution Dictate Effective Play-calling

[Bobhaze]

Every week during a long season, many fans make the comment, “They need to run the ____ play that worked so well against Cincy”. Or when good plays happen, “Where was that against Tampa?” Or why don’t we run more ____plays that worked so well against _____?”

Well the correct answer to all questions is this: sometimes plays work and don’t work because of the individual matchups- and the players’ execution of those plays- not just because they are “great plays”. In other words matchups and execution matter. And sometimes a dominant player on the other side may dictate a lot of what you do or don’t do.

Think about what the giants are doing this week preparing for Micah Parsons. After watching the film on him, I guarantee there will be some plays they DON’T run because of what Micah Parsons can do. I promise you, many giants fans will be screaming at their tvs about why they aren’t running plays that worked last week. The correct answer to that is because the matchups are different this week.

Watching Cooper Rush hit on multiple passes that Dak didn’t the week before was a combination of Dak playing poorly coupled with a very tough Tampa defense. Look at what Tampa did to the saints last week. Rush played very well Sunday against Cincy but their defense isn’t the Bucs.

So in this long season, don’t be surprised if you scream at your tv for Kellen Moore to call that play that worked so well last week…and then it never happens. Because not every team has the same strengths and weaknesses. And individual matchups are often what dictates the play calls.

And honestly IMO play-calling is one of the most overrated parts of football. Sure it’s important, but sometimes the OC has made a great play call but the players didn’t execute it very well. Maybe a key block was missed or someone ran the wrong route.

Play-calling is about 25-50% of the success we see on Sunday. The rest is film study, preparation, and execution. And that coupled with great execution against the right matchups is what leads to success.

 

[Captain-Crash]

it's a great play if it is executed correctly but if it isn't the OC is the worst coordinator in the NFL. Kellen Moore.

 

[Aven8]

While I pretty much agree with all of this Bob, calling plays is an art. IMO I want the OC that doesn’t settle for stuff. I want the play caller that wants to attack and not be dictated. If they stop it? Try again. Sometimes the other players are just better. You should know this watching Tech with Mike Leach. He didn’t care what others said and people thought he was crazy.

 

[Havic]

I scream at KM because his play calling is predictable, especially last week. I was calling out his plays watching the screen, imagine what professional players and coaches see.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Another great post Bob, something tells me you don't work for this front office

 

[Tangle_Foot]

Coaches and coordinators need to have a feel, a feel for their team, a feel for the opposition. Sometimes the strength of your team lines up with the strength of your opponent. This is where good coaches make their mark, this is where adjustments come into play.

Being able to adapt in a competitive situation is a strength in itself. Everyone has a book on everyone, strength, weaknesses and tendencies. Sometimes a coach has to find a winning combination, that combination might not be what the team does best, but it's the best thing to do in that situation.

 

[Bobhaze]

Coaches and coordinators need to have a feel, a feel for their team, a feel for the opposition. Sometimes the strength of your team lines up with the strength of your opponent. This is where good coaches make their mark, this is where adjustments come into play.

Being able to adapt in a competitive situation is a strength in itself. Everyone has a book on everyone, strength, weaknesses and tendencies. Sometimes a coach has to find a winning combination, that combination might not be what the team does best, but it's the best thing to do in that situation.

Well said. The best OCs and the best HCs in todays NFL are innovative, willing to take risks and meticulous in preparation.

 

[Diehardblues]

We also must remember that Audibles are called on about 40% of all plays . Romo for example was believed to be over 50%. Backups like Rush probably not as much .

This has a great impact on judging play calling from the OC if about half of their calls are being changed at the LOS.

 

[75boyz]

While all of the above may be true:

Going by recent reports of how often this OC does call run plays but are then audibled out of by this QB adds another element to the discussion.

What I mean is there's no way of knowing how execution would have effected the play call when the original play call was not carried out.

Ya gotta carry out the play that's called originally to analyze that play's execution. Unless the audibled call is also analyzed from an execution viewpoint as well.

But that's when you get into what did the QB see to make him audible out of the original call.

Then the whole premise of this OP could possibly be altered I think.

jmo

 

[fivetwos]

Every week during a long season, many fans make the comment, “They need to run the ____ play that worked so well against Cincy”. Or when good plays happen, “Where was that against Tampa?” Or why don’t we run more ____plays that worked so well against _____?”

Well the correct answer to all questions is this: sometimes plays work and don’t work because of the individual matchups- and the players’ execution of those plays- not just because they are “great plays”. In other words matchups and execution matter. And sometimes a dominant player on the other side may dictate a lot of what you do or don’t do.

Think about what the giants are doing this week preparing for Micah Parsons. After watching the film on him, I guarantee there will be some plays they DON’T run because of what Micah Parsons can do. I promise you, many giants fans will be screaming at their tvs about why they aren’t running plays that worked last week. The correct answer to that is because the matchups are different this week.

Watching Cooper Rush hit on multiple passes that Dak didn’t the week before was a combination of Dak playing poorly coupled with a very tough Tampa defense. Look at what Tampa did to the saints last week. Rush played very well Sunday against Cincy but their defense isn’t the Bucs.

So in this long season, don’t be surprised if you scream at your tv for Kellen Moore to call that play that worked so well last week…and then it never happens. Because not every team has the same strengths and weaknesses. And individual matchups are often what dictates the play calls.

And honestly IMO play-calling is one of the most overrated parts of football. Sure it’s important, but sometimes the OC has made a great play call but the players didn’t execute it very well. Maybe a key block was missed or someone ran the wrong route.

Play-calling is about 25-50% of the success we see on Sunday. The rest is film study, preparation, and execution. And that coupled with great execution against the right matchups is what leads to success.

The Parsons part made me think of something....

The old 'making the players around you better' concept, and exactly what that means.

The short version....teams need to come up with something to try to stop him, which allows others more of an opportunity to step up and make plays.

I'm not sure that happens anywhere else on this team, but granted it's probably more rare than many think.

Overall I would speculate that management thinks we have more of those than we actually do.

 

[Blast From The Past]

it's a great play if it is executed correctly but if it isn't the OC is the worst coordinator in the NFL. Kellen Moore.

That seems to be it right their in a nut shell. A player or players miss a blocking assignment and the play gets snuffed out then Kellen Moore is the idiot who called a doomed play. Moore has called very good plays for the most part since being here. Against Tampa I think he had an off day but could have been Tampa's tough as nails defense had something to do with that as well. Plays called back by penalty were great play calls but again execution wasn't followed through. But that boy genius Moore should not have held on that play.... It all comes down to perception and or bias.

 

[75boyz]

That seems to be it right their in a nut shell. A player or players miss a blocking assignment and the play gets snuffed out then Kellen Moore is the idiot who called a doomed play. Moore has called very good plays for the most part since being here. Against Tampa I think he had an off day but could have been Tampa's tough as nails defense had something to do with that as well. Plays called back by penalty were great play calls but again execution wasn't followed through. But that boy genius Moore should not have held on that play.... It all comes down to perception and or bias.

Yep, but my point is even more simple.
If we don't know if the play that is carried out came from the OC or was an audibiled one by the QB...

Then it's really hard to place blame and determine execution success or failure of that play.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Every week during a long season, many fans make the comment, “They need to run the ____ play that worked so well against Cincy”. Or when good plays happen, “Where was that against Tampa?” Or why don’t we run more ____plays that worked so well against _____?”

Well the correct answer to all questions is this: sometimes plays work and don’t work because of the individual matchups- and the players’ execution of those plays- not just because they are “great plays”. In other words matchups and execution matter. And sometimes a dominant player on the other side may dictate a lot of what you do or don’t do.

Think about what the giants are doing this week preparing for Micah Parsons. After watching the film on him, I guarantee there will be some plays they DON’T run because of what Micah Parsons can do. I promise you, many giants fans will be screaming at their tvs about why they aren’t running plays that worked last week. The correct answer to that is because the matchups are different this week.

Watching Cooper Rush hit on multiple passes that Dak didn’t the week before was a combination of Dak playing poorly coupled with a very tough Tampa defense. Look at what Tampa did to the saints last week. Rush played very well Sunday against Cincy but their defense isn’t the Bucs.

So in this long season, don’t be surprised if you scream at your tv for Kellen Moore to call that play that worked so well last week…and then it never happens. Because not every team has the same strengths and weaknesses. And individual matchups are often what dictates the play calls.

And honestly IMO play-calling is one of the most overrated parts of football. Sure it’s important, but sometimes the OC has made a great play call but the players didn’t execute it very well. Maybe a key block was missed or someone ran the wrong route.

Play-calling is about 25-50% of the success we see on Sunday. The rest is film study, preparation, and execution. And that coupled with great execution against the right matchups is what leads to success.

The talking heads do this all the time, wondering about Dak's inconsistent play while overlooking the fact that some weeks the cowboys are playing chumps and other weeks they're playing against playoff quality defenses. His play is actually pretty consistent when you compare it against similar opponents.

 

[Trendnet]

I scream at KM because his play calling is predictable, especially last week. I was calling out his plays watching the screen, imagine what professional players and coaches see.

Dude has a 50/50 shot calling run or pass and thinks he's some genius.

 

[75boyz]

We also must remember that Audibles are called on about 40% of all plays . Romo for example was believed to be over 50%. Backups like Rush probably not as much .

This has a great impact on judging play calling from the OC if about half of their calls are being changed at the LOS.

Exactly. And one post before my first one on this subject. I didn't even bother to scroll up and see that you had covered this already, lol.

THIS is where my whole opinion is based on.

 

[Diehardblues]

Yep, but my point is even more simple.
If we don't know if the play that is carried out came from the OC or was an audibiled one by the QB...

Then it's really hard to place blame and determine execution success or failure of that play.

Right

And why it’s difficult to really measure in that regard . Fans still do but it’s not necessarily accurate.

 

[Diehardblues]

Exactly. And one post before my first one on this subject. I didn't even bother to scroll up and see that you had covered this already, lol.

THIS is where my whole opinion is based on.

Yes, but me must also recall that even if it’s an audible the play is designed by the OC. And based on tendencies observed by the OC, QB and coaching staff. And why studying film is so critical.

The QB’s audibles are originated from the OC despite whether the QB or OC directly calls them .

Basically the QB has alternative calls to make . But those are still the OC calls or schemes even if he doesn’t make them on each play.

And that’s really what the overall measurement of an OC should be measured by not each play called . The overall scheme , game plan and success from it.

 

[75boyz]

Yes, but me must also recall that even if it’s an audible the play is designed by the OC. And based on tendencies observed by the OC, QB and coaching staff. And why studying film is so critical.

The QB’s audibles are originated from the OC despite whether the QB or OC directly calls them .

Basically the QB has alternative calls to make . But those are still the OC calls or schemes even if he doesn’t make them on each play.

And that’s really what the overall measurement of an OC should be measured by not each play called . The overall scheme , game plan and success from it.

Based on film study, defensive personnel groupings and tendencies the OC will gameplan the opponent accordingly along with the QB.

What the OC sees from the sideline based on the above factors determines his calls.

What his QB changes based on what the QB thinks he sees and what he believes would be a better call based on the above factors is where actual accountability of play execution comes into play.

The x's and o's question/answer drill of that play's success or failure can be carried out from there. ie "What look did you see to audible out of the original play call."

The individual blame for execution failure is in the specifics of said discussions.

If 40% of the OC's original calls are being audibled out of, his overall "blame" in the success or failure of the offense should be adjusted accordingly.

jmo

 

[jazzcat22]

it's a great play if it is executed correctly but if it isn't the OC is the worst coordinator in the NFL. Kellen Moore.

But he is the worse....

 

[RonnieT24]

The biggest complaint I have with Moore is his lack of "feel" in his play calling. I won't bore you with my take on his brain dead approach to the running game but even in the passing game he insists on treating all the players like they are on the same level. This approach has led to our repeatedly not taking advantage of favorable matchups. We have played teams whose corners couldn't cover Amari Cooper in a phone booth.. yet the only time Moore really featured him was after Cooper called him out and even that only lasted one game. The notion that we need to "get everyone involved" is stoopid. Feeding your studs is how you win games.. Treating every guy like a chess piece is how you end up around .500. You beat up on crappy teams but then you get pantsed by good ones..