Offensive creativity, play-calling

[jdynamite]

Over the years, the Ravens have had plenty of Offensive Coordinators, Consultants, etc but outside of Kubiak I've never felt that any of them utilized the team's personnel effectively or at least played towards the personnels strengths.

For years we watched Cam Cameron try to have a bunch of slow WRs run long routes downfield or settle for digs. Saw them incorrectly use Boldin ( with the exception of the playoff run that lead to the super bowl)

Last offseason there was talk of all these packages with multiple TE sets and when the season started the TEs never seemed like a focal point even early on when Pitta, Gilmore and Maxx were all available.
- we've seen NE get really creative with multiple TEs with or without Gronk for years now.

When will they begin to use more pre-snap motion, formation shifts, or stacked WR formations to get WRs free releases or mismatches against the defense.

It kills me how so many teams run these quick pass and pick plays for easy yards and our offense doesn't have the same success getting it to guys in space quickly on slants, drags or WR screens.

 

[Edgar]

If Greg Roman has a larger influence I would say we do see a lot more motion, more in the way of two tight end sets and more creativity, (or simply be less predictable), in the run game, at least.

 

[K-Dog]

I am not a fan of fancy trick plays and what not. They have their place, don't get me wrong. But in my opinion there is nothing better than good solid football. Exposing the weaknesses of the opponent.

 

[jdynamite]

I am not a fan of fancy trick plays and what not. They have their place, don't get me wrong. But in my opinion there is nothing better than good solid football. Exposing the weaknesses of the opponent.

I'm not a fan of trick plays or gadget plays either.
I'm talking about the offense spotting weaknesses in the opponents defense adjusting accordingly and finding ways to exploit those weaknesses whether it be through formations, shifts, presnap motion, or routes.

One of the rare examples would be the Dolphins game, the announcers kept talking about how the Dolphins were missing LBs and how their coverage inside was very suspect.

Finally the Ravens exploited that. On some of the plays you could see how the play design allowed it to be simple, while a few others are just Flacco putting where it needs to be.

On one of the first offensive plays of that game, its Trips WRs Right, S.Smith goes in motion to the left, quick snap, then he does a double move inside for a completion over the middle right behind a LB.

Later in that drive Wallace is Outside, Aiken is the Slot to the left. Aiken runs 10 yd curl, Wallace runs a drag (drawing the LB with him) this frees up TE Waller on a seam route down the middle.

You can actually see how these routes manipulate the defensive personnel, to create "easy first downs", by clearing out space.
[doublepost=1495014894,1495013483][/doublepost]Another favorite play of mine from last year was a 66 yd TD pass to Wallace vs Buffalo.

The team has 3 WRs to the right, S.Smith inside, Wallace next to him, far outside is ( can't tell if it's Aiken or Perriman ). But Smith's inside route draws a double team which frees up Wallace for the deep pass. It was a thing of beauty to see the play executed. Had my hopes up early in the season that we'd continue to see these things.

http://m.baltimoreravens.com/news/a...lo-Bills/86f99dfd-be7f-415b-8506-d1e26ca964f5

 

[Sledge Hammer]

I'm not a fan of trick plays or gadget plays either.
I'm talking about the offense spotting weaknesses in the opponents defense adjusting accordingly and finding ways to exploit those weaknesses whether it be through formations, shifts, presnap motion, or routes.

One of the rare examples would be the Dolphins game, the announcers kept talking about how the Dolphins were missing LBs and how their coverage inside was very suspect.

Finally the Ravens exploited that. On some of the plays you could see how the play design allowed it to be simple, while a few others are just Flacco putting where it needs to be.

On one of the first offensive plays of that game, its Trips WRs Right, S.Smith goes in motion to the left, quick snap, then he does a double move inside for a completion over the middle right behind a LB.

Later in that drive Wallace is Outside, Aiken is the Slot to the left. Aiken runs 10 yd curl, Wallace runs a drag (drawing the LB with him) this frees up TE Waller on a seam route down the middle.

You can actually see how these routes manipulate the defensive personnel, to create "easy first downs", by clearing out space.
[doublepost=1495014894,1495013483][/doublepost]Another favorite play of mine from last year was a 66 yd TD pass to Wallace vs Buffalo.

The team has 3 WRs to the right, S.Smith inside, Wallace next to him, far outside is ( can't tell if it's Aiken or Perriman ). But Smith's inside route draws a double team which frees up Wallace for the deep pass. It was a thing of beauty to see the play executed. Had my hopes up early in the season that we'd continue to see these things.

http://m.baltimoreravens.com/news/a...lo-Bills/86f99dfd-be7f-415b-8506-d1e26ca964f5

All that stuff has its place and should be used stragetically at times. But once you use a semi trick play to clear out space the defense has now already adjusted once a team uses it. There is no replacement for your players winning their match ups consistently throughout a game.

 

[usmccharles]

Its not like the offense doesnt try to exploit weaknesses in the defense. Every snap we are trying to win match-ups. I think the problem is just personnel for the most part, because if it were just that simple, we would all just copy the Pats.

 

[Tank]

Its not like the offense doesnt try to exploit weaknesses in the defense. Every snap we are trying to win match-ups. I think the problem is just personnel for the most part, because if it were just that simple, we would all just copy the Pats.

Yeah, personnel and execution, both of which make it much easier to be unpredictable in the play calling. "Do your job" ain't just a catch phrase.

 

[wrongbaldy]

id love to see more rollouts, bootlegs, etc

 

[RaineV1]

Its not like the offense doesnt try to exploit weaknesses in the defense. Every snap we are trying to win match-ups. I think the problem is just personnel for the most part, because if it were just that simple, we would all just copy the Pats.

Yep. when Kubiak was calling plays we just had a great set of guys for his offensive strategy, and everyone did their job.

 

[Willbacker]

id love to see more rollouts, bootlegs, etc

Without doubt especially on 1st downs and 2nd and 5 or less. Gives you the option to throw deep 1st but the best thing is it rolls you away from blindside pressure and gets you out of the tackle box to throw away the ball.

We need to stop playing so much shotgun!!

 

[The Raven]

Creativity is overrated. Just be efficient. There's a reason the Pats are the winningest team of the century, and it has nothing to do with deflated footballs or stealing videos. They convert third downs and they score touchdowns.

Last year, the Patriots had the fourth best third down conversion rate, the sixth best yards per play rate, the fourth fewest penalties, and the third best turnover differential. It's really that simple. What did the Patriots do all year that was so creative?

 

[Edgar]

Creativity is overrated. Just be efficient. There's a reason the Pats are the winningest team of the century, and it has nothing to do with deflated footballs or stealing videos. They convert third downs and they score touchdowns.

Last year, the Patriots had the fourth best third down conversion rate, the sixth best yards per play rate, the fourth fewest penalties, and the third best turnover differential. It's really that simple. What did the Patriots do all year that was so creative?

It's about being as unpredictable as possible.

The Patriots are pretty creative in terms of formations., I'd say. Particularly as it relates to the tight end position.....lots of motion, constant realignment out of this position forcing defenses into certain looks.

I see this with other teams but it doesn't hold the same import that it seems to hold in the Patriots scheme.

 

[jboy19]

Probably going to have a Campanaro sweep every game if he makes the team.

 

[Tank]

Creativity is overrated. Just be efficient. There's a reason the Pats are the winningest team of the century, and it has nothing to do with deflated footballs or stealing videos. They convert third downs and they score touchdowns.

Last year, the Patriots had the fourth best third down conversion rate, the sixth best yards per play rate, the fourth fewest penalties, and the third best turnover differential. It's really that simple. What did the Patriots do all year that was so creative?

I think the consistency of the system and coordinator are the main things that makes their offense go. That familiarity allows them to easily change their plan week to week as needed.

 

[RavensMania]

I think the consistency of the system and coordinator are the main things that makes their offense go. That familiarity allows them to easily change their plan week to week as needed.

Yes consistency is huge and something that Flacco has been missing throughout his career. As much as I'm a fan of Harbaugh. A big negative is that he is a special teams coach and whenever we lose an OC or DC for that matter, the scheme changes, now this hasn't happened for a long time on thr Defensive side of the ball, but it's happened on many occasions on offense.

 

[jdynamite]

Creativity is overrated. Just be efficient. There's a reason the Pats are the winningest team of the century, and it has nothing to do with deflated footballs or stealing videos. They convert third downs and they score touchdowns.

Last year, the Patriots had the fourth best third down conversion rate, the sixth best yards per play rate, the fourth fewest penalties, and the third best turnover differential. It's really that simple. What did the Patriots do all year that was so creative?

You think the patriots find ways to maximize their limited talent creatively.

Through lining them up in various spots, having different formations to isolate guys... the team took James White and began to split him out wide and run slants, drags, pick plays against Safeties and LBs at will.

They will march out on the field with simple personnel and get one short underneath pass, then hurry offense, change the entire formation without any substitutes flawlessly.

I guess when people see the word Creativity they instantly think some dumb junk like flea-flicker, Half-back toss pass.
[doublepost=1495284369,1495283734][/doublepost]I literally wrote this thinking about all the formations and personnel packages the patriots March on the field. They put there players in position to succeed.

I mean other than Kubiak, what OC has actually built an offense around the strengths of the players on the roster while implementing their system.

We saw Kubiak get the most out of a broke down Owen Daniels, and Justin Forsett and he definitely turned around a piss poor oline ( which went right back to piss poor after he left )

And then we've seen these other OCs that lack insight ( creativity) you know the same OCs that used bolden incorrectly for most of his tenure here. Or seeing a million TE screens to turtles like Pitta and Gilmore.

Sometimes you just about predict the Ravens play-calling come second quarter.

 

[Tank]

One word........unpredictability.

 

[K-Dog]

One word........unpredictability.

I knew you were going to say that.

 

[Sami84]

It's about being as unpredictable as possible.

The Patriots are pretty creative in terms of formations., I'd say. Particularly as it relates to the tight end position.....lots of motion, constant realignment out of this position forcing defenses into certain looks.

I see this with other teams but it doesn't hold the same import that it seems to hold in the Patriots scheme.

The patriots get creative and have those moments to be creative because

they do the simple things well.

We dont..

 

[Tank]

I knew you were going to say that.

Haha!