So what?

[Joshua]

Agree 100% with everything Barrett is saying. Probably the most cogent explanation of the reason our offense occasionally struggles. My buddies and I sit in section 611 and can routinely call the play pre-snap simply based on the personnel and formation. I suspect that if we can do it in section 611 after about 4 beers, most D coordinators can do it as well.

Finally, I must say I'm perplexed by Kubes somewhat. He has always preached running the ball, but yet he's never done anything to actually improve our ability to do so. Instead, we continually draft receivers and tight ends. I'm not complaining because it has created a pretty potent passing attack for us. I just find it weird that he places such a premium on being a run-first team, then does nothing to actually acquire the players to do it.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Joshua

Agree 100% with everything Barrett is saying. Probably the most cogent explanation of the reason our offense occasionally struggles. My buddies and I sit in section 611 and can routinely call the play pre-snap simply based on the personnel and formation. I suspect that if we can do it in section 611 after about 4 beers, most D coordinators can do it as well.

Finally, I must say I'm perplexed by Kubes somewhat. He has always preached running the ball, but yet he's never done anything to actually improve our ability to do so. Instead, we continually draft receivers and tight ends. I'm not complaining because it has created a pretty potent passing attack for us. I just find it weird that he places such a premium on being a run-first team, then does nothing to actually acquire the players to do it.

This has been my thought all year. We are doing a good job of picking players individually but we lack a sense of cohesiveness with what we attempt to do on the field and what we attempt to do on the personnel side. We seem to be putting together two different teams at the same time.

[papabear]

Originally Posted by Joshua

Finally, I must say I'm perplexed by Kubes somewhat. He has always preached running the ball, but yet he's never done anything to actually improve our ability to do so. Instead, we continually draft receivers and tight ends. I'm not complaining because it has created a pretty potent passing attack for us. I just find it weird that he places such a premium on being a run-first team, then does nothing to actually acquire the players to do it.

I think it's similar to the D-line. It's not as if they haven't tried, it just hasn't come together the way they planned. Since Kubes has gotten here he has drafted four O-lineman in the 3rd round or higher(one in the first). I consider anything 3rd round or higher to be very valuable, and while these picks were meant to help in pass protection as much as the run game they we're all guys Kubes felt fit with our Zone blocking scheme. He's also made a trade for Veteran Center(with experience in the scheme). He spent a fairly large amount of McNair cash for Ahman Green, and also brought in Chris Brown as a free agent. Of course he also drafted Slaton in the third round. Anthony Hill was also drafted in the fourth primarily as a run blocking TE. He also went out and got the most respected Zone Blocking guru there is out of retirement.

I'll agree that the results haven't been what we want, but I think you can definitely see the effort in that area. Not every problem can be fixed by a first round pick or a top flight free agent.

[chuck]

I have to say that barrett's got it right here, almost down to the syllable. If the Texans effectively abandoned the two-back set and began to run the ball out of a spread formation (in the gun or under center) opposing DCs would have nightmares. Now, in a two-back set the Texans will either run the ball (we all know how that goes) or bootleg. I like Schaub more than most but he is poor to terrible throwing on the run. He is not a guy who can zip the ball all over the field running to his left. Hell, he can't zip the ball anywhere, any time.

With the defense's steady improvement a little self-scouting on the offense could lead to a pretty formidable team, or at the very least a respectable one.

[barrett]

Agreed Chuck. The NFL is a league designed for every team to have 8-8 talent. It doesn't always work that way obviously. A small few are superior. A small few are inferior. And the middle 25 or so are pretty even in talent. This middle wins and loses depending on scheme. Basically can your coach "take his'n and beat your'n, or he could take your'n and beat his'n." It's a very small line between 5-11 and 11-5.

I think if we change the script and stay one back we become nearly impossible to defend. Nobody has secondary depth to deal with Slaton, OD, AJ, Walter, and Anderson/JJ on the field at once. When we put those guys out there we will face a steady diet of dime defenses and deep safeties. Now all of sudden our OL just has to guide an upfield DE out of the play while Slaton runs or catches it in the spot they just vacated. And our OL is good at this because they can move. Duane Brown's block on Slaton's screen was a thing of beauty. So put him in position to do that rather than asking him to push a DE off the ball.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by barrett

Agreed Chuck. The NFL is a league designed for every team to have 8-8 talent. It doesn't always work that way obviously. A small few are superior. A small few are inferior. And the middle 25 or so are pretty even in talent. This middle wins and loses depending on scheme. Basically can your coach "take his'n and beat your'n, or he could take your'n and beat his'n." It's a very small line between 5-11 and 11-5.

I think if we change the script and stay one back we become nearly impossible to defend. Nobody has secondary depth to deal with Slaton, OD, AJ, Walter, and Anderson/JJ on the field at once. When we put those guys out there we will face a steady diet of dime defenses and deep safeties. Now all of sudden our OL just has to guide an upfield DE out of the play while Slaton runs or catches it in the spot they just vacated. And our OL is good at this because they can move. Duane Brown's block on Slaton's screen was a thing of beauty. So put him in position to do that rather than asking him to push a DE off the ball.

If I were the OC my main objective would be to force the defense to play with two LBs - nickel, dime, whatever the package. I would then do everything I could to get the ball to Slaton in space. He is not the fastest guy out there nor is he going to run over anyone, but when he has a little room to work with very seldom does one guy bring him down. If I can get the defense into a two LB set I'll likely end up with one of them covering OD (which is a matchup I like just fine) and I'll also have plenty of space for screens to Slaton. You should also be able to run draw plays out of this formation until the cows come home easily racking up 8 yards a pop.

The team's OL is surprisingly adept at pass protection but what strikes me about them overall is that they are highly athletic. You can forget about their manhandling any DL at the LOS, but if you ask them to block guys on the move I think you'll see much better results.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by chuck

Force the defense to play with two LBs - nickel, dime, whatever the package. Get the ball to Slaton in space. I'll likely end up with one of them covering OD (which is a matchup I like just fine) and I'll also have plenty of space for screens to Slaton. You should also be able to run draw plays out of this formation until the cows come home easily racking up 8 yards a pop.

The team's OL is highly athletic. You can forget about their manhandling any DL at the LOS, but if you ask them to block guys on the move I think you'll see much better results.

I think we may have come to a consensus. Getting mismatches that are advantageous to our players makes good sense.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Roy P

I think we may have come to a consensus. Getting mismatches that are advantageous to our players makes good sense.

And going one step further...the more good players on the field at once the more easier to get a mismatch. Thus the one back sets that spread a defense out and make them deal with all of our playmakers at the same time.

I also agree with you Roy that we don't have a back that could be a Wildcat triggerman. JJ had a few snaps there in the preseason and didn't look good. I'd be fine trying OD or Casey like you mentioned but am not sure they provide a real running threat. I think I'd try AJ back there just to put the ball in his hands more. Heck I'd give him a carry or a screen at RB on occasion if I'm having a hard time throwing it to him. There is nobody on our team (maybe nobody in the league) who is as talented. I don't think we can go wrong going to him in any situation.