NFL: Interesting Article on Musgrave's "Predictable" offense in Minnesota

[takeitdown]

(09-17-2011 03:18 PM)Radical Wrote:  And this is what I'm talking about. People keep rattling off this general complaint in one thousand different ways, but no one has been able to elaborate on it.

How do you want it elaborated? It's mentioned by defenses we play against, analysts, etc. Since I'm not going to have these at hand, we'll go into less hearsay.

Also, and most simply, we very seldom have "free runners" in space. Our QB has to fit it into tight spots on pretty much every play, whereas in most other games (including against us) there are 2 to 5 gimme passes. These don't come about by accident. You have to target a particular player (like the SS) and say you're going to make him make a choice about a route, and you send 2 at him, making him choose.

We run very few clear outs and then drags. We don't do much in the middle of the field at all with our WRs. I'm sure he runs the standard shallow drag with the square in behind it, but, frankly, I've seldom seen it...and it's a basic basic concept.

Part of the problem is the ridiculously short internal clock on our offense due to either OL or conservative nature...but if you don't throw double move routes and slow developing combo routes in there sometimes, you make it too easy on the D and don't give them any reason to second guess themselves.

I could diagnose each route and show why others have more diversity, etc. But the easiest thing is simply to say: Other teams have guys running more open, and then it falls on our WRs or Mularkey's routes. I think our WRs are of a talent level that we know they can get open, so it leaves Mularkey. Said another way, how do you think Sean Payton or McDaniels, or 10 other coordinators would do with Roddy, Julio, HD, and Gonzales? If you think they'd be open a lot and exploiting weaknesses on D, then you agree.

I'm not even as enamored with our pass catching talent as some, as I believe a quick feature RB who's a threat to run and catch, and seam stretching TE are pretty critical in the modern NFL, but I feel our routes make it WAY too easy on the DBs.