Excited for Leftwich

[BigRedRage]

Clear upgrade to playcalling and use of DJ. Now, if we could just block...

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[cardncubfan]

That would put him on a 16 game pace for 2200+ scrimmage yards and 16 TDs with BW at the helm.

Who is BW?

 

[az jam]

Who is BW?

Probably Brian Weftlich.

 

[Ronin]

Probably Brian Weftlich.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Probably Brian Weftlich.

I was busy thinking about the Caribbean Jerk wings at BWW!

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Probably Brian Weftlich.

8/8

 

[Chopper0080]

I think we are in a situation where people need to understand that "better" does not equal "good".

 

[kerouac9]

Against the Chiefs the Cardinals had 4 drives of 10 plays or more.

Yes, and two ended up with zero points. One of them ended with 16 net yards.

Very productive.

 

[Arz101]

I think we are in a situation where people need to understand that "better" does not equal "good".

This a 100 times.

 

[cardncubfan]

I think we are in a situation where people need to understand that "better" does not equal "good".

True but it's a start. I don't think it's possible to be real good having to run McCoys offense. It's not like he can install a whole new offense over the bye & have everyone know it.

 

[Chopper0080]

True but it's a start. I don't think it's possible to be real good having to run McCoys offense. It's not like he can install a whole new offense over the bye & have everyone know it.

I disagree. Offenses in the NFL aren't that different from each other by nature. WRs run similar patterns. OLs are basically a power or zone scheme. RBs run similar styles of running plays. The differences form by what window dressing coaches put around those plays, how they utilize personnel, how they create mismatches, and how they are executed. We have done a better job in how we utilize David Johnson over the past two games, but we are still not calling games based upon our personnel. That is what led to Andre Smith being on an island vs a pure speed rusher in Dee Ford. That is why we still see JJ Nelson in heavy personnel packages. There is an art to play calling which can be even more important than the actual plays being run. But if you are predictable along with marginal talent, you just end up running into brick walls.

We under-performed against one of the league's most giving defenses off of a bye week. I don't see a start. I see the same stalled offense vs worse competition.

 

[gimpy]

I saw much improved offense/game plan or whatever you want to call it. We may not have scored much, but we looked much better, their defense or not.

 

[cardncubfan]

I disagree. Offenses in the NFL aren't that different from each other by nature. WRs run similar patterns. OLs are basically a power or zone scheme. RBs run similar styles of running plays. The differences form by what window dressing coaches put around those plays, how they utilize personnel, how they create mismatches, and how they are executed. We have done a better job in how we utilize David Johnson over the past two games, but we are still not calling games based upon our personnel. That is what led to Andre Smith being on an island vs a pure speed rusher in Dee Ford. That is why we still see JJ Nelson in heavy personnel packages. There is an art to play calling which can be even more important than the actual plays being run. But if you are predictable along with marginal talent, you just end up running into brick walls.

We under-performed against one of the league's most giving defenses off of a bye week. I don't see a start. I see the same stalled offense vs worse competition.

Then why would it take so long to learn BA's offense? A seasoned vet like Palmer took over half a season before he started getting it. There was talk of McCoys offense being so complicated & difficult to learn that some players were having trouble. McCoys O was definitely different than BA's.

 

[Gandhi]

We under-performed against one of the league's most giving defenses off of a bye week. I don't see a start. I see the same stalled offense vs worse competition.

I think you are underestimating that it was only the second competitive game Byron Leftwich has ever called. Also, the Chiefs defense has certainly improved the last four games or so, though it cannot be seen that much on the stat sheet. Plus there’s what CCF writes.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I think you are underestimating that it was only the second competitive game Byron Leftwich has ever called. Also, the Chiefs defense has certainly improved the last four games or so, though it cannot be seen that much on the stat sheet. Plus there’s what CCF writes.

If you compare the results of McCoy's first 7 games as OC with Leftwich's two games as OC the stats don't lie:

McCoy:

• Average of 12.8 first downs per game
• Average of 2.5 third down conversions
• Average of 24:50 time of possession

Leftwich:

• Average of 20.5 first downs per game
• Average of 6.5 third down conversions
• Average of 29:48 time of possession

So I agree with this small sample size this hasn't been the same stalled offense as Chopper has claimed. If you just compare the two Niners games, Leftwich's offense had 7 minutes more of time of possession, 10 more first downs and 4 more 3rd down conversions.

No one is claiming that Leftwich is the end all be all of Offensive Coordinators. There is a good chance that Leftwich isn't the OC next season. However for a rookie OC thrust into a difficult situation he has performed fairly well so far with all things considered.

 

[Chopper0080]

Then why would it take so long to learn BA's offense? A seasoned vet like Palmer took over half a season before he started getting it. There was talk of McCoys offense being so complicated & difficult to learn that some players were having trouble. McCoys O was definitely different than BA's.

Verbiage is a big factor in transitioning offenses. That is why smart offensive minds simplify the verbiage for young QBs coming in so that they can spend more time focusing on executing the purpose behind the play. Stubborn coaches have their elaborate play calls which makes it difficult for young QBs. Think of it as learning a new language. A sandwich is a sandwich but what to call a sandwich in French is very different than what to call a sandwich in Japanese.

Another difficult area when learning offenses is how much is put on the players, specifically QBs and WRs. The more pass focused an offense is, the more pressure it puts on QBs and WRs seeing the same thing pre and post snap. This is what can make these offenses tough to learn. If you have multiple players with option routes in a play, it amplifies the difficulty of that individual play.

The last area that I would highlight is play volume vs formation volume. There is a huge difference in an offense than runs 15 plays out of 6 formations vs an offense that runs 35 plays out of 3 formations. This is a simplification of the volume of NFL playbooks, but you get the point. It is much easier to be buttoned up on 15 plays which give defenses 6 different looks pre-snap vs 35 plays which only give the defenses 3 different looks pre-snap.

An example of this is when I coached it was always much easier to practice a lead play with a smash option pass audible and just get repetitions running that same play out of 5 or 6 different personnel groupings and formations. When we had an athletic TE we would run it mostly out of heavy personnel, start with the TE in the backfield, and then use motion to get that TE outside where he would be covered by a LB. If the other team adjusted to that personnel grouping then we could just run the ball and would have a size mismatch. When we didn't have a mismatch at TE we would run the same play more out of smaller personnel packages to get smaller defensive players on the field. We always used variations in games, but we would game plan to take advantage of specific mismatches. Again, this isn't NFL level play calling, but it shows how you can take one play, give it several different looks to a defense, a create personnel mismatches based upon your roster.

 

[Gandhi]

Verbiage is a big factor in transitioning offenses. That is why smart offensive minds simplify the verbiage for young QBs coming in so that they can spend more time focusing on executing the purpose behind the play. Stubborn coaches have their elaborate play calls which makes it difficult for young QBs. Think of it as learning a new language. A sandwich is a sandwich but what to call a sandwich in French is very different than what to call a sandwich in Japanese.

There’s no doubt about it, Chopper, by why buy a store to sell baguette in Paris when you only speak Spanish? My point is that Leftwich himself along with other coaches and players has said multiple times that they are in fact running McCoy’s offense because it would be too hard to change it midseason. The players can’t learn it that fast, and if they tried it would lead to misunderstandings which would lead to mistakes. It’s an honest question because I haven’t ever coached, so I simply don’t know. Maybe you are right, and Lord knows that coaches and players will say slightly incorrect things simply to make it easier to comprehend for the media, and – through the media – the fans. Like, for instance, that they can’t learn Leftwich’s offense during the season while the truth is more complicated and thus deemed too hard to explain?

My guess is that Leftwich would want to run plays out of different formations, the way you highlighted, but he can’t do it right now because his hands are tied with another playbook. I think Leftwich has changed a bit of verbiage, but don’t dare to change too much. I think Leftwich has a tendency in the way he calls plays, but right now he is, to a degree, forced to compromise in his playcalling.

In theory, I guess a complicated NFL-offense are harder to defend, and thus there is a logical reason why offensives playbooks used to be like an encyclopedia. Some coaches are more conservative or old-fashioned than others, so they maybe haven’t changed their complicated playbook that much, and that means the system is highly complicated and difficult, especially for rookie- or first year quarterbacks. Arians’ offense worked because Palmer (and other key players) came to master it, while nobody ever learned McCoy’s offense other than Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers.

MadCard proves it pretty easily. The Cards’ offense is doing better with Byron Leftwich than with Mike McCoy. That is no coincidence.

 

[PACardsFan]

Doing better than Mike McCoy means absolutely nothing. Leftwich is not the answer folks. Time to fire EVERYONE & move on.

 

[Southpaw]

Leftwich fits in well with the "tanking for draft choices" scheme.

 

[Chopper0080]

I think we are in a situation where people need to understand that "better" does not equal "good".

Bump. Still trash.

 

[PACardsFan]

Nothing can possibly improve until Wilks is fired & we bring in an offensive minded HC. All the rules in the NFL favor the offense. So bring in someone who can maximize that advantage.

 

[Garthshort]

Lefwich went McCoy with the game on the line.

 

[PACardsFan]

Lefwich went McCoy with the game on the line.

That's because when the game is on the line, Wilks makes the final decision. We've gone from "no risk it, no biscuit" to we may as well punt on 3rd down. I'm of the belief that MB really grew to dislike BA. It's as though he went to the opposite end of the spectrum in hiring Wilks. And make no mistake about it, this hire has MB's fingerprints all over it. MB wasn't about to hire another gunslinging, foul mouthed, bourbon sipping HC. BASK were 2 peas in a pod that were inseparable. They ate together, they drank together, and thought similarly regarding the game of football. Hell, they were neighbors. That relationship was fine with MB as long as we were winning & in the playoffs. As soon as we started to fade a bit, MB promised himself that his next hire would a clean break from BA. So we ended up with a coaching philosophy that doesn't fit the personnel on this team. Maybe MB thought this metamorphosis would be cleaner, quicker, and less painful. It's been anything but, and will set this franchise back at least 2-3 years. If he's stubborn, it'll be longer.

 

[New Mexico]

That's because when the game is on the line, Wilks makes the final decision. We've gone from "no risk it, no biscuit" to we may as well punt on 3rd down. I'm of the belief that MB really grew to dislike BA. It's as though he went to the opposite end of the spectrum in hiring Wilks. And make no mistake about it, this hire has MB's fingerprints all over it. MB wasn't about to hire another gunslinging, foul mouthed, bourbon sipping HC. BASK were 2 peas in a pod that were inseparable. They ate together, they drank together, and thought similarly regarding the game of football. Hell, they were neighbors. That relationship was fine with MB as long as we were winning & in the playoffs. As soon as we started to fade a bit, MB promised himself that his next hire would a clean break from BA. So we ended up with a coaching philosophy that doesn't fit the personnel on this team. Maybe MB thought this metamorphosis would be cleaner, quicker, and less painful. It's been anything but, and will set this franchise back at least 2-3 years. If he's stubborn, it'll be longer.

Objection. Speculation.

 

[BigRedRage]

He uses DJ right and gets the ball to Larry and Kirk. He was handed a shish sandwich and terrible offensive line.