Offensive Playbook is Ancient

[sflegend89]

After watching full games from teams like the Eagles and Pats it's clear as day that their playbooks have evolved for the 2016 NFL and we're still running concepts from 10 years ago.

I'm talking about things like crafty misdirection screens, fake tosses to a pass, off tackle zone runs from shotgun. Unusual formations with RB motions creating confusing coverage alignments. Plays and formations that display creativity and keep a defense on their heels.

Our playbook is all vanilla formations and straight forward run, pass, playaction concepts. It becomes so easy for a defense to react when the looks they get are so limited. Never do we get into a defenders imagination and get them thinking with any unique tactics. Yet how many times do we see a huge play come from causing confusion or an over reaction from a team with a modernized offensive playbook. We rely on guys making a play 1 on 1 to move the ball and so many other offenses can do that as well as move the bell with superior strategy.

 

3-0 is great but the offense is massively underperforming when you look at the talent we have at our disposal. Trestman's offense is archaeic and we shouldn't let these wins overshadow this glaring flaw. We're playing checkers on offense while the elite teams are playing chess.

Edited September 26, 2016 by sflegend89

[hen826957]

I agree with you. It's vanilla and Trestman needs to open the field more not little chunks at a time. I don't mean to dis guard the run but they should let the pass set up the run instead of the run set up the pass. On 1 & 10 do a play action so we could keep the defense honest if that's incomplete do a pass the second time. If the pass is complete then run on the next down. 

[jdynamite]

Yeah it's really amazing to me that this team still has this problem and Cam Cameron has been gone for years !  

I thought with multiple TEs and varied, diverse group of WRs, that the formations and routes would come along. 

I'm seeing a ton of shotgun runs, and yet we don't seem to have shotgun pass plays work like other teams. We rarely ever get a quick slant, crossing pattern in stride for extra yards after the catch. 

Our dump-offs and screens seem as if they aren't even practice how they only gain 2 yards at a time...  

RBs never run wheel routes. 

It be nice to see more pre-snap motions to create mismatches in the slot. 

[rmcjacket23]

When a play works, its creative and innovative.

When a play fails, its boring and ancient.

Nobody is throwing any offensive concepts out there that weren't be used years ago. 

[Edgar]

Maxx and Crockett. Zero targets yesterday. 

[rmcjacket23]

1 hour ago, Edgar said:

Maxx and Crockett. Zero targets yesterday. 

Honestly, I really don't think that's a problem. Kind of what I expected going into the season.

You've got like at least 4-5 WRs that we want to see get targets, plus Pitta who is clearly our best pass catching TE and RBs.

There's only one football and too many mouths to feed according to the fans. 

At this point, we know what the hierarchy is... Pitta and Steve Smith are the preferred options, with Wallace and Perriman being mixed in significantly. The RBs share a few targets a game, and that's how the offense is going right now.

Aiken doesn't figure to get much of a role anytime soon, and neither do the other TEs in the passing game.

[jboy19]

I think the problem is that the playbook is built around establishing the run game, and that hasn't happened. 

[usmccharles]

With no run game, any offense is going to look like garbage

[OUravensfan]

No run game, I'd like to see more power running formations and stretch plays. No more shotgun runs and even worse, shotgun pitches. 

[Moderator 3]

Maybe we're saving the "good stuff" for the Bengals and Steelers.

[Tru11]

The offense cant even execute the vanilla plays.....

[redlobster]

2 hours ago, Edgar said:

Maxx and Crockett. Zero targets yesterday. 

through 3 games:

 

Crockett : 2 receptions , 4 targets

Maxx : 0 receptions, 0 targets

 

Shame neither get to do anything more than block.

[AsianRice]

2 hours ago, Moderator 3 said:

Maybe we're saving the "good stuff" for the Bengals and Steelers.

lol i guess so.....5-11 team last year swept the Steelers when they were one of the hottest teams offensively coming in...

[callahan09]

The playcalling has been a little vanilla-seeming.  My problem with the criticism of Trestman right now is mostly just that the O-line has been absolutely terrible, and we seem a little handcuffed in how we're going to execute when we can't run the ball and the defense sits downfield taking away the passing game (and even then Flacco is still getting pressured a lot because of the poor O-line play).  I tend to think the problem there is more a talent deficiency on the line than a coaching deficiency.  Without the line being effective, it's going to be difficult to call plays that look smart.

[AsianRice]

1 minute ago, callahan09 said:

The playcalling has been a little vanilla-seeming.  My problem with the criticism of Trestman right now is mostly just that the O-line has been absolutely terrible, and we seem a little handcuffed in how we're going to execute when we can't run the ball and the defense sits downfield taking away the passing game (and even then Flacco is still getting pressured a lot because of the poor O-line play).  I tend to think the problem there is more a talent deficiency on the line than a coaching deficiency.  Without the line being effective, it's going to be difficult to call plays that look smart.

May be we just aren't that creative when it comes to running the ball....

 

True, if u can't run the ball, the opposing defense will kill you with your one dimensional football..... 

[The Raven]

5 hours ago, rmcjacket23 said:

When a play works, its creative and innovative.

When a play fails, its boring and ancient.

Nobody is throwing any offensive concepts out there that weren't be used years ago. 

Agreed.

Trestman actually is extremely creative. I think he's too creative. 

Creativity is far from the issue here.

[scrock]

No run game, poor run blocking, poor pass protection at times....for a team that likes play action and throwing deep that's no bueno.

[Tank 92]

6 hours ago, usmccharles said:

With no run game, any offense is going to look like garbage

pretty much this. We're fortunate that we produce anything without the threat of the run.

[OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL]

Whats funny, is we have so many coaches now, that quantity does not mean quality.

For all of Biscottis money, we get these scrub O C's off the scrap heap, and see the same old dog poop year after year. Cam Cameron gets fired? Lets bring him here after he goes 1-15. Only win was against the Ravens. Whose dumb idea was that?

 Kubiak was the best OC we ever had.

 

Its almost like we play with a Salary Cap on Offensive minds. I thought Ralph Freidgen was running a more advanced system at Md 7 years ago.

You need to find a college coach with some creativity. This crap we keep seeing has got to go.

[OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL]

Call it the Watch Paint Dry Offense, to quote Dilfer.

[Tank 92]

Not sure why it's so hard to understand that poor line play limits the variety of the playbook. Anyone remember the bulk of the 2012 regular season vs. the tournament?

[The Raven]

For those echoing the comments about creativity.... What did Kubiak do that was all that creative?

Nothing. His offense was simple and bonedry, but it was unpredictable and versatile. It focused on doing the little things well and building on them for big plays.

That's what we're missing. Not this nonsense about being uncreative. 

[LosT_in_TranSlatioN]

4 hours ago, The Raven said:

Agreed.

Trestman actually is extremely creative. I think he's too creative. 

Creativity is far from the issue here.

But if he is too creative isn't creativity the problem still? 

 

I agree wholeheartedly. He's not the #1 issue. He's still a big part of the problem though

[Tank 92]

If we had a decent run threat I guarantee these conversations would not be happening. 

[OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL]

Just get the ball in your playmakers hands in space. Preferrably while they are running, not standing still. 

Watch the limited passing route tree. Our receivers just stop and wait for the ball. 

That deep slant to Wallace for the td was the best pass all year. 

Why no crossing routes? Use the speed you have for cripe sakes!

[Deflated Football]

I'd like to see Wallace, BP or Moore on bubble screens, not Aiken. If Dixon is the player that we think he is, the run game will improve. Also, we're starting two rookies on the left side and Zuttah is a mess. That has to be taken into consideration as to why Trestman's playing vanilla-like, though I still think he's doing a great job with all these factors combined. 

[LosT_in_TranSlatioN]

4 hours ago, Tank 92 said:

If we had a decent run threat I guarantee these conversations would not be happening. 

We need a new center badly... Someone who gets actual push. 

[Maryland]

Bad run-blocking

Underwhelming RBs

Can't setup play-action (though it could be used more often at certain times)

Some pass plays get uncreative because you have to start "running" through your pass game /w little dinks and dunks

How innovative can you really be in this day and age? Nearly everything has been done; it's just a matter of making plays unpredictable, which is hard to do with no run game and no play-action. 

[Ravensfan23]

8 hours ago, OLD SCHOOL SMASH BALL said:

Just get the ball in your playmakers hands in space. Preferrably while they are running, not standing still. 

Watch the limited passing route tree. Our receivers just stop and wait for the ball. 

That deep slant to Wallace for the td was the best pass all year. 

Why no crossing routes? Use the speed you have for cripe sakes!

you clearly aren't watching the games. 80% of the routes run are based on speed and guys getting in space. The problem is it's hard to hit guys while they're running if your online doesn't allow your QB to step into his throws. Except for the first game, that was all Flacco just throwing flat footed. 

I look at some of these comments and it's clear that most of the comments are only being made because the offense isn't clicking right now. I'm willing bet that with the same exact plays being called but blocks being made, throws being made and balls being caught that most of you guys aren't saying 1 negative word about Trestman. 

I've said it before and will continue to say it, this isn't Madden Football. You can't just plug and play with an entire offense. Flacco, Pitta, SSS, Perriman, Wallace, Moore, Stanley and Lewis are all either working back from injury or playing in the offense for the first time. It takes time to gel, especially when you barely practiced or played together in TC and Preseason. Flacco said it best, they are constantly getting better and more comfortable then the flood gates will open

[Halshayeji]

11 hours ago, Deflated Football said:

I'd like to see Wallace, BP or Moore on bubble screens, not Aiken. If Dixon is the player that we think he is, the run game will improve. Also, we're starting two rookies on the left side and Zuttah is a mess. That has to be taken into consideration as to why Trestman's playing vanilla-like, though I still think he's doing a great job with all these factors combined. 

No he's not. This offense is not just struggling. It's loosing it's identity. Trestman is a smart guy but maybe he's too stubborn for his own good. His scheme is obviously not a good fit for Flaccos strengths. It took about 10 weeks last year for this offense to get into any kind of rythem. I fear that with all the new pieces that weren't hear to finish last season, the ofense is having to learn it all over again and that's a big NO NO.