changing our offense to suit landry

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

i'm a big proponent of the switzer phrase "its not the alignment, its the alignees". switzer, in that way he does with quotes, both oversimplified football and gave insight into its amazing depth with that statement.

when i look at our current injury riddled offense, i see a coaching staff that is shackling alignees to their alignment, instead of morphing the alignment to the alignees. each of your alignees has strengths and weaknesses and the more you shape things around their strengths, the better your team will be.

our current no-huddle, speed game fit bradford to a T. why? because his greatest talent was an inherent ability to put the ball exactly where it needed to be a high percentage of the time. this ranged from throwing the ball to the green side of the receiver (something that landry just isn't good at), throwing it so that defenders couldn't get into the passing window, and hitting guys perfectly in stride. now think about our offensive scheme in terms of this ability, they basically called in a play that signaled the primary as the one most likely to have the most green. now there are other things that go into this, like bradford's ability to prevent defenses from keying on his reads, but his primary strength was above.

now, lets look at landry jones. landry jones has decent accuracy, good arm strength, but he isn't very good at reading the variables around a receiver. broyles has taken more big shots on passing routes this year than he did all of last year. however, landry jones has something in his backpocket that sam didn't get. as a matter of a fact, its a gamechanging ability if your alignment takes advantage of it - his snap count.

landry jones has drawn people offsides, without even trying really, 2 times per game this year. so far, the defense has been flagged for zero, i repeat, zero offsides penalties. i just can't put into words how much someone with a good snap count can change the game if you punish teams with it. however, our alignment doesn't allow us to do that because most of the time he goes up with the hard snap count, its a fake play. 1/2 the time, we aren't even set which means its illegal procedure on us.

a list of the good things that would happen if we used this as a weapon:

1. 5 yard penalties on the defense instead of starting 1st and 15 on every series
2. free shots down the field, anyone remember heupel in 99 killing people with this?
3. slow down the rush - right now teams are just going full bore at us. by using the snap count you make them pause allowing your OL to get a 1/2 second advantage.
4. give our blockers more time - i think a lot of our false start penalties are related to #3. the OL doesn't have any more advantage than the defense and are cutting corners.

[44BluesExplosion]

I completely agree with 100% of the above.

[badger]

While I find your list quite good and full of things, here is my take on the offense becoming more Landry-like:

1- More 'Stache
2- More dating hot and talented athletes
3- More famous football names
4- More libelous rumors started by rival fans resulting in lawsuits
5- More looking to the future

;)

[freshchris05]

I've been thinkin the same thing. Opposing defenses know our O-line isn't the greatest(to say the least) this year,and they are pinning their ears back and sending everyone after Landry. Landry isn't great at going through his reads or moving the pocket, so sending blitz after blitz has been very effective against us. A hard count would come in handy. You see alot of high school defenses falling for it all the time and with that blitz mentality the other defenses would have something else to think about instead of 'get to the QB.'

We don't need to change our whole offense or even dumb it down, just a few new wrinkles would work wonders.

[rawlingsHOH]

2. free shots down the field, anyone remember heupel in 99 killing people with this?
Favre, the greatest of all-time at this.

[boomermagic]

i'm a big proponent of the switzer phrase "its not the alignment, its the alignees". switzer, in that way he does with quotes, both oversimplified football and gave insight into its amazing depth with that statement.

when i look at our current injury riddled offense, i see a coaching staff that is shackling alignees to their alignment, instead of morphing the alignment to the alignees. each of your alignees has strengths and weaknesses and the more you shape things around their strengths, the better your team will be.

our current no-huddle, speed game fit bradford to a T. why? because his greatest talent was an inherent ability to put the ball exactly where it needed to be a high percentage of the time. this ranged from throwing the ball to the green side of the receiver (something that landry just isn't good at), throwing it so that defenders couldn't get into the passing window, and hitting guys perfectly in stride. now think about our offensive scheme in terms of this ability, they basically called in a play that signaled the primary as the one most likely to have the most green. now there are other things that go into this, like bradford's ability to prevent defenses from keying on his reads, but his primary strength was above.

now, lets look at landry jones. landry jones has decent accuracy, good arm strength, but he isn't very good at reading the variables around a receiver. broyles has taken more big shots on passing routes this year than he did all of last year. however, landry jones has something in his backpocket that sam didn't get. as a matter of a fact, its a gamechanging ability if your alignment takes advantage of it - his snap count.

landry jones has drawn people offsides, without even trying really, 2 times per game this year. so far, the defense has been flagged for zero, i repeat, zero offsides penalties. i just can't put into words how much someone with a good snap count can change the game if you punish teams with it. however, our alignment doesn't allow us to do that because most of the time he goes up with the hard snap count, its a fake play. 1/2 the time, we aren't even set which means its illegal procedure on us.

a list of the good things that would happen if we used this as a weapon:

1. 5 yard penalties on the defense instead of starting 1st and 15 on every series
2. free shots down the field, anyone remember heupel in 99 killing people with this?
3. slow down the rush - right now teams are just going full bore at us. by using the snap count you make them pause allowing your OL to get a 1/2 second advantage.
4. give our blockers more time - i think a lot of our false start penalties are related to #3. the OL doesn't have any more advantage than the defense and are cutting corners.

BINGO !:D

[Widescreen]

A hard count would come in handy. You see alot of high school defenses falling for it all the time and with that blitz mentality the other defenses would have something else to think about instead of 'get to the QB.'

The problem is, our OL, which can't seem to count, would also get fooled by this.

[freshchris05]

We also need the center to have enough awareness to snap the ball when he sees a defender jump offsides. Because if we get them to jump and there's no contact(which we've seen all year) you know and I know there's no foul.

[freshchris05]

The problem is, our OL, which can't seem to count, would also get fooled by this.

true.

but they are already jumping offsides so it's whatever right haha?

[TXBOOMER]

I agree 100%. I would also like to see our O line put their hand on the ground and fire straight out instead of lateral zone blocking. Anytime we play a team with any speed they blow up the runs.

[rawlingsHOH]

I agree 100%. I would also like to see our O line put their hand on the ground and fire straight out instead of lateral zone blocking. Anytime we play a team with any speed they blow up the runs.
That is probably more fiction than truth.

[TXBOOMER]

That is probably more fiction than truth.

We run very few non zone blocking plays. We continually get our runs stretched out to the side line or totally blown up. I believe we should cut down on the zone blocking. Half the time it is our own lineman in the way running sideways. They may not be able to move anybody in the traditional way either but I would like to see it. I have watched parts of the Nebraska game several times and they stretched us like a rubber band, nearly anytime we got positive yards it was on a cut back not following the zone.

[NormanPride]

We're better at pushing people sideways than straight down field, it seems.

Also, how much of our not changing the offensive style has to do with injuries on the OL and lack of practice time? Also, a freshman center...

[swardboy]

Heh, remember the good old days when the qb could jerk his head around on the snap count? I had whiplash after every game trying to draw the D offside....

[rawlingsHOH]

We run very few non zone blocking plays.
We run the power, which is the only non-zone staple of our running game. So maybe 1/4 of the time.


We continually get our runs stretched out to the side line or totally blown up. I believe we should cut down on the zone blocking. Half the time it is our own lineman in the way running sideways. They may not be able to move anybody in the traditional way either but I would like to see it. I have watched parts of the Nebraska game several times and they stretched us like a rubber band, nearly anytime we got positive yards it was on a cut back not following the zone.
Our OL has been pretty terrible in the run game this year, no dount about it. But the statement I was taking issue with was... "Anytime we play a team with any speed they blow up the runs"... Inherently, of course you are going to have more trouble with athletic defenses. As will any offense.

You can zone against speed, in fact, that is exactly what it was drawn up to combat. Our guys simply aren't playing up to standards.

[TXBOOMER]

We run the power, which is the only non-zone staple of our running game. So maybe 1/4 of the time.


Our OL has been pretty terrible in the run game this year, no dount about it. But the statement I was taking issue with was... "Anytime we play a team with any speed they blow up the runs"... Inherently, of course you are going to have more trouble with athletic defenses. As will any offense.

You can zone against speed, in fact, that is exactly what it was drawn up to combat. Our guys simply aren't playing up to standards.

All I'm saying is I would like to see more straight ahead power running. I think it is easier for the OL to execute and sets up play action better. Those zone running plays struggled against Florida last year and that was with a good OL (then again everybody struggles against Florida). A lot of times straight ahead power running wears down a good Defense. This line may be so bad that neither works. I'm telling you watch the games on DVR and check out Good and Brandon over run or not get there and come off their blocks on those zone blocking plays. I believe Habern and Evans will be good but I have severe concerns with the other two.

[StoopTroup]

Landry needs three more 65 point games this year IMO.

[MikeInNorman]

We're already seeing a different scheme which fits Landry better, which is partly the old Paul Thompson "1 read" system. Against A&M there were more rollouts, which inevitably focus on one crossing route, as well as passes to pre-designated receivers who were highly unlikely to be covered, i.e. swing passes to backs (Murray), screens (Murray), and quick pops to the slot receiver (Broyles).

There is also an element of the "good Hybl" system as well, where downfield and middle throws are to one route only, and the entire play is set up to get that one guy open. Landry gets one look at the designated receiver, and if he's not open, they let him check to one bailout guy, usually a back still in the backfield. Otherwise, get rid of it. Hybl got VERY proficient at this, and we consequently had a solid, productive, unspectacular offense that didn't turn the ball over.

The Thompson/Hybl offensive dialbacks also help Landry with one of his biggest problems, holding the ball too long. The rollouts, swing passes and quick pops are designed to get rid of the ball quickly. The Hybl scheme helps in making one read and getting rid of the ball otherwise. I swear half the holding penalties we have had this season were due to Landry holding the ball way too long in the pocket.

[Petro-Sooner]

Triple

Option

:texan:

[rawlingsHOH]

We're already seeing a different scheme which fits Landry better, which is partly the old Paul Thompson "1 read" system. Against A&M there were more rollouts, which inevitably focus on one crossing route, as well as passes to pre-designated receivers who were highly unlikely to be covered, i.e. swing passes to backs (Murray), screens (Murray), and quick pops to the slot receiver (Broyles).

There is also an element of the "good Hybl" system as well, where downfield and middle throws are to one route only, and the entire play is set up to get that one guy open. Landry gets one look at the designated receiver, and if he's not open, they let him check to one bailout guy, usually a back still in the backfield. Otherwise, get rid of it. Hybl got VERY proficient at this, and we consequently had a solid, productive, unspectacular offense that didn't turn the ball over.

The Thompson/Hybl offensive dialbacks also help Landry with one of his biggest problems, holding the ball too long. The rollouts, swing passes and quick pops are designed to get rid of the ball quickly. The Hybl scheme helps in making one read and getting rid of the ball otherwise. I swear half the holding penalties we have had this season were due to Landry holding the ball way too long in the pocket.
He reminds me a lot of Hybl in the sense that he was accurate in hitting the receiver, but he doesn't always put the ball in the best place for the receiver to pick up YAC. Heupel and Bradford were the best at this, giving the receiver a great chance to make a play, hitting them in stride. White threw the best deep ball, but wasn't quite as good as the other two on the underneath timing stuff, he also had some pretty good WRs.

[SoonerDood]

reminds me of when Chuck Long tried to run the '04 offense with the '05 personnel.

[TXBOOMER]

Triple

Option

:texan:

Broyles would make a heck of an option QB.

[BillyBall]

reminds me of when Chuck Long tried to run the '04 offense with the '05 personnel.

This.