Should Gibbs Flip The Script: Passing Team Now?

I was going to post that we have to stick to the run because historically that's how teams have their success in the playoffs. But the more I think about it, I don't think we can get to the playoffs in the first place if we try to run 75% of the time. I wouldn't say that we need to bring back the run and shoot or run no huddle, I just think we need to see more of a bias towards the pass until teams stop stacking the box against us.

Who would have thought we'd see JC put the ball in the air 50 times!

I think the balance attack approach is such a bunch of BS. You do what you have to do to score TD's. If the opponent is weak against the run then run it. If they are weak in coverage then pass it. All depends on the opponent and how they play defense.

Go back to 1983 when the Redskins set an NFL scoring record, where we a passing team? A running team? No, we were a balanced team 50-50. You need both especially as winter approaches. You need running to eat up the clock and tire your opponents defense.

Anyone hear anything about who was calling the plays. I heard speculation on I think Mike & Mike this morning that it was Saunders

From Mike Wise's article in the Post the other day after putting up 25 points on the Eagles.. Some very interesting trends in today's NFL..

"Every week, there is incontrovertible evidence against the running game, against even balance, in the NFL.

The four division leaders that seem on a collision course to meet in the respective conference championship games -- the Patriots, Colts, Cowboys and Packers -- all feature spread-the-field passing offenses that put up points.

Twenty-one teams did not have a back rush for 100 yards last week, including six teams that scored more points than Washington. Eight teams won that did not have a back rush for 90 yards.

Everybody throws now. The Rams, for goodness sake, put up 37 points; Steven Jackson ran for just 76 yards in their win.

The Patriots are the standard; for all this talk of how multidimensional pro football's best team is, New England has had a running back rush for more than 100 yards in just three of their nine wins. The day they annihilated the Cowboys by scoring 48 points, the Patriots had 75 yards rushing and averaged 2.6 yards per carry. "

Not to say that we are the Patriots, but the trend of higher scoring offenses have a heavy lean to the passing game. As some of us have been saying all year, we've got to open the playbook up to be able to compete with the elite teams.. Yesterday we either scored or drove deep into Dallas territory on all but 2 possessions in the 2nd half.. Against Philly we did the same, either driving or scoring on almost every possession. The same can't be said for the handcuffed Campbell all of the previous weeks..

Without this devolving into another playcalling thread, it's obvious the gameplan has changed the past couple of weeks to a more aggressive stance. The defense has let us down, the past 2 weeks, not a lack of offensive production. We're closer to the 24 points per game we need to be a 10 win team.

I really think Campbell's inaccuracy deep down the field is lack of attempts during the early parts of the season.. You've got to get into a rhythm at game speed to get those connections down pat.. He'll get more on point with those down the stretch and lead us into the playoffs, IF he's allowed to keep doing what he's been doing..

You have to have recievers taller than 5'3'' to really air it out

I think the balance attack approach is such a bunch of BS. You do what you have to do to score TD's. If the opponent is weak against the run then run it. If they are weak in coverage then pass it. All depends on the opponent and how they play defense.

I agree with you, although I wouldn't have in the past.

When we were driving late in the game against the cowboys yesterday, I was saying, "Keep throwing!" On the last scoring drive we had, we threw something like 6 or 7 consecutive times. I think only one was incomplete, and one other wasn't for a first down. I had this terrible feeling we would pass our way into the red-zone, and then get stuffed trying to run it. We didn't, and we ended up scoring a touchdown. Coincidence? I think not.

I believe that you don't stop doing something that works, just for the sake of balance. You wait until the defense stops you.

You have to have recievers taller than 5'3'' to really air it out


welcome to the board, by the way

I think this team still needs to run quite a bit. That's not to say that we shouldn't use the hurry-up, the hurry-up can help us run AND help us throw more effectively.

But I don't like passing all that much more than running, UNLESS the situation calls for it and we're behind in the game.

Why did Cambpell air it out 50 times against Dallas? Because for much of the 2nd half, we were down and needed to catch up. We saw what happened when he aired it out that much... he threw a pick. And that's on a very very good day for him. This is not to second-guess the decision to throw, the decision to throw that much was necessitated by the fact that we were down.

But you can't throw a pick if you're running the ball. Of course you can fumble, but Portis's fumble rate is a lot lower than Campbell's INT rate.

In the end, I'm in favor of attacking the defense with whatever the situation calls for. If we're ahead, lean heavier on the run (though change the scheme a bit to be less conservative). If we're behind, lean on the pass. And at all times, feature the hurry-up.

Turnovers are still the factor that has the most influence on the outcome of NFL games. You have to approach the game with balance, and be ready to adjust based on the situation.

I think the offense is finally finding its identity - it's becoming Saunders's offense.