Smoot Lays The Smack Down (Redskins vs. Colts)

[NLC1054]

Originally Posted by Lotus

But we didn't have much of a vertical dimension to the offense against the Steelers, either. If memory serves the longest completion was a catch-and-run and generally shots were not taken down the field. Maybe this problem is an artifact of circumstance. But if we don't take occasional shots, over 16 games safeties will cheat towards the line and the running game will suffer thereby.

Deep passes are traditionally low percentage passes, so you want to take those shots when the have a higher probability of being completed. The Colts defended the deep pass all night, rushing for and dropping seven into coverage on nearly every down. There was no opportunity to pass deep, so you're likely looking at an incompletion, or even suckier, a turnover. Then we'd all be sitting here talking about Beck's decision making.

I mean, you have to look at Houston's offense as the way we do things, since it's essentially the same offense. Matt Schaub doesn't stretch the field a lot. He's highly efficient in the short to intermediate route, and they now have a strong running game. But if you do cheat and put a safety in the box, Schaub will have no problem throwing one deep-ish to get you to back off.

It's only one preseason game, and I think it's kind of foolish to think our "gameplan" for the Colts game will be our gameplan all the time. I guarantee the Ravens will cheat a safety in the box to stop the run and force Beck to pass. I expect him to at least be able to show that, yes, he can throw the deep ball, to get them to back off.