This time of posession story seems to be at the top of people’s minds lately.
Moving quickly past the fact that the defense actually needs to get itself off of the field more often…
The issue is not really running or passing. Alabama dominated us on time of posession while doing a terrible job with the running game. They did a nice job in the passing game, completing a high percentage of their passes.
Many people think the ‘hurry-up no-huddle’ (HUNH) approach will use less clock than the ‘huddle’ approach. I don’t agree that this has to be the case.
The key is not when you are ready to snap the ball, it is when you actually do snap the ball. In either approach you can let the play clock run down. The HUNH puts pressure on the defense because you get ready to snap the ball quickly. They can’t change personnel, and the longer they stand around the more they tip off what they are going to do. Waiting until the last possible moment to call the play and snap the ball actually gives a huge advantage to the offense.
With the huddle approach we are using today, we’re getting the ball snapped with 10-15 seconds on the play clock. We are also limiting our ability to read the defense and call audibles because we are typically in a play to begin with that is personnel package specific. As I, and many others on the message boards have mentioned, we are missing the point of Gus’ offense and tying his hands as a playcaller.
A big part of the ‘magic’ occurs during that long look at the line of scrimmage. Lose that, you lose the thrust of the offense. All you have are some different plays than we used to run and the hope that you’ve called the right one or that your one check-off will get you out of it.
I don’t care if you huddle or not. Don’t snap the ball until late in the snap clock. This didn’t use to be a problem with Houston Dale calling plays because he always got the plays in late anyway, leaving the offense no choice but to race the play clock. Now it’s a problem.
I do believe we should use more no-huddle. Put the pressure on the defense. Be ready to snap the ball in five seconds. Then watch and wait until the last moment to get into the right play and snap the ball. I’ve seen Gus do that at Springdale and Shiloh. It will work.
Also, complete more passes and don’t run out of bounds. Make first downs.
Other than that, it is up to the defense to keep the other offense off the field.
Hogblogger – Excellent commentary as usual. I'm glad to see you talk about what has been driving me crazy listening to talk shows and so forth. Thanks for stating the the no-huddle does NOT have to be hurry up to be adventageous.
One idea that I haven't seen expressed on this blog is what I believe HDN's ultimate desire is — to "shorten" the game. I think this indicates he believes he has inferior talent/coaching/execution. At the point he believes his team is superior, he will (should) try to "lengthen" the game. Of course if he's trying to avoid embarassing blow outs, then "shortening" the game is also advisable.
I thought when I read Gus' book that he spent an inordinate amount of time talking about this "commitment" to the HUNH. The players have to buy in. The coaches have to buy in. But it starts to make more sense now that we are seeing it unfold.
He makes a special point about getting buy in from the defensive coaches because, with this offense, you are going to put them in some bad situations at times. They have to understand that from the beginning. He says you or your defensive coaches should not worry about time of possession….EVER. It is true that when you go three and out, or go for it at mid-field and don't get it, you are placing your defense in a terrible spot. You are also going to score a lot of points very quickly….if it works.
When I heard Chuck and Otis the other night on SportsRap saying we must have more TOP for our defense's sake, I asked myself…"What about the other side's defense? Would they like to play against the HUNH every play, for the whole game. Why do we focus on our defense and the fact they can't get off the field? What about how the other side feels at halftime…at the end of the third quarter….in overtime, etc.
I just get the feeling that our head coach is not completely commited to this. Thus the "half pregnant" situation that we find ourself in.
Sunshine – you are right on. As I mentioned in some post, both the Colts and the Bengals use a lot of hurry-up no-huddle. i suspect both of those defenses are in every fantasy league around. Our head coach is not committed to it. Reggie is not committed to it. And, I will repeat, both the Colts and the Bengals run I formation plays out of the hurry-up no-huddle mode. So, this is not about plays and formations.
besides, we aren't winning time of posession doing what we are doing now. i can't see it getting any worse.
Razorbilly – what Houston Dale would really like to do is dominate teams physically and just impose our will on them. that's hard to do in modern football. you may be able to run between the 20's, but getting into the end zone is a struggle. thinking in terms of 'shortening' or 'lengthening' the game as an overall strategy is foolish. what you really want to do is play the game effectively and get the most out of your talent, and score more points than the other guy. specific tactics required should be determined by the situation. people bring up all sorts of things that, in a specific situation, may be the right thing to do. there is a time it is appropriate to run out the clock. however, it is not at the beginning of a game.
Almost no team has the ability to win today simply by being physically dominant unless they are playing down a level. I believe that dominating a directional school on the ground is the equivalent of an adult blocking a 10 year old's shot in basketball and screaming 'get that stuff out of here'.
We need a toolkit that allows us to exploit match-up advantages and weaknesses in our opponents. If that means run, run. If that means throw, throw. If that means more zone than man, then so be it.
Houston Dale said of the Alabama game, ' whoever runs the ball the best and stops the run will win'. For that to end up true Alabama had to miss two field goals and an extra point. By all rights that was their game. Make a field goal and the team that ran the ball the worst would not only have won the game but dominated in time of possession.
As to Houston Dale, besides his conventional wisdom really being senseless, he is afraid. He is constantly making decisions with damage control in mind. Upon occasion he suddenly filps and get brave to the point of being foolish. He has too much on his mind. Instead of always trying to 'game' the game he should just focus the team on playing it much better.
This should have been a post.
I agree that HDN wants to pound the ball down people's throats. I want to do that also (if we can). Here's what HDN is thinking about 'lengthening' and 'shortening' the game using a Vegas roulette analogy. If you're the "house", you want as many spins "plays" as possible because the odds are in your favor. If you're playing against the house and hoping to win, you'll spin as little as possible. HDN is putting all his money on a "shorter" game and hoping to get lucky. HDN is afraid. He has no confidence that he, his coaches, or his players can beat the house.
Gus has the opposite opinion. He feels like he is the "house". The more the game is "lengthened" the more plays he has to exploit his superior strategies. The odds are in his favor.
One comment about defense and the HUNH. I like defense. I love to see an agressive defense go after an offense – not just stuffing it but trying to score points against it. Taking chances. I believe the HUNH can be a defensive coaches dream if … if he believes in the offense — believes the offense can score (quickly if needed) to cover defensive mistakes.