Luck on a leash.

[Bleed_Blue]

I disagree with that. This year, Luck is throwing almost exclusively short to intermediate routes. Passes to a target WR behind the LOS to 10 yards down field comprise of 62.7% of pass attempts (58.7% last year); passes to a target from 11-20 yards, 28.8% (compared to 25.8% last year). For passes to a target over 20 yards down field, 8.6% (14.5% last year). There's about a 0.1% variation in this year because I rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent.

At any rate, as you can see, we are exceeding by far last years short to intermediate pass attempts, with over 90% of all passes thrown less than 20 yards through the air.

IMO, from the opening kick, this offense need to be spread out and in the SHOTGUN.

The length of the passes is one thing, but that doesn't tell the whole story.

They key to me is getting to ball out quickly (not under center 5-7 step drops) and creating space for the receivers via formation and route design (Think pick/rub plays). Both of these can be achieved by spreading it out from the shotgun.

This will also create rhythm and momentum early on offense. Something there is zero of right now.

[ibolski]

It is not a coincidence that the Colts are always behind in the first half. Inside running, passing from under center, 3 TE formations will not get it done with the current personnel. You have to spread the offense out FROM THE SHOTGUN for the majority of the whole game (not just when down multiple scores), work the short passing game (take shots when available), draws, screens, pick plays etc.

Yet that will also put more pressure on the o line. Andrew is getting hit way too much.

One thing I would suggest is pick up Pat Kerwin's book "Take Your Eye Off The Ball". In it, he describes how OTAs work, how the team practices so many plays out of the play book and they pare it down to a set of plays. Those plays have been done over and over again. By the time regular season comes around, you have a set number of plays and trying to add a new one in is next to impossible.

Then, actually do as Pat states. Take your eye off the ball. Start watching how the o-line blocks, how the d-line rushes. Watch what happens. It's not all "smash mouth". There are moves, there are different gaps to fill or attempt to exploit. There are adjustments that must be made on the fly as the play progresses . it actually is very complex. Each person has an assignment and they must fulfill that assignment, and be able to adjust to what happens.

The defense must try and out-guess what the offense is doing. Then, they must react to it.

The offense knows the routes to start with, but based on the coverage, that could change. Adjustments by the receivers on passing plays must be made and the receiver and the QB must be on-page with it. Why do you think Peyton to Marvin and Reggie was SO well formed that they could just look at each other and know what adjustment to make? That came from YEARS of practicing together away from the practice field and from experience on the field.

However, if you have players that just cannot "get it" or haven't been in the starting line up for long (such as Trent), it does become very difficult to just drop in and play. Yes, the Pats somehow do it. It just depends on the personnel you have.

The Colts have lost two starting RBs, a pretty good TE, offensive linemen that have been shuffled around, etc.

Now, the D is different. THAT is just bad, period.

But in the end, as it was once said, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. The Colts have the players they've been dealt with. It's just like in poker or in Euchre (ace no face). You have the hand dealt and you have to work with it or fold. You can't do much else. You can TRY to improve the hand by getting some more from the pile/deck (free agency, practice squad), and you MIGHT get lucky and pull a gem or two out, but in the end, usually there's nothing there and you end up with just as bad a hand or worse.

So goes it with the Colts. They are what they are this season after the injuries. No amount of coaching is going to fix it.

As upset as I've been with the team, we still have a fairly good nucleus once it gets healed up.

I'm not ready to write off the coaches or the players.

[OffensivelyPC]

I see what you're saying, but I am talking more about how many short routes appear in any one play set. I agree Luck is throwing less bombs way downfield this year, and obviously we are very restricted in what we can actually see on our screens at home when watching the game, but do you recall seeing multiple short routes on any one play ever? You usually see almost every receiver running downfield with maybe one WR running a short route, screens notwithstanding. Why not multiple short routes?

 

As far as the reason not to run no-huddle, our offense is off the field in the blink of an eye anyway on most possessions. There is really almost nothing to lose by trying it. I would take doing it for one possession here and there like you suggest even. The coaching staff isn't doing it really at all unless we are down 18+ points.

I suppose you have a point, but I can't really see the whole field, so I can neither confirm nor deny.

 

And yeah, we're not really doing much on offense anyway.  I don't think it's something superbowl winning teams do.  So to me, I guess it kind of concedes that we don't have much of a chance in the playoffs.  True or not, I'd rather just put our best foot forward the way we have been and hope for the best.  Just my opinion.

[OffensivelyPC]

IMO, from the opening kick, this offense need to be spread out and in the SHOTGUN.

The length of the passes is one thing, but that doesn't tell the whole story.

They key to me is getting to ball out quickly (not under center 5-7 step drops) and creating space for the receivers via formation and route design (Think pick/rub plays). Both of these can be achieved by spreading it out from the shotgun.

This will also create rhythm and momentum early on offense. Something there is zero of right now.

Well I don't disagree with that.  We've very clearly shown that we haven't been much of a power running team lately.  So instead of tryign to force the issue, I'd rather us run a style of offense that we ran starting sometime mid second quarter of this past week.  Put the ball in our best playmakers hands.  I'd rather him run around behind a weak OL trying to make a play down field than Trent or Donald running around behind a weak OL trying to make a play. 

[Bleed_Blue]

Yet that will also put more pressure on the o line. Andrew is getting hit way too much.

Would like to know your reason why going to the shotgun and spreading to formation to get the ball out faster puts more pressure on the o-line than 5-7 step drops from under center.