still_life
01/29/06, 12:57 AM
I was thinking about this since I saw someone else bring up a pretty simple concept that never occured to me. Is a QB better off without the star WR, and is better with the solid group of guys?
I think the best example here would be comparing Brady and Delhomme. After looking at many stats for QB's when they use 4+ WR sets, I've noticed that Charlie Weis' offenses use them the most. Bledsoe wasn't doing it much in NE until Weis came. Vinny in Baltimore threw over 400 passes on year with 3 WR's on the field, that changed in 98 with the Jets and Weis as the OC. Tom Brady usually throws 150+ passes a season in situations where they spread out the defense with 4 or 5 WR's. And without the elite #1 WR, defenses have no one to double or be very concerned about. This means Brady sees a lot of single coverage (and not just in 4-5 WR sets), and can make some easy completions to wide open guys, since they have a solid bunch based on speed in NE.
Meanwhile since the departure of Mushin Muhammad, Jake Delhomme has Steve Smith, and that's it. They don't spread it out often, and they have a lot of plays designed just to get the ball to Steve Smith (the smoke screens). Like you saw against Seattle, this could sometimes be dangerous against a defense if they know exactly who you're looking for all the time. Some QB's can develop tunnel vision for one guy, and that's no good. You see it with Brees and the way he stares down Gates every play. Manning had this problem early on with Harrison, because that was his only good receiver for many years.
I think the way to be really successful in the NFL right now in the passing game is to get a solid group of receivers, mostly shorter guys with speed, and spread defenses out with 4-5 WR's. I like a lot of the things NE does playcalling wise, and I think this has been a huge part in their success. The Steelers are finally having success passing in the playoffs, and it's because they're using spread formations with 4-5 WR's. Before, you could just double Burress, and make Ward and Randle El beat you with Kordell/Maddox throwing. Didn't work. Now they put Ward, Wilson, Randle El, Washington, and Morey/Mays out there, and defenses have to consider anyone could catch it. The Colts almost never use more than 3 WR's, and they don't throw many check downs or short passes. That hurt against that Steeler blitz in the playoffs, because the receivers never had time to run their perfect routes down the field with the QB getting pressured. Meanwhlie Brady against a Denver blitz was able to get the ball out to the close receivers running the short routes.
I think the best example here would be comparing Brady and Delhomme. After looking at many stats for QB's when they use 4+ WR sets, I've noticed that Charlie Weis' offenses use them the most. Bledsoe wasn't doing it much in NE until Weis came. Vinny in Baltimore threw over 400 passes on year with 3 WR's on the field, that changed in 98 with the Jets and Weis as the OC. Tom Brady usually throws 150+ passes a season in situations where they spread out the defense with 4 or 5 WR's. And without the elite #1 WR, defenses have no one to double or be very concerned about. This means Brady sees a lot of single coverage (and not just in 4-5 WR sets), and can make some easy completions to wide open guys, since they have a solid bunch based on speed in NE.
Meanwhile since the departure of Mushin Muhammad, Jake Delhomme has Steve Smith, and that's it. They don't spread it out often, and they have a lot of plays designed just to get the ball to Steve Smith (the smoke screens). Like you saw against Seattle, this could sometimes be dangerous against a defense if they know exactly who you're looking for all the time. Some QB's can develop tunnel vision for one guy, and that's no good. You see it with Brees and the way he stares down Gates every play. Manning had this problem early on with Harrison, because that was his only good receiver for many years.
I think the way to be really successful in the NFL right now in the passing game is to get a solid group of receivers, mostly shorter guys with speed, and spread defenses out with 4-5 WR's. I like a lot of the things NE does playcalling wise, and I think this has been a huge part in their success. The Steelers are finally having success passing in the playoffs, and it's because they're using spread formations with 4-5 WR's. Before, you could just double Burress, and make Ward and Randle El beat you with Kordell/Maddox throwing. Didn't work. Now they put Ward, Wilson, Randle El, Washington, and Morey/Mays out there, and defenses have to consider anyone could catch it. The Colts almost never use more than 3 WR's, and they don't throw many check downs or short passes. That hurt against that Steeler blitz in the playoffs, because the receivers never had time to run their perfect routes down the field with the QB getting pressured. Meanwhlie Brady against a Denver blitz was able to get the ball out to the close receivers running the short routes.