Our Offensive Personnel From the Defense's Perspective & (Poll) Rank the Reasons for Our Offensive Struggles

[Mind Character]

(Poll) Rank the reasons for our offensive struggles

(See Poll) What Ranking Best describes How You'd Rank Attribute Blame for our Offensive Struggles?

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 Our Offense From the Opposing Defense's Perspective:

We have to keep it real about our Offensive Unit. When it comes to understanding why we're struggling I've asked myself a few questions that have highlighted a less talked about reason for our struggles: Our personnel as a whole does not pose a dynamic threat to defenses and presents few worries for them based on the synergy of our personnel. 

1.) What do defensive coordinators and defensive players see when they look at our offensive personnel?

2.) What threats do they have to prioritize, what type of base defensive calls does our personnel necessitate out of the defensive coordinator, and how do those base calls work against what our QB does best as well as the play-call tendencies of our Offensive Coordinator?

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I've been saying it for a while when others have been joyously saying "we're going to have one of the better offenses in the league." It's my belief that we lack dynamic offensive threats and thus allow defenses to sit on routes.

In short, our offense suffers because:

1.) We lack a pass-catching threat RB to stretch out and strain the assignments of the defense and a change of pace RB that could cause uncertainty regarding probable play-calls

•   Nick Chubb is fantastic but when he is in the defense does not have to worry about him as a pass catcher. The most dynamic offensive in the league throw to their RBs the most. It keeps the defense having to give their gravity and attention to the underneath routes but also causes RBs that are running slice routes through the middle of zones or near route combos to often be open for chunk yards. The defense is then put in the predicament if they want to die by a thousand cuts. Kareem Hunt will be huge for us to add a dynamic play-maker from that positsion.

2.) We lack a speed slot or boundary threat WR that forces the defense to declare its hand early and one that creates space and/or clear throwing pictures for our QB.

• Jarvis Landry is an amazing positive force for this team. Defenses also can play-off and sit on his routes because he poses no worries or risk at beating them over the top or on longer developing intermediate routes. He can easily win combat catches, but defenses don't worry about that or assign personnel to worry about that. Instead, they can play a catch zone on Jarvis and double OBJ. With no zone busting speed threat or slice/seam runner Baker's throwing picture's are always muddied and condensed. Even with Higgins back, both Higgins and Jarvis allow the defense to sit on their underneath routes and play close to the box muddying up the route space and making Baker's passing lanes and field vision more crowded. This offense desperately needed Callaway as a clear out player or Njoku to clear out space or run free themselves.   

3.) We lack a Seam and Slice TE that serves as a Zone buster or a late in the play target safety blanket

4.) Because of those Deficiencies the Defensive Play-calls to take away what we do have (Double OBJ, everyone else Under Zone calls with aggressive man combos to disrupt quick rhythm throws) just so happen to be perfectly designed to take away what our QB does when he's at his best (quick rhythm on time throws; getting the ball out fast).

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Beyond just play-calling, OL issues, and Baker's struggles, it's important to recognize imo that we also have core personnel issues. We desperately need Kareem Hunt (the football player), a speed WR (Taywan Taylor hopefully gets going), and a seam/slice zone busting TE (hopefully Ricky Seals-Jones can get going) in order to thrive. Otherwise, no matter what the play-calling is from Freddie imo we're going to continue to struggle.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2019 by Mind Character

[pnies20]

Half of this is plausible and half is rubbish.

most of it is on baker, IMO. 

[NateDawg]

The pool options were tl;dr. 

I’d say it’s hard to simplify the issues because it is a combination. Bad offensive line. Quarterback that is a uncomfortable and not playing his best ball. Bad play calling that’s not setting them up for success. 

All three of these things need fixed. If they aren’t all fixed, defenses will continue to have success. The offensive line most likely is what it is to an extent. So the coaching is going to really have to do a quality job of working around that and giving our quarterback the best chance possible to be successful with creative play calling. 

[candyman93]

1 hour ago, pnies20 said:

Half of this is plausible and half is rubbish.

most of it is on baker, IMO. 

I hate saying it, but you’re right. Look at Houston, bad offensive line and bad playcalling, but they’re winning because of QB play.

[Mind Character]

13 hours ago, candyman93 said:

I hate saying it, but you’re right. Look at Houston, bad offensive line and bad playcalling, but they’re winning because of QB play.

It is definitely true that a QB can elevate deficiencies, but that assumes that Baker is that type of transcendent QB.

Setting aside my personal belief that he isn't, he still is a quality QB imo that requires both scheme and a specific type of skill position players and synergies around him to thrive. With such things surrounding him, he can be really good.

Baker is no where close to the dynamic athlete and  never had that clutch factor, magic of Deshaun.

The Texans OL finally put it together last week by adding 2 new rookie starters in Scharping and Howard. They're looking like they could have a great unit going forward with LT Laremy Tunsil, LG Max Scharping, C Nick Martin, RG Zach Fulton, RT Tytus Howard.

We don't need Baker to be Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes. For those people thinking he was transcendent like that their belief will soon be shattered. All we need to do  is build this offensive personnel with a rhythm and safety value go to pass catching back like Darren Sproles or Alvin Kamara for Drew Brees. Luckily we'll hopefully have Kareem Hunt the football player available at some point this season bringing with him pass catching threats to the defense.

 

Edited September 28, 2019 by Mind Character

[BrownLeader]

Baker: I think a key part of what's going on is that no one anticipated Baker having a sophomore slump. Freddy figured on a bombs away pass first offense but Baker isn't anticipating things fast enough and doesn't have the time to sit back there and figure it out. His scrambling/playmaking has completely gone to **** and he's not managing the pocket well.

Personnel: Agreed that the personnel wasn't quite as good as it's rep, in that Jarvis is more like a #3 or #4  and Njoku isn't really reliable enough as a starting receiver or blocker. Then losing Higgins and Callaway. But I think your underselling Chubb's ability as a receiver. He's got hands and should be a solid outlet/underneath guy. And D'Ernest Johnson should be higher on the depth chart than Hilliard because of his speed.

Coaching/play calling: Question is...just how much of Baker's struggles are because of weak coaching? ..and how much is simply on him. Basic fundamentals like stepping up in the pocket and knowing where the checkdown is seem to be lacking or aren't reinforced.

It looks like he's being coached to get the ball out of his hand but so many of the plays are being completely read by the defense that he's second guessing it, even if it's there, and/or holding it and running out to the right..every time. His decisions to move in and out of the pocket look like clear coach em ups to me that aren't happening quickly enough.

[Mind Character]

19 minutes ago, BrownLeader said:

Baker: I think a key part of what's going on is that no one anticipated Baker having a sophomore slump. Freddy figured on a bombs away pass first offense but Baker isn't anticipating things fast enough and doesn't have the time to sit back there and figure it out. His scrambling/playmaking has completely gone to **** and he's not managing the pocket well.

Personnel: Agreed that the personnel wasn't quite as good as it's rep, in that Jarvis is more like a #3 or #4  and Njoku isn't really reliable enough as a starting receiver or blocker. Then losing Higgins and Callaway. But I think your underselling Chubb's ability as a receiver. He's got hands and should be a solid outlet/underneath guy. And D'Ernest Johnson should be higher on the depth chart than Hilliard because of his speed.

Coaching/play calling: Question is...just how much of Baker's struggles are because of weak coaching? ..and how much is simply on him. Basic fundamentals like stepping up in the pocket and knowing where the checkdown is seem to be lacking or aren't reinforced.

It looks like he's being coached to get the ball out of his hand but so many of the plays are being completely read by the defense that he's second guessing it, even if it's there, and/or holding it and running out to the right..every time. His decisions to move in and out of the pocket look like clear coach em ups to me that aren't happening quickly enough.

I very well could've/should've included the change at QB coach from Zampese to Lindley.

I think you're right in that Chubb is underrated as a pass catcher, but I don't think opposing defenses see him as a real pass catching threat and thus don't give him the attention that could open things up for other playmakers. Of course, he's the type of pass catching RB that can power the offense through his receiving prowess like an Alvin Kamara or Christian McCaffrey type. I'm not saying we need those elite players but we need a player that can serve that role in order to occupy a LB/NCB/NS attention and thereby open things up for Jarvis and our TE to work quick rhythm intermediate routes with Baker.

Your point about D'Ernest Johnson is a good one. He was dynamic as a pass catcher in preseason not only in underneath routes but also down the field. Freddie needs to use him a lot more. Maximizing our personnel's ability is one thing I'll be watching closely. especially the use of Johnson.

Edited September 28, 2019 by Mind Character

[bruceb]

12 hours ago, Mind Character said:

It is definitely true that a QB can elevate deficiencies, but that assumes that Baker is that type of transcendent QB.

Which he is not.

Great post.

[Tomahawk]

As the Raven's game clarified, it was mainly the play calling.   We ran 12 personnel like 20 times total the first 3 games and the offense looked like crap.  We ran it 20+ times against the Ravens, and look what happens.

A lot of it is on Baker and the Oline, but the majority of the issues were due to poor play calling.  

You cannot blame poor play on injuries, unless that injury is your QB.

[mistakey]

On 9/27/2019 at 8:23 PM, NateDawg said:

The pool options were tl;dr. 

I’d say it’s hard to simplify the issues because it is a combination. Bad offensive line. Quarterback that is a uncomfortable and not playing his best ball. Bad play calling that’s not setting them up for success. 

All three of these things need fixed. If they aren’t all fixed, defenses will continue to have success. The offensive line most likely is what it is to an extent. So the coaching is going to really have to do a quality job of working around that and giving our quarterback the best chance possible to be successful with creative play calling. 

all the rumor mills pretty much just said it was execution and lack of chemistry between kitchens and monken and each week theyve been paring out what they didnt like.  apparently campen is getting involved to make better protection schemes and it showed.  also, offensive line hasnt been so bad.  i think we'll see some pretty big stuff going forward imo.

[mistakey]

On 9/28/2019 at 8:38 PM, bruceb said:

Which he is not.

Great post.

imagine thinking this 4 games after baker mayfield set the rookie touchdown record in 13 games

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

2 hours ago, mistakey said:

imagine thinking this 4 games after baker mayfield set the rookie touchdown record in 13 games

Imagine.

[MWil23]

3 hours ago, mistakey said:

imagine thinking this 4 games after baker mayfield set the rookie touchdown record in 13 games

To be fair, someone thought that after they drafted him and gave up on the entire organization/gave up his "fandom".

That is all!

[candyman93]

We get Callaway and hopefully Higgins back this week.

[NateDawg]

5 hours ago, MWil23 said:

To be fair, someone thought that after they drafted him and gave up on the entire organization/gave up his "fandom".

That is all!

It’s not a dig without a snitch tag.