Upon further review

[Anthony]

So between my friends and I we have been at every home game to date this year, and we have all been plotting the offensive plays called. I have also recorded every game and between that and some analysis available on the internet I have been able to plot most of the plays on the road too. Here are some interesting things of note:

for the purposes of this we will compare NO and before, to the SF game on the road, then to the NY and then to the AZ at home

quick hitters - slants, picks, quick crosses.
From NO and before the number of quick hitters - slants, picks, quick crosses, to the SF game was a decrease of 78%
In the NY game there was only a decrease of 60% form NO and before levels
IN the AZ game they saw a decrease of 84% from NO and before levels.

Screens
From NO and before to SF game a decrease of 65%
From NO and before compared to NY game a decrease of 35%
From NO and before compared to AZ game a decrease of 82%

Intermediate passes
From NO and before to SF game a decrease of 52%
From NO and before compared to NY game a decrease of 42%
From NO and before compared to AZ game a decrease of 90%

Basically we have gone form a team utilizing everything to a team that is basically run or throw long. Usually even on long plays if its not there the WR cut it off, leaving them wide open in the intermediate routes, but in this game it only happened on the one long scoring drive. That all. Our play calling has become stale and predictable, and any time they score it is because they stop and let the players play.

[HawkWow]

Sobering. Thanks for putting that all together, Anthony. I'm going to spend some time with it and try to make sense of it all. This whole theory of "we don't want to show what we have, saving the best for last" just doesn't fill me with hope. Not knocking anyone's beliefs, but I find it hard to imagine that we are suddenly going to go from pedestrian to the greatest show on turf with the nod of Bevell's head. With that...what the heck are we "saving" ourselves for? We could have clinched twice in the past 2 weeks, instead, we now have to subject a perhaps weary RW (etc) to a Rams D that has made it a mission to destroy every QB in their path, when it looked like RW and ML would do little more than a cameo in what was supposed to be a meaningless game. I hate it. But nothing has been easy for us this year and we've done well playing through adversity. It's a damn good thing we will be able to draw from those experiences. Go Hawks.

[Anthony]

Sobering. Thanks for putting that all together, Anthony. I'm going to spend some time with it and try to make sense of it all. This whole theory of "we don't want to show what we have, saving the best for last" just doesn't fill me with hope. Not knocking anyone's beliefs, but I find it hard to imagine that we are suddenly going to go from pedestrian to the greatest show on turf with the nod of Bevell's head. With that...what the heck are we "saving" ourselves for? We could have clinched twice in the past 2 weeks, instead, we now have to subject a perhaps weary RW (etc) to a Rams D that has made it a mission to destroy every QB in their path, when it looked like RW and ML would do little more than a cameo in what was supposed to be a meaningless game. I hate it. But nothing has been easy for us this year and we've done well playing through adversity. It's a damn good thing we will be able to draw from those experiences. Go Hawks.

Basically what I am saying is, when we are performing on offense we are utilizing both the long, intermediate and quick hitters and screens, when we are not we turn into a run or long pass team that is easily stopped. We want to win, then we need to go back to our 2-7 deep attempts and more intermediate, quick hitters, and screens.

[Clem7]

Nice work.

I believe that having a first round bye and home field throughout is THAT BIG. It would be a shame to have it all set up and not follow through.

We are a great team, but being elite will require putting the onus on the offense as well as the defense. Adjust and open up.

[HawkWow]

Sobering. Thanks for putting that all together, Anthony. I'm going to spend some time with it and try to make sense of it all. This whole theory of "we don't want to show what we have, saving the best for last" just doesn't fill me with hope. Not knocking anyone's beliefs, but I find it hard to imagine that we are suddenly going to go from pedestrian to the greatest show on turf with the nod of Bevell's head. With that...what the heck are we "saving" ourselves for? We could have clinched twice in the past 2 weeks, instead, we now have to subject a perhaps weary RW (etc) to a Rams D that has made it a mission to destroy every QB in their path, when it looked like RW and ML would do little more than a cameo in what was supposed to be a meaningless game. I hate it. But nothing has been easy for us this year and we've done well playing through adversity. It's a damn good thing we will be able to draw from those experiences. Go Hawks.

Basically what I am saying is, when we are performing on offense we are utilizing both the long, intermediate and quick hitters and screens, when we are not we turn into a run or long pass team that is easily stopped. We want to win, then we need to go back to our 2-7 deep attempts and more intermediate, quick hitters, and screens.

You articulated your point very well. When I said I needed to try to make sense of it all, I was referring to the fact we appear to be deviating from something that works... to something that is a quite hit and miss. I've not been happy with our run blocking for quite some time. The last 2 years in particular. Most will immediately throw up the fact we rank near the top in rushing, thus no reason for concern, but I disagree whole-heartedly. Seldom does Lynch get to the 2nd level without being hit, sometimes more than once, en route. I fear we may be seeing the decline of our favorite running back and it would be hard to deny those hits have impacted his performance. I'm not happy with the pass blocking either but that goes without saying. I sincerely hope we win this SB and immediately start revamping the entire O-line, inclusive of Okung and Unger.

[mykc14]

Anthony- thanks for putting that all together! I have been feeling like our offense has changed and become less dynamic in those weeks basically due to the play calling and your analysis proves that. We are not being deceptive in the routes we run or plays in general. I felt like this was the case but didn't have the stats to prove it. I also thought, and I know this sounds crazy and hope that it isn't true, that this has been on purpose. Not exactly purposely going away from things that we do well that make our offense tick but rather give defenses something else to think about for the playoffs and work on things some weaknesses going into the playoffs. If SF loses tonight and we are basically in a must win game for the division I believe we will see more of what our offense has been prior to the SF game.

[Anthony]

Anthony- thanks for putting that all together! I have been feeling like our offense has changed and become less dynamic in those weeks basically due to the play calling and your analysis proves that. We are not being deceptive in the routes we run or plays in general. I felt like this was the case but didn't have the stats to prove it. I also thought, and I know this sounds crazy and hope that it isn't true, that this has been on purpose. Not exactly purposely going away from things that we do well that make our offense tick but rather give defenses something else to think about for the playoffs and work on things some weaknesses going into the playoffs. If SF loses tonight and we are basically in a must win game for the division I believe we will see more of what our offense has been prior to the SF game.

IF SF looses next week becomes irrelevant, as we will have a 2 game lead on them with 1 to play. If they win next week is huge, a must win.

[mykc14]

Anthony- thanks for putting that all together! I have been feeling like our offense has changed and become less dynamic in those weeks basically due to the play calling and your analysis proves that. We are not being deceptive in the routes we run or plays in general. I felt like this was the case but didn't have the stats to prove it. I also thought, and I know this sounds crazy and hope that it isn't true, that this has been on purpose. Not exactly purposely going away from things that we do well that make our offense tick but rather give defenses something else to think about for the playoffs and work on things some weaknesses going into the playoffs. If SF loses tonight and we are basically in a must win game for the division I believe we will see more of what our offense has been prior to the SF game.

IF SF looses next week becomes irrelevant, as we will have a 2 game lead on them with 1 to play. If they win next week is huge, a must win.

Obviously, but we will be playing at the same time so from an offensive game plan standpoint you have to go it thinking it is a must win.

[Ironfist]

It definitely seems like they have become mega conservative....Have you looked at RW run numbers? Appears he isn't taking the openings when there....not like earlier in the season.

[Anthony]

It definitely seems like they have become mega conservative....Have you looked at RW run numbers? Appears he isn't taking the openings when there....not like earlier in the season.

I do not believe they want him to, and that is based on a comment PC made a few weeks ago, about the number of big hits RW has taken this year thanks to what we call our o-line but most would call swiss cheese. This game he will need to do what he can regardless, as this game is way to important.

[Ironfist]

Kind of figured....there have definitely been some missed opportunities....

[NorthHawk]

The guy has to play his game. He didn't do too well when they limited his plays early last year. It's his creativity that makes him special.

[Clem7]

The guy has to play his game. He didn't do too well when they limited his plays early last year. It's his creativity that makes him special.

Exactly.

Play to not lose and you end up with yesterday's game.

[Anthony]

The guy has to play his game. He didn't do too well when they limited his plays early last year. It's his creativity that makes him special.

Exactly.

Play to not lose and you end up with yesterday's game.

Agreed and that is what the OC was doing with his refusal to use all the pass packages.

[Vegaseahawk]

Do you think that the coaching staff might be doing this on purpose in order to keep other teams from seeing too much of our short & intermediate passing game & therefore prepare their defense accordingly? Well if that's true, I think that the time has come to pull out the stops & let RW open it up!