AsylumGuido

Which means nothing unless every down is evaluated and every defensive alignment is evaluated.

I'm sure many of you understand these concepts. NFL offensive play calls are not made in a vacuum. They are schemed upon what is felt may work the best under different circumstances against an opponent based upon their tendencies. This is called a "game plan". Part of a game plan may involve a series of scripted plays which feels out how the opponent may have adapted their tendencies. The result of these plays can quickly cause a change in approach, as can other adjustments made by the defense as the game progresses. If a defense takes away a certain subset of plays that you have designed for a specific player's skill set, you must adjust. Oh, and we used to debate, as well. LOL

Different players at the same position usually have different skill sets and at times the plays specifically designed for that player do not arise. You can't always shove a square peg into a round hole and expect it to work time after time. If the player hasn't practiced what the play caller has identified in what they believe is the best call at that time then they will not be involved.

Teddy Bridgewater explained this concept when he described coming into the game against the Rams when Brees was injured. He said he was not prepared to run the full offense. The game plan was built upon Brees' talents, not Teddy's.

Rush attempt counts, pass attempt counts, whatever, do not tell the story. There is SO much more that has to do with the flow of play calling than the very smartest of us that sit at home and watch will ever know.

As an aside, much of this input comes from my late father-in-law that is in the LHSAA Hall of Fame as a coach. I spent many an hour watching sports of all types with him and gained an understanding that isn't commonly experienced by many. He would readily point out a call that he thought was a bad choice by a coach on an individual basis, but would defend the overall play calling of a quality coach based upon game flow. Although, he put it in other terms. He taught me many of those concepts that I regularly share here.

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill