It's a give and take. If you are a bad team or a team that might not make the playoffs it probably behoves you to play guys in the preseason. If you KNOW you are making the playoffs there is no reason to play starters outside of maybe rookies or new guys. Yeah you won't be as sharp game 1 or 2. So what...you are making the playoffs and keeping everyone healthy.
[Reply]

If you get hurt in PS, chances are pretty high it would've happened in the first couple games of the regular season, so it actually benefits a team to get it over with earlier; maybe the player gets hurt in PS but can come back before the end of the regular season/playoffs.

Now, I can see sitting some older veteran players if they are coming off an injury.


Otherwise, play them a little in PS; it ain't hurting anything that much, and maybe the team knocks most of the rust off in the meantime and doesn't look like an absolute shitshow (ATL, hello) and loses to a team without a QB.
[Reply]

The NFC QB's suck. When half the league's QB's are Alex Smith it doesn't bode well.
[Reply]

I think a lot of it has to do with they type of quarterbacks being drafted. Mahomes broke the league. Everyone wants a quarterback that can scramble and make off platform throws. So they're drafting the athletic running quarterbacks instead. Those guys generally look great at first, but once the league gets tape on them, they tend to fall back. There's only one Mahomes. Teams would be better off going back to a traditional pocket passer. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of college quarterbacks running a pro style offense anymore, so those types are harder to find. But until that changes, that's just how it's going to be. These running quarterbacks have never been sustainable against NFL defenses. That hasn't changed. Sure, there are exceptions. Lamar has had good career playing that way.....if you're satisfied with regular season success. But his playoff numbers are pathetic. Yeah, he got to the AFCCG last year. But he did it by going against another running quarterback. I'm guessing that Stroud doesn't put up close to what he did last year now that tape is out on him.
[Reply]

Teams would be better off going back to a traditional pocket passer. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of college quarterbacks running a pro style offense anymore,


Yeah, no one runs a "pro style" offense in college anymore.

Immobile pocket passers aren't coming back.
[Reply]

It's called the Fangio cover 6. Simply stated defenses are covering with six players to not allow the offenses to throw down the field. So you've got to play this methodical near mistake-free football and you have to complete a lot of passes around the line of scrimmage which is the West Coast offense.

The best team in the league the past few years at beating the Fangio cover 6 is the Kansas City Chiefs and they do so by running 3-1 splits better than anybody.
[Reply]

It's called the Fangio cover 6. Simply stated defenses are covering with six players to not allow the offenses to throw down the field. So you've got to play this methodical near mistake-free football and you have to complete a lot of passes around the line of scrimmage which is the West Coast offense.

The best team in the league the past few years at beating the Fangio cover 6 is the Kansas City Chiefs and they do so by running 3-1 splits better than anybody.
[Reply]

People don't really run a pro style offense in the pros anymore, either. At least not near as many.
[Reply]

Yeah, that stuff was already out by the time Mahomes came in the league yet when he was drafted idiots were talking about "snaps under center" and pro style blah blah blah.


:-)


The 1980's aren't coming back.
[Reply]

There is a limit to how far and fast a qb can throw on offense within a given window if the pass rush is getting home or even close to getting home. You can always drop more into coverage and slow the game down.
[Reply]

It's Cover 6 with the following look:

Split the field in half with two deep safeties.

Cover 4 to the side with most passing assets, Cover 2 to the other side.

Commit to running the ball and you'll destroy it.
[Reply]

There was a bit of conversation on Twitter today among analytics folks wondering if the efficiency of running plays is going to catch up to passing. It's been trending that way and week 1 this year was skewed toward running efficiency, although to be fair most of that was due to QB scrambling. But even some of that could be argued is a result of defenses playing such safe pass coverage. It's certainly helped Mahomes. It seems defenses should just keep playing the odds and forcing teams into long drives where one drop or penalty can mess you up. It makes sense from an efficiency standpoint.
[Reply]

It seems Jim Harbaugh is coming back into the NFL at the right moment. Obviously he is escaping the NCAA violation problems at Michigan. But he has always focused heavily on the run game, and now he'll be going against a bunch of defenses focused on slowing down the passing game. That plays right into what he prefers to do as a coach.
[Reply]

And unlike clueless orgs like the Texans and Colts he knows you protect the franchise first. You pay your O line and grab your play makers from the dollar bin. A good QB can make average very good but he's got to be upright and healthy.

He will win playoff games eventually. Not super bowls or topping Mahomes, but he'll get them some...
[Reply]

Good discussion here fellas.

Take away explosive plays, make them be methodical. Especially with the lack of practice time, that becomes more difficult.
[Reply]

I vote for:
-poor QB play. NFL GMs are desperate for "the next PM or LJ" and due to the more sophisticated offenses in high school, QB camps, and College, rookies APPEAR to be ready to contribute immediately, but it appears they suffer from not having the year or more apprenticeship that was standard for decades. Some learn, some get overwhelmed by the pressure and poor class habits. I believe that Ds are incredibly fast, especially CBs, but I think teams badly undervalue a "Purdy", and overvalue a "Willis". QB is hard to get right, but you have to have a guy that understands what he sees at the LOS.
[Reply]