From: doan@aslslc07.asl.dl.nec.com (Duc Doan)
Subject: Re: Most teams are passing too much
Organization: NEC America, Inc Irving TX
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 19:21:10 GMT

In article <1993Jan24.212814.21599@leland.Stanford.EDU> daveshao@leland.stanford.edu (David Shao) writes:
>My impression of the great Parcells Giants teams were that they were
>BALANCED in their offense.  Yes, if they could grind it out on the
>ground they would do it.  But in retrospect I like their offense
>much better than the extreme pass-oriented offenses of today.
>
I might be the only few who still considered professional football as a form
of entertainment. Within this context I would prefer an extreme pass-oriented
offense over a run-oriented offense. How boring it would be to watch and watch
and you can only cheer when they scored a couple of field goal.

>The Giants passing game might not go down in NFL history for its
>style, but it was very effective when the Giants needed a last minute
>drive to win the close game.  They were one of the best clutch teams
>I have ever seen, which is why it was good for them to play to keep
>the game close.
>
It is ok to be a clutch team when a game is close but to score only a couple
of field goals an entire game is a boring team.

>Teams are passing too much these days.  They are passing in high
>risk situations with young quarterbacks, or they are passing when they 
>should be running the ball and trying to take some time off the clock.  
>
>One of the worst examples was this year's Seattle-Denver game on
>Monday night football.  The Denver Broncos had the game in hand
>with a rookie quarterback Tommy Maddox as their quarterback.  The
>Seattle offense had been totally nonexistent.  But the Broncos have
>Maddox throw a bomb on first down which was intercepted!  The
>momentum turned, and Seattle later tied the game with a touchdown on
>the last play of regulation time.  In the overtime period the Broncos
>had Maddox throw from his own endzone, and the game nearly ended on
>a non-called holding penalty.  After the game everyone said that
>Maddox is a bum, that he's worthless, a wasted draft pick.  The next
>week against Dallas he is forced to play in a rotating quarterback
>scheme.  Now let's be realistic here.  The kid is not even of the same
>age as a senior coming out of college, yet somehow he is supposed to
>run the offense like John Elway?  Why put him in situations that he
>simply isn't ready to handle, destroying his confidence and career?
>
What does this have anything to do with passing too much. Look at Green Bay,
their passing attack is wonderful with Bret Favre(sp?) and Sterling Sharpe.
I think you missed the mark when you blamed a poor game on the pass rather than
the personnel. If a QB stunk you will lose no matter which game plan you want
to use.

>Just as bad was the end of regulation time of the Miami-New England
>game the final week of the regular season.  The Patriots were playing
>another inexperienced quarterback (NFL type experience that is), but
>the game was tied, and with a few seconds left the team had driven
>into (long) field goal range.  Now the weather conditions might have
>been awful, the wind against their faces, the field goal kicker bad,
>etc.  But the game might be won without the quarterback having to make
>another big play.  Instead, the Patriots have the quarterback  go back
>to pass and he is sacked putting them out of range to even try for the
>field goal.  And the announcers start droning on about how he should
>never have taken the sack, etc.  
>
>I also do not understand teams that throw rookies into a game and let
>them take 10 sacks and a concussion like Cincinatti did to Klingler.
>Is it part of a quarterback's seasoning to have several bones broken?
>If a team is going to play a young quarterback, they are in effect
>already throwing the game, so why not devise an offensive plan that
>reduces the chances of their being injured or throwing an interception?
>Play action on first down so that they don't get the hard pass rush
>and don't have to keep track of all the defensive backs in the nickel.
>Draw plays on third down and long.  Short dump offs to the running 
>backs, quick hitting sideline patterns--passes that the quarterback
>can complete and gain his confidence.  But whatever one does,
>DON'T make him throw from his own endzone and DON'T make him throw
>against the blitz.
I can understand your argument in bringing a QB along slowly but in the case
of Cincinati, their season is very much over when they started Klinger. They
want to see how he handle the pressure and how he take a hit. Aikman of the
Cowboys said the reason he is so good in throwing again the blitz this season
because he saw so many blitz during his rookie season.

>
>There are very few teams that can consistently take chances in the
>passing game.  I would say that Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins
>and Steve Young of the 49ers are the only two quarterbacks in the
>league whom I would feel comfortable with throwing the ball on
>their own 20 with less than two minutes left in the first half.
>Even Aikman of the Cowboys had a catastrophe throwing from his own
>endzone in the game against the Redskins at RFK.  
>
During the NFC champ game againts the 49ers, Norv Turner, the offense
coordinator also thought about that disatrous moment but he still call for the
pass to Harper from their 10s. Remember, if you failed to do something that
doesnt mean you should avoid doing that altogether.
-- 
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| Duc H. Doan               	  doan@asl.dl.nec.com			|
| NEC America, Inc.                                         		|
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