From: daveshao@leland.stanford.edu (David Shao)
Subject: Most teams are passing too much
Originator: daveshao@leland.Stanford.EDU
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 93 21:28:14 GMT

In article <1993Jan24.193016.13376@asl.dl.nec.com> doan@aslslc07.asl.dl.nec.com (Duc Doan) writes:
>In article <C18E6s.E6v@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> Michael.P.Colburn@dartmouth.edu (Michael P. Colburn) writes:
>>In article <105948@netnews.upenn.edu>
>>satish@a.chem.upenn.edu (Satish Nair) writes:
>>
>>> Oh great!  If the Giants
>>> call a news conference to announce Dan Reeves as the next head coach today,
>>> I'm personally going to tear George Young's head off!!
>>> 
>>> satish nair
>>> giants (dan must go!)
>>
>>Let's see...we got a run oriented team with a pass oriented
>>coach...hmmm.  Anybody know where we can get some receivers quick?  No
>>sir...I don't like it.  :-(
>
>I personally think it will be great for footbal as a whole and the NFC
>east in general. The Giants bored me to death with their run oriented
>offense. If it's not for the defense I probably never watch them play.

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.

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.

I remember one playoff game where Parcells deviated from his usual
conservatism, and it cost the Giants the season.  In 1989 the Giants
defense had shut down the Rams and the Giants led 6-0 toward the
end of the first half.  All the Giants had to do was to run out the
clock, but instead, they chose to have Simms throw with the offense
deep in Giant territory.  The Rams intercepted, eventually scored
a touchdown to take the lead 7-6, and eventually won the game in
overtime.

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?

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.

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.