How is our offense going to change?

[SalishHawkFan]

Our offense has been shifting imperceptibly from Lynch to Wilson.

Wilson's career pass attempts:
2012 - 393
2013 - 407
2014 - 452

Meanwhile Lynch's rushing attempts:
2012 - 315
2013 - 301
2014 - 280

Make of that what you will, but I would think Graham is going to open up Wilson's passing game more than Lynch's rushing game.

 

[Anthony!]

We went to the Super bowl two years in a row so there's an element of "If it ain't broke..." for me, but some of those games were too close for comfort, some we shouldn't have lost at all, and it took pretty close to divine intervention to win the NFCCG. I too would like to see more balanced attacks on offense, but I don't want to move away from being a running team. Beast Mode's getting paid, Russell's still got young legs - let's keep riding this ride.

But since you asked for a prediction...I say we come out next season just like we always have. Run 2/3rds of the time, throw 1/3rd of the time. If it works, that's what will keep happening. If Jimmy Graham (and/or some of our other guys) proves to be an absolute sticky-handed monster that catches everything Russ lobs at him, I expect to see more of that. But I don't think we come out the gate too much differently than seasons past.

You know it is funny how people think we run so much. Really we do not. 454 pass attempts and 525 runs. We only ran 54% of the time. Add in 118 of those runs were Rw and at least a 3rd of that 118 was not designed runs, but pass plays that went bad. So year in a way we are a run first team, but it is not like it is a huge difference. IF we take into account the 3rd of RW runs as passes then it would be 493 pass and 486 run. So again pretty close. Hopefully with better weapons and hopefully a better pass blocking oline Rw will not have to run as much.

 

[scutterhawk]

Presuming we still have the best defense in the league, I'd like to see us run it more often and become a little bit more conservative.

I seldom agree with your argumentative posts, or is it MY argumentative point of view....Either way, I do agree with you on this, and I see JG's presence on the Offense helping Marshawn Lynch kick ass this Season.
You can double RW, you can double JG, and you can even double ML, but in doing so, you have to abandon someone else on the Offense, but eventually, Marshawn Lynch will rob you of your lunch money. :twisted:

 

[original poster]

I think the biggest thing I'm looking forward to is the unpredictability we will bring to the game. They stack the box, Jimmy and Mr Angry will test them a new one, start covering the deep zone and Marshawn will tear them a new one, it's going to be exciting!

 

[RichNhansom]

I do think this has much to do with the quick release. Last year we seen Wilson going to it more and more. Sometimes with poor results like the NFCCG and the last pass in the super bowl but it needs to succeed or we will never be able to move on from Lynch. Not to mention have a prolific offense.

Some have made the argument a quick release improves your O-line play and health and I am 100% onboard with this thinking but for it to work you need receivers to do their part. That is critical. In the NFCCG we watched 2 balls bounce off Kearse's hands into defenders laps. In the super bowl we watched Lockette run with a lack of aggressiveness in his route. Those plays cannot happen.

One of the biggest problems we had was opponents utilization of their CB's to slow us down. Putting Browner on Mathews doesn't happen if JG is on the field and if it does then Revis is leaving Baldwin alone to cover JG. Either way it leaves us with a match up we want.

I think this move is huge for that reason. It will help improve our receivers by improving their match-up. That will improve our quick release and in turn improve O-line play and health. It's a huge win win that this offense desperately needed to accomplish to move forward.

 

[original poster]

I think this move is huge for that reason. It will help improve our receivers by improving their match-up. That will improve our quick release and in turn improve O-line play and health. It's a huge win win that this offense desperately needed to accomplish to move forward.

Amen.

I've said that all along, bringing Jimmy on board doesn't just open up his game, it opens up a lot of players to make good plays. That, for me, is more important from a winning perspective.

 

[Schadie001]

This a running team and that will not change. What Graham will do is help take some of the heat off of Lynch. You don't give Lynch the contract extension like they did to become a passing team. What passing game we do have just got better not bigger.

Agreed. This will actually open the running game up more. Team's will have to dedicate a LB or Safety to cover Graham, can't just load the box now. We still run first and we should, cuz it works.

 

[RichNhansom]

Can't spy Wilson either. Would hate to be a DC game planning to stop us.

 

[Hawks46]

I expect maybe another 5-7 passes a game. but really the threat of Graham is as important to the run game as safeties won't be able to cheat down in the box. I expect Marshawn's YPC to rise by several tenths. And yes, I see RW with more passing yds and more TDs though not a huge amount more.

Agreed. We're going to get a few more passes, but the ratio will stay the same. Graham will help convert more red zone TD's, and also extend more drives by converting 3rd downs. Extending more drives will give us more offensive opportunities and snaps, so Wilson's passing attempts will go up due more to volume. I think we were at a 61% run rate last year, but a lot of those can also be attributed to Wilson turning a passing attempt into a rushing attempt. I'd see us at about 55/45 run to pass and that will create a few more passes a game.

Having a talent like Graham will probably have them throw it a few more times a game. Dude's open more often than not, and when he's not open, he's still open.

 

[Popeyejones]

Our offense has been shifting imperceptibly from Lynch to Wilson.

Wilson's career pass attempts:
2012 - 393
2013 - 407
2014 - 452

Meanwhile Lynch's rushing attempts:
2012 - 315
2013 - 301
2014 - 280

It's because you're looking at passes versus Lynch's rushes, rather than passes versus rushes overall. If you look at passing versus rushing, there really hasn't been a change.

 

[Russ Willstrong]

I expect maybe another 5-7 passes a game. but really the threat of Graham is as important to the run game as safeties won't be able to cheat down in the box. I expect Marshawn's YPC to rise by several tenths. And yes, I see RW with more passing yds and more TDs though not a huge amount more.

Agreed. We're going to get a few more passes, but the ratio will stay the same. Graham will help convert more red zone TD's, and also extend more drives by converting 3rd downs. Extending more drives will give us more offensive opportunities and snaps, so Wilson's passing attempts will go up due more to volume. I think we were at a 61% run rate last year, but a lot of those can also be attributed to Wilson turning a passing attempt into a rushing attempt. I'd see us at about 55/45 run to pass and that will create a few more passes a game.

Having a talent like Graham will probably have them throw it a few more times a game. Dude's open more often than not, and when he's not open, he's still open.

Good points. More rushing/passing opportunities from extended drives is what fans keep overlooking.
My guess is that RW will finally break the 70% completion mark he is capable of in the NFL. He did it at Wisconsin without benefit of a read - option threat, over the tallest line and by passing to average receivers who he quickly built rapport with.
Wilson now has a good receiving group. If he ever gets a solid offensive line we might be looking at passing completion records like what he'd done at NC State or Wisconsin when he set the all time NCAA Div 1 single season passer rating. And like Seattle, Wilson's Wisconsin team was known for its power running which often overshadowed the efficient and explosive passing attack that brought them comeback wins time and again. Just like Seattle many critics assume that those explosive passing plays were the product of the PA and bruising run game--even though Wilson and his receivers continued to perform miracles on clear passing downs.

 

[Subzero717]

I'm not watching the SB over and over this year.