Is there room for me on the Fire Bevell bandwagon?

[DavidSeven]

If your QB is making $21M/year and can't play competently in empty formation, that is not the OC's fault.

You want to run play-action on 3rd and long? Yeah, no one's biting on that. Empty is used to make life easier for the QB. He needs to find the matchup he wants and get the ball out of his hands, bottom line.

People complain about limited calls but want to scrap entire formations because our QB can't run them. Makes sense.

 

[rideaducati]

I'm done.

And it has nothing to do with the last play of today's game.

Look, I'm a contrarian by nature and I don't like being part of a mob, so I've spent the last three seasons trying to find excuses for Darell Bevell's simplistic scheme and boneheaded playcalling. I've reminded myself that our receivers are physically mediocre (do Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin REALLY scare DC's?). I've theorized that experience limitations at multiple positions might be dictating the scheme. I've remembered that Pete prefers a simplistic scheme executed to perfection than a complicated scheme done bad. I've done everything I could to give Bevell the benefit of a doubt.

I would then turn to Russell Wilson and remind myself that he's still not making all his reads, still holding onto the ball, and still overthrowing receivers at the worst moments.

On a day like today, I would normally try to remind myself that this is probably the best defense Seattle will face all year, one specifically drafted and coached to contain none other than one Russell Wilson. I would also console myself with the fact that the loss was down to several other factors, including the defense regressing to 2010 level.

And, of course, that it's only Week 1, where weird things always happen.

But now Bevell is the laughingstock of the NFL. His overthinking finally cost him on the national stage, and I have to reevaluate. The problem with the Last Play in the Super Bowl wasn't that its target wasn't Lynch. It wasn't even that the target was Lockette. Bevell could have been throwing to Gronk on that play and it would have been a low percentage play BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF ONLY THREE GOALLINE PLAYS THE SEAHAWKS HAVE IN THEIR PLAYBOOK AND THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS DIDN'T EVEN NEED TO CHEAT TO SEE IT COMING.

And today I once again saw the night and day difference between Bevell calling the plays in normal time and Wilson calling them in hurry up. Granted, the hurry up plays are easy for Wilson because they're usually called against soft zone prevent. But I just can't hold out anymore. Wilson is bolder, smarter, and more successful when he calls the plays. Downfield strikes happen. Smart bootlegs happen. Wilson gets to use those legs of his instead of standing in the pocket. I remember the read-option not happening in the 2012 Bears game until Wilson pointed out to Bevell that it was wide open. I remember the time Lynch needing to tell Wilson to "take the game over", and later flipping Bevell off from the field.

Then, finally, the last play today happens. It's not about Lynch not making the play. Why was he even needed on fourth down? Oh, that's right...because on the prior two plays, Bevell WENT BACK TO CONSECUTIVE #$%@ BUBBLE SCREENS AND GOT HIS ASS HANDED TO HIM BY ONE OF THE BEST DEFENSES IN THE LEAGUE AT STOPPING THEM.

I'm sick of cute.

I'm sick of effeminate bubble screens to small receivers with no quicks.

I'm sick of incessant stop routes.

I'm sick of a scheme so dependent on isolation routes for unremarkable route runners that everyone from former head coaches to SI analysts are calling it out for its simplicity.

I'm sick of empty backfields with bad/no hot routes for a conservative QB. Against the Rams.

I'm sick of 50/50 balls to mediocre receivers on third and four.

I'm sick of play action at all the wrong times (4th and 14?).

I'm sick of an emasculated lack of deep strikes.

I'm sick of paying out the nose for big-name players and then trying to use them as decoys before using them as players.

I'm sick of Lynch being forgotten.

I am sick of the bootleg and the read-option being remembered only about once every three games.

I am sick of a playbook that contains about five different plays.

And most of all, I'm sick of excuses.

Even with the Rams' defense forcing Seattle into a conservative game plan, you cannot explain away all of the above with it. Bevell does not put his existing talent in position to succeed, he does not use his lesser talent in the right ways, he does not stick what works, and he does not succeed when assuming that a surprise bonehead play will cause defenders to fall over in shock and lead to touchdowns.

We are not two-time NFC champions because of Bevell. We are two-time NFC champions because of Russell Wilson. His greatest highlights have happened when Bevell's play intentions broke down and Wilson starts improvising. Bevell's career success has come with possibly the two greatest improvising QBs ever to play the game. On any other team...literally, any other team, Bevell would be wasting his talent, and I doubt we'd be any better than a perennial 9-7.

50% of the mistakes made today were individual. The rest were made by one man.

I am on the bandwagon; pass the beer.

FIRE. DARELL. BEVELL.

I could not have said it better save for adding one thought.. Bevel is only here because of Pete so some of it is on him. Pete is a defensive coach and just like most defensive coaches he believes the offenses number one priority is to protect the ball and thus his defense. In order for this to get fixed Pete is going to have to make an adjustment to his thinking. Bevel is just a tool. What is also worrisome is there is no one else on our offensive staff that could take over.

Russell could makes better calls.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

If your QB is making $21M/year and can't play competently in empty formation, that is not the OC's fault.

You want to run play-action on 3rd and long? Yeah, no one's biting on that. Empty is used to make life easier for the QB. He needs to find the matchup he wants and get the ball out of his hands, bottom line.

People complain about limited calls but want to scrap entire formations because our QB can't run them. Makes sense.

Poor play design. It wasn't today, necessarily, but I've seen empty Bevell backfields with seemingly no hot route, or with players poorly built for hot routes. And the real problem with empty backfields is that it telegraphs the play as a pass.

 

[DavidSeven]

[And the real problem with empty backfields is that it telegraphs the play as a pass.

When it's 3rd and 7, it doesn't really matter if you telegraph a pass.

 

[seahawks08]

If your QB is making $21M/year and can't play competently in empty formation, that is not the OC's fault.

You want to run play-action on 3rd and long? Yeah, no one's biting on that. Empty is used to make life easier for the QB. He needs to find the matchup he wants and get the ball out of his hands, bottom line.

People complain about limited calls but want to scrap entire formations because our QB can't run them. Makes sense.

You draw up plays on what is working and what's not . If a play does not work consistently for a while you just dont keep at it. If RW was not paid here, he would have been easily paid more and picked up by several teams.

 

[brimsalabim]

Davidseven do you ever listen to the call on the radio? They see the "all 22 view" in real time. If you haven't I suggest you give them a listen some time. It's common to hear " and the route is easily covered" and " the route took him right into the coverage" and the defense read the play and were able to cut the passing lanes.

Look I've seen Wilson throw plenty of passes to receivers over the middle. What I haven't seen are many quick crossing routes that don't involve slow developing drag routes on the outside. We have big problems with our offensive design for the passing game.

 

[White Devil]

If your QB is making $21M/year and can't play competently in empty formation, that is not the OC's fault.

You want to run play-action on 3rd and long? Yeah, no one's biting on that. Empty is used to make life easier for the QB. He needs to find the matchup he wants and get the ball out of his hands, bottom line.

People complain about limited calls but want to scrap entire formations because our QB can't run them. Makes sense.

So fire Russell Wilson?

Who said play action on 3rd and long? That would be silly.

Back to back bubble screens on 2nd and 3rd down with the game on the line?

 

[hawknation2015]

You're late.

 

[redhawk253]

Thank you. You saved me from having to type exactly the same thing.

 

[Scottemojo]

[And the real problem with empty backfields is that it telegraphs the play as a pass.

When it's 3rd and 7, it doesn't really matter if you telegraph a pass.

Which makes the play action call at the end of the first half even dumber. The Rams were not biting on a run fake.

 

[seedhawk]

Bevell is as good, or as bad, as Pete allows him to be. End of story.

 

[Thunderhawk]

Re: Bubbles.

If your QB can't see short middle, what else are you calling to put the pass rush on its heels? We gonna run screens and bomb down field every play?

We got positive yardage on nearly all of them, if not all.

Great OP, but this is a major part of the problem. It seems an eternity since Russell threw down the seam. Everything is toward the sidelines. D-Coordinators know this and it makes their jobs easier. Bevell is certainly terrible but he is constrained by Wilson's stature. Plays need to be designed that enable Russ better sight lines, especially with Graham able to dominate the center of the field if allowed. Ideally these plays would replace bubble screens - which are horrible.

We've built an athletic mobile offensive line. Let's move the pocket and give Russ some room to create and see the entire field.

 

[nanomoz]

Did we have one positive play from empty set today? No? We sure used a lot of it.

Do we ever? When i see empty backfield, i go get a beer, because they're shit plays 80% of the time. Why would you ever take the threat of run away when your run game has such a history of amazing plays at crucial times?

Also, when the hell did the Hawks abandon plays under center? Gawd. I'm so pissed.

 

[nanomoz]

Great post Montana. You voiced so much of my consternation so well. I don't have the patience. I'm just pissed.

 

[morgulon1]

I agree with you Montana great post. We moved the ball down the field to the 12 with a third and three with four minutes left. We didn't play for a new set of downs we hucked it to the back of the endzone and kicked a field goal for a kissing your sister tie. If you play not to lose you lose.

The most consistent part of our offense is you know we are going to have several stupid play calls a game from that guy. He's a mental midget. Let Russel call the plays what are they going to do bench him?

I didn't get that either. I was scratching my head. Nothing Bevell does makes sense. Nothing coherent . Poor play caller that needs to be replaced.

 

[Sports Hernia]

Bevell is as good, or as bad, as Pete allows him to be. End of story.

Disagree, Bevell calls the plays. End of story!

 

[Sports Hernia]

Re: Bubbles.

If your QB can't see short middle, what else are you calling to put the pass rush on its heels? We gonna run screens and bomb down field every play?

We got positive yardage on nearly all of them, if not all.

Great OP, but this is a major part of the problem. It seems an eternity since Russell threw down the seam. Everything is toward the sidelines. D-Coordinators know this and it makes their jobs easier. Bevell is certainly terrible but he is constrained by Wilson's stature. Plays need to be designed that enable Russ better sight lines, especially with Graham able to dominate the center of the field if allowed. Ideally these plays would replace bubble screens - which are horrible.

We've built an athletic mobile offensive line. Let's move the pocket and give Russ some room to create and see the entire field.

BINGO! This guy gets it. ^^^
When you are playing an elite defense they need to move RW around more, you don't have an offensive line that will give him the appropriate time. ....and despite the protests of the "Bevell is a good OC" crowd, empty sets on 3rd down against a great d-line with this O-line is NEVER EVER a good idea or play call! If an idiot like me can figure that out you'd think an NFL OC could.

 

[seahawkfreak]

I'm still pissed at his comments after SB 49. While everyone else was taking responsibility for the loss he was throwing others under the bus. Being stupid is one thing but that was just wrong.

 

[brimsalabim]

Re: Bubbles.

If your QB can't see short middle, what else are you calling to put the pass rush on its heels? We gonna run screens and bomb down field every play?

We got positive yardage on nearly all of them, if not all.

Great OP, but this is a major part of the problem. It seems an eternity since Russell threw down the seam. Everything is toward the sidelines. D-Coordinators know this and it makes their jobs easier. Bevell is certainly terrible but he is constrained by Wilson's stature. Plays need to be designed that enable Russ better sight lines, especially with Graham able to dominate the center of the field if allowed. Ideally these plays would replace bubble screens - which are horrible.

We've built an athletic mobile offensive line. Let's move the pocket and give Russ some room to create and see the entire field.

I call BS! Russell is actually extremely good at throwing the seems! The NFL show even did a segment on it this morning. On top of that we have a 6'7" redheaded leaping behemoth of a TE that Danny Divito would be able to see over the middle. What we don't have is the play call. We have it in practice though. Brock says he has seen Russ and Graham hook up on the play in practice at least 25 times for what would be scores. Now maybe some of that is because our own defense isn't what it used to be but don't tell me that Russell Wilson can't run the play IF its called.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

Siouxhawk posting on how Bevell's great and if you're a real Hawks fan you support him in 5-4-3-2..............



Welcome aboard the train Montana. Can I get you a beer?
Great points about the offense working when RW is calling plays. Bev is particulary shitty in the red zone IMO which is why struggle there. As you said, he ain't got nothin' in those THREE plays that are working in that area not to mention in his brain.