Spread spread spread

[HawKnPeppa]

The power running game for all intents and purposes is dead. 3-4 WR sets and a mobile, shifty back with speed is what is winning in todays NFL. The days of Shaun Alexander and Jerome Bettis are over. The only way a power running game works is if you have a freak of nature like Adrian Peterson in the backfield.

The RB doesn't have to be all-world if you have good run blocking. All the more reason Pete said 'we really have it nail it' regarding OL in his presser. There are situations where we will need to be to execute a good ball-control, power running, PA attack.

 

[RussB]

If rawls doesnt get injured and we run the spread all season. We win another SB.

Plain and simple.

 

[Tical21]

so lets see the OP wants an old style power running game, like the one we ran the first 8 games. Most everyone wants what works the spread offense were we can run and throw. like the one that Avg 30+ points a game and plays to the strength of our Elite/Franchise QB. Lets see win or lose. Yeah seems like a no brainer

Yep

Okay so as long as we run your power run game you are fine with 8-8 or less and no playoffs, got it, Glad your not in charge. However it does explain you disdain for Wilson, he presents the opposite of what you want. So glad your not in charge

I'm just fine with the offense we just went to back to back Super Bowls with.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

so lets see the OP wants an old style power running game, like the one we ran the first 8 games. Most everyone wants what works the spread offense were we can run and throw. like the one that Avg 30+ points a game and plays to the strength of our Elite/Franchise QB. Lets see win or lose. Yeah seems like a no brainer

Yep

Okay so as long as we run your power run game you are fine with 8-8 or less and no playoffs, got it, Glad your not in charge. However it does explain you disdain for Wilson, he presents the opposite of what you want. So glad your not in charge

8-8 or less???
We've went 13-3 and won a Super Bowl using a power attack just 2 yrs ago....and dominated a SPREAD team. Just last season, we made to Super Bowl again on the same scheme. Can you open your mind just a smidge, and have an intelligent discussion, rather than making flippant, snidely remarks? How did Philly do against us with that spread scheme? They were soft, and we hit them squarely in the mouth...pretty much broke their will. There are times when we will need to be able to execute what Tical talks about. If you are good at it, you can dominate teams on both sides of the ball. Teams built around running and very-good D lick their chops when a finesse team comes to down; especially in bad wx or bad field conditions. We need to be able to switch between spread and the power game as appropriate, ala NE Patriots...when was the last time THEY were '8-8?'

I suppose some of the tunnel vision you have has something to do with your hero being featured more, but there is much more to the game than that.

 

[Seahawkfan80]

Nice thread Tical. Well done. I am in on the power run concept as well. If the team (we) have to adapt once in a while due to what they give us, then so be it. We adapt, score a few times and then barrel it down their throats again and make them come to us. What the NFL wants is not for us to determine, but we dont always have to deal with what they want. If it becomes a do it our way or else, then it becomes drivel. I kinda like the drives we do when we ram it down other teams throats and they have to do it our way.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

Nice thread Tical. Well done. I am in on the power run concept as well. If the team (we) have to adapt once in a while due to what they give us, then so be it. We adapt, score a few times and then barrel it down their throats again and make them come to us. What the NFL wants is not for us to determine, but we dont always have to deal with what they want. If it becomes a do it our way or else, then it becomes drivel. I kinda like the drives we do when we ram it down other teams throats and they have to do it our way.

Yup. Play it close to the vest while you pound away to soften them up. If the opponents O looks like it might be catching its footing switch to spread long enough to drop another score or two on them for a cushion, then go right back to pounding them and releasing the dogs on D at will. The Stealers have run something like this for years. It's quite seamless, and if they had anything resembling a D, they would still be playing in the post season...and that's w/o Brown and Labia Bell.

 

[RussB]

so lets see the OP wants an old style power running game, like the one we ran the first 8 games. Most everyone wants what works the spread offense were we can run and throw. like the one that Avg 30+ points a game and plays to the strength of our Elite/Franchise QB. Lets see win or lose. Yeah seems like a no brainer

Yep

Okay so as long as we run your power run game you are fine with 8-8 or less and no playoffs, got it, Glad your not in charge. However it does explain you disdain for Wilson, he presents the opposite of what you want. So glad your not in charge

8-8 or less???
We've went 13-3 and won a Super Bowl using a power attack just 2 yrs ago....and dominated a SPREAD team. Just last season, we made to Super Bowl again on the same scheme. Can you open your mind just a smidge, and have an intelligent discussion, rather than making flippant, snidely remarks? How did Philly do against us with that spread scheme? They were soft, and we hit them squarely in the mouth...pretty much broke their will. There are times when we will need to be able to execute what Tical talks about. If you are good at it, you can dominate teams on both sides of the ball. Teams built around running and very-good D lick their chops when a finesse team comes to down; especially in bad wx or bad field conditions. We need to be able to switch between spread and the power game as appropriate, ala NE Patriots...when was the last time THEY were '8-8?'

I suppose some of the tunnel vision you have has something to do with your hero being featured more, but there is much more to the game than that.

Youre right, we did get to 2 SB's and win one with the power run and play action offense. But i think it kind of played itself out this season and its time to move on. We tried it the first half of the season and didnt do to well. Then started running the spread and Wilson really shined along with rawls and the receivers. I think the spread offense gives this team more firepower and puts them in a better chance to succeed so why go back to the power run?. Its wilsons team now.

P.S . We still have a great defense and can run the clock out when needed.

 

[seedhawk]

Just because you use spread formations does not mean you are now strictly weak or finesse. If the Hawks big uglies on the O-line do their job, the Hawks will still qualify as a smash you in the mouth team.

First half of this season, we basically tried to stretch opponents vertically. Let them stack the box, and gave their D-lines more time to mangle RW. Second half, minus ML, we went spread, our recievers did very well, our RB's did fine, and RW improved. What did we lose? We still beat on people.

 

[Hawkscanner]

I agree with you Tical on your criticisms of the Spread Offense in general, and I'll add to that. I don’t like it because over time, I’ve seen a disturbing trend with teams (both college and Pro) that tend to make it a staple of their offense …

The Spread Offense like the kind that Chip Kelly employs … or that Mike Leech employs at WSU strikes me as being similar in concept to another that I remember was in vogue during the early 1990s -- the Run and Shoot. Mouse Davis developed that spread offensive system while at Portland State and brought it to the NFL with the Lions. Like the spread offense that Chip Kelly and others utilize, teams that employed the run and shoot were able to rack up tons of yards and could score very quickly. In 1991, the Lions ended up going 12-4 w/Barry Sanders and a prolific offense that could chew up chunks of yards and score in a flash.

The Lions of the early 1990s burst on the scene (much like the Eagles when Chip Kelly first got there) and had a lot of people talking because of their ability to score (seeming at will). Soon, the Falcons and the Oilers adopted the Run and Shoot and were off and running. By the mid-1990s though, that offense had virtually disappeared from the NFL. Why in the world is that?

Well, one of the criticisms of that system that people levied against teams that ran it was that they had trouble holding the lead. One of the flaws inherent in that system was that because the offense could score so quickly ... that they didn't give their own team's defense enough time to rest. Those teams had good running backs, but their offense wasn't predicated on running the ball and milking the clock. As a result, the defenses of the teams who employed the Run and Shoot tended to be on the field quite a bit. So, by the 3rd and 4th Quarter -- many of the defensive players on those units were just flat out gassed and opposing teams were able to come back on them. The best example of that being the Houston Oilers, who in 1992 had a 35-3 Lead at Halftime over the Bills in the AFC Wild Card Game. Unbelievably, they ended up losing to the Bills 41-38 in Overtime (still the greatest collapse in NFL History) The Lions and other teams had similar examples of games just like that -- which is why the Run and Shoot virtually disappeared by the Mid to late 1990s.

And that is a trend that I’ve seen again and again. Many of the teams that employ spread offenses have issues giving up points – especially late in the game.

Under Chip Kelly, the Eagles offense this past year was one of the better ones in the NFL, averaging 364.4 Yards/Offense a game (12th best). The defense however, was a completely different story. Under Kelly, the Eagles Defense allowed 401.6 yards/game (30th) … and 26.9 Pts/Game (28th).

WSU under Mike Leech racked up an average of 470 yards of Offense/game (ranked 28th in the Country) … but they also gave up an average of 423 yards/game (87th in the Country) and 28.8 Pts/Game (tied 83rd)

Cam Newton and the Panthers employ some Spread Offense concepts as well. Now, someone will be quick to point out that Carolina has one of the best defenses in the league. They ended the season ranked 6th in Yards/Allowed (322.9) … and 6th in Points Allowed (19.3).

Don’t let those numbers fool you though -- the same issue that seems to be inherent with many spread teams appears to also plague the Panthers as well. Including this past weekend, here are the total points that Carolina’s Defense has allowed broken down by halves.

On the season, the Panthers defense allowed a combined …

121 Points in the 1st Half … and 211 Points in the 2nd Half

The Seahawks this past weekend scored 0 Points against the Panthers in the 1st half … but 24 Points in the 2nd half. Coincidence? I wonder.

IMO, Spread Offense concepts are fine to sprinkle in to the playbook here and there … but I contend that teams that make that a staple of their offense play with fire. There’s a reason Pete Carroll believes in establishing the run – first and foremost above all else. Not only does it limit the offensive opportunities of your opponent … it also gives your defense much needed time on the sideline to recharge their batteries. Food for thought.

 

[Anthony!]

so lets see the OP wants an old style power running game, like the one we ran the first 8 games. Most everyone wants what works the spread offense were we can run and throw. like the one that Avg 30+ points a game and plays to the strength of our Elite/Franchise QB. Lets see win or lose. Yeah seems like a no brainer

Yep

Okay so as long as we run your power run game you are fine with 8-8 or less and no playoffs, got it, Glad your not in charge. However it does explain you disdain for Wilson, he presents the opposite of what you want. So glad your not in charge

8-8 or less???
We've went 13-3 and won a Super Bowl using a power attack just 2 yrs ago....and dominated a SPREAD team. Just last season, we made to Super Bowl again on the same scheme. Can you open your mind just a smidge, and have an intelligent discussion, rather than making flippant, snidely remarks? How did Philly do against us with that spread scheme? They were soft, and we hit them squarely in the mouth...pretty much broke their will. There are times when we will need to be able to execute what Tical talks about. If you are good at it, you can dominate teams on both sides of the ball. Teams built around running and very-good D lick their chops when a finesse team comes to down; especially in bad wx or bad field conditions. We need to be able to switch between spread and the power game as appropriate, ala NE Patriots...when was the last time THEY were '8-8?'

I suppose some of the tunnel vision you have has something to do with your hero being featured more, but there is much more to the game than that.

that was then and this was now, that was with an other worldly defense that we do not have, that was with a 2 year QB. This is now and we do not have the personal to run a power running offense all the time. Again not to say we will not run it, we will but not is a 5 lineman 2 te formation much, it will be spread. Let me help you. IN the last 10 years only 1-2 teams have won a SB with what would be classified as a power running team. The rest ran but it was more of a spread offense. This has nothing to do with Wilson but doing what any good Coach would do and play to our strength, our best offensive player is a QB, so you play to his strength. Like it or not that5 is the direction we are going, if we had done that form the beginning of the last game we likely would have won. All you need to do is look at this year first 8 game power running 4-4, 2nd 8 games with the spread 6-2 enough said

 

[HawkGA]

I don't know that the last game is a good example of your point, Scanner. The Hawks barely had the ball in the first half so I doubt the Panthers defense was tired.

 

[Anthony!]

I agree with you Tical on your criticisms of the Spread Offense in general, and I'll add to that. I don’t like it because over time, I’ve seen a disturbing trend with teams (both college and Pro) that tend to make it a staple of their offense …

The Spread Offense like the kind that Chip Kelly employs … or that Mike Leech employs at WSU strikes me as being similar in concept to another that I remember was in vogue during the early 1990s -- the Run and Shoot. Mouse Davis developed that spread offensive system while at Portland State and brought it to the NFL with the Lions. Like the spread offense that Chip Kelly and others utilize, teams that employed the run and shoot were able to rack up tons of yards and could score very quickly. In 1991, the Lions ended up going 12-4 w/Barry Sanders and a prolific offense that could chew up chunks of yards and score in a flash.

The Lions of the early 1990s burst on the scene (much like the Eagles when Chip Kelly first got there) and had a lot of people talking because of their ability to score (seeming at will). Soon, the Falcons and the Oilers adopted the Run and Shoot and were off and running. By the mid-1990s though, that offense had virtually disappeared from the NFL. Why in the world is that?

Well, one of the criticisms of that system that people levied against teams that ran it was that they had trouble holding the lead. One of the flaws inherent in that system was that because the offense could score so quickly ... that they didn't give their own team's defense enough time to rest. Those teams had good running backs, but their offense wasn't predicated on running the ball and milking the clock. As a result, the defenses of the teams who employed the Run and Shoot tended to be on the field quite a bit. So, by the 3rd and 4th Quarter -- many of the defensive players on those units were just flat out gassed and opposing teams were able to come back on them. The best example of that being the Houston Oilers, who in 1992 had a 35-3 Lead at Halftime over the Bills in the AFC Wild Card Game. Unbelievably, they ended up losing to the Bills 41-38 in Overtime (still the greatest collapse in NFL History) The Lions and other teams had similar examples of games just like that -- which is why the Run and Shoot virtually disappeared by the Mid to late 1990s.

And that is a trend that I’ve seen again and again. Many of the teams that employ spread offenses have issues giving up points – especially late in the game.

Under Chip Kelly, the Eagles offense this past year was one of the better ones in the NFL, averaging 364.4 Yards/Offense a game (12th best). The defense however, was a completely different story. Under Kelly, the Eagles Defense allowed 401.6 yards/game (30th) … and 26.9 Pts/Game (28th).

WSU under Mike Leech racked up an average of 470 yards of Offense/game (ranked 28th in the Country) … but they also gave up an average of 423 yards/game (87th in the Country) and 28.8 Pts/Game (tied 83rd)

Cam Newton and the Panthers employ some Spread Offense concepts as well. Now, someone will be quick to point out that Carolina has one of the best defenses in the league. They ended the season ranked 6th in Yards/Allowed (322.9) … and 6th in Points Allowed (19.3).

Don’t let those numbers fool you though -- the same issue that seems to be inherent with many spread teams appears to also plague the Panthers as well. Including this past weekend, here are the total points that Carolina’s Defense has allowed broken down by halves.

On the season, the Panthers defense allowed a combined …

121 Points in the 1st Half … and 211 Points in the 2nd Half

The Seahawks this past weekend scored 0 Points against the Panthers in the 1st half … but 24 Points in the 2nd half. Coincidence? I wonder.

IMO, Spread Offense concepts are fine to sprinkle in to the playbook here and there … but I contend that teams that make that a staple of their offense play with fire. There’s a reason Pete Carroll believes in establishing the run – first and foremost above all else. Not only does it limit the offensive opportunities of your opponent … it also gives your defense much needed time on the sideline to recharge their batteries. Food for thought.

And I say look at the offense run by the last 10 SB winners only 1-2 are smash mouth the rest use a lot od spread, add to that you do not need an Elite 20 mil QB to run smash mouth so why pay your QB that. Then add to that you need the personnel to run that and we do not have it, we just tried for a whole half and it got us nothing, we tried it in the Ram game and we lost. All you need to do is look at our games we are not counting the playoffs 4-6 running smash mouth and 6-0 running spread. Oh and by the way our Defense gave up an avg of 12.5 points in the games we ran the spread the whole game so your giving up a lot of points when you run the spread is wrong. We did nothing against Minny or Car until we went spread. So you can like what you want, and hope for what you want, but if you want to win we run the spread more, and smash mouth on occasion.

 

[Hawkscanner]

I don't know that the last game is a good example of your point, Scanner. The Hawks barely had the ball in the first half so I doubt the Panthers defense was tired.

Perhaps in that case, you're right. Over the course of the regular season though (outside of a couple of games), the Panthers were consistently outscored in the 2nd Half of games. And teams that employ Spread Offenses and rack up a ton of points ... sure appear to have a pattern of giving up a ton of points as well.

 

[Anthony!]

I don't know that the last game is a good example of your point, Scanner. The Hawks barely had the ball in the first half so I doubt the Panthers defense was tired.

Perhaps in that case, you're right. Over the course of the regular season though (outside of a couple of games), the Panthers were consistently outscored in the 2nd Half of games. And teams that employ Spread Offenses and rack up a ton of points ... sure appear to have a pattern of giving up a ton of points as well.

Hm we gave up an avg of 12.5 in the games we ran the Spread the whole game, mind you we still sprinkle in some smash mouth, some regular offense as well. The problem has been well really just for Philly is they felt they needed to spend a lot of money on offense to run the spread, when all you really need is a Elite QB like ours and then you can have a great defense also like ours. Also Kelly spread is also an uptempo spread only while we employ a version of the spread were sometimes we go uptempo, sometime hurry up, sometimes normal rate. Ships is all about getting a lot of drives ours is about maximizing the drives we get. Think of our as a nice meld of the spread and smash mouth. We still run a lot we just do it in a different way. Chip does not run much. IN fact we ran just as much once we started using the spread as we did before, just we did not line up and say we a rerunning stop us. We made them have to guess and it worked/ That is called creating an offense to suite your talent. Bad oline do not make them have to block long, quick string backs let the use it, Elite QB let him use this skills. Only a moron would want to run an offense with players that do not have the skill set for it.

 

[Hawkscanner]

And I say look at the offense run by the last 10 SB winners only 1-2 are smash mouth the rest use a lot od spread, add to that you do not need an Elite 20 mil QB to run smash mouth so why pay your QB that. Then add to that you need the personnel to run that and we do not have it, we just tried for a whole half and it got us nothing, we tried it in the Ram game and we lost. All you need to do is look at our games we are not counting the playoffs 4-6 running smash mouth and 6-0 running spread. We did nothing against Minny or Car until we went spread. So you can like what you want, and hope for what you want, but if you want to win we run the spread more, and smash mouth on occasion.

IMO, Tical is on point in saying that what the spread is doing for the Seahawks ... is masking the serious issues this team has with its offensive line. I said it heading in to this season -- my #1 concern for this Seahawks team (and the one thing I feared could really put a monkey wrench in things) was the offensive line. Specifically, the middle of that offensive line minus Max Unger.

And what happened with the Rams this year? The Rams were able to totally dismantle our offense because Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers were able to get penetration in to the backfield and nuke things. This weekend -- same thing happened with Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei. Both the Rams and the Panthers exposed a serious weakness inherent in this team right now. And that is, teams that have athletic DT's and can get quick penetration right up the gut ... can pretty much neutralize the Seahawks offense. Moving forward, that's something that no question about it has got to get fixed.

What the spread did for the Seahawks was to mask that weakness by having Russell Wilson get the ball out quick, thus negating some of that. The issue is still there however. And the Spread Offense is a great tool -- used in small doses and in strategic spots. The problem is that over time, teams that tend to rely heavily upon it see it take a toll on their defense over time. The Eagles under Chip Kelly were a perfect example of that.

No, I'm not outright opposed to the Spread -- just to the idea of making it the bread and butter of our offense. Over time, the kind of football that Pete Carroll has consistently looked to implement (Ball Control/Occasional Big Strike Offense) has proven itself to be a consistent winning formula. Bottom line.

Edit to Add:
The issues Spread Offense Teams have had with their own defenses is a well documented fact (for whatever reason) and has generated a fair amount of discussion over time ...
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2012/11/22/spread-offense-weak-defense/1720919/

 

[Scottemojo]

Seattle can fully use the spread without trying to get a play off every 20 seconds, Scanner. We can keep power game elements while playing spread.

If Dallas ran a spread, it would be stupid. They have the peeps for power ball.

We have less than good blocking tight ends, a line that struggles to pass pro for 3 seconds, but hasn't been great shakes opening running lanes either. Dallas we ain't.

A spread can get a d to put 6 in the box, opens the middle to passing, and keeps our QB from getting hit and sacked at a dangerous pace. It suits our smaller WRs and seems to suit our QB.

As long as Pete is intent on spending way more on D than O (with the exception of Russ), Spread offense is here to stay. And I think it is a huge part of our future. So like it or not, IMO, it is here to stay.

 

[Anthony!]

And I say look at the offense run by the last 10 SB winners only 1-2 are smash mouth the rest use a lot od spread, add to that you do not need an Elite 20 mil QB to run smash mouth so why pay your QB that. Then add to that you need the personnel to run that and we do not have it, we just tried for a whole half and it got us nothing, we tried it in the Ram game and we lost. All you need to do is look at our games we are not counting the playoffs 4-6 running smash mouth and 6-0 running spread. We did nothing against Minny or Car until we went spread. So you can like what you want, and hope for what you want, but if you want to win we run the spread more, and smash mouth on occasion.

IMO, Tical is on point in saying that what the spread is doing for the Seahawks ... is masking the serious issues this team has with its offensive line. I said it heading in to this season -- my #1 concern for this Seahawks team (and the one thing I feared could really put a monkey wrench in things) was the offensive line. Specifically, the middle of that offensive line minus Max Unger.

And what happened with the Rams this year? The Rams were able to totally dismantle our offense because Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers were able to get penetration in to the backfield and nuke things. This weekend -- same thing happened with Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei. Both the Rams and the Panthers exposed a serious weakness inherent in this team right now. And that is, teams that have athletic DT's and can get quick penetration right up the gut ... can pretty much neutralize the Seahawks offense. Moving forward, that's something that no question about it has got to get fixed.

What the spread did for the Seahawks was to mask that weakness by having Russell Wilson get the ball out quick, thus negating some of that. The issue is still there however. And the Spread Offense is a great tool -- used in small doses and in strategic spots. The problem is that over time, teams that tend to rely heavily upon it see it take a toll on their defense over time. The Eagles under Chip Kelly were a perfect example of that.

No, I'm not outright opposed to the Spread -- just to the idea of making it the bread and butter of our offense. Over time, the kind of football that Pete Carroll has consistently looked to implement (Ball Control/Occasional Big Strike Offense) has proven itself to be a consistent winning formula. Bottom line.

Edit to Add:
The issues Spread Offense Teams have had with their own defenses is a well documented fact (for whatever reason) and has generated a fair amount of discussion over time ...
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2012/11/22/spread-offense-weak-defense/1720919/

I already said that is because teams running the spread in the past have spent a lot of money on players for it, we do not need to. We have proven that, so the whole line of thought is not relevant. I am not saying only run the Spread what I am saying is we cannot reply on smash mouth for most of the game either. We proved that this year. At least not without spending a lot on oline which will then weaken our defense. We have a top 10 defense, with the spread we have a top 10 offense pretty simple. You want smash mouth as the main force for the offense then you need to improve the oline and that takes money, which will have to come from someplace, that is likely to be the defense since that is were most of the money is. Its pretty simple. You play the hand that is dealt you or you get new cards realizing new card cost money and in getting them you will weaken what you all ready have. So which spend money on an oline so we can run smash mouth and weaken your defense, or use the spread more and keep your defense.

 

[Anthony!]

Seattle can fully use the spread without trying to get a play off every 20 seconds, Scanner. We can keep power game elements while playing spread.

If Dallas ran a spread, it would be stupid. They have the peeps for power ball.

We have less than good blocking tight ends, a line that struggles to pass pro for 3 seconds, but hasn't been great shakes opening running lanes either. Dallas we ain't.

A spread can get a d to put 6 in the box, opens the middle to passing, and keeps our QB from getting hit and sacked at a dangerous pace. It suits our smaller WRs and seems to suit our QB.

As long as Pete is intent on spending way more on D than O (with the exception of Russ), Spread offense is here to stay. And I think it is a huge part of our future. So like it or not, IMO, it is here to stay.

exactly.

 

[Hawkscanner]

Seattle can fully use the spread without trying to get a play off every 20 seconds, Scanner. We can keep power game elements while playing spread.

If Dallas ran a spread, it would be stupid. They have the peeps for power ball.

We have less than good blocking tight ends, a line that struggles to pass pro for 3 seconds, but hasn't been great shakes opening running lanes either. Dallas we ain't.

A spread can get a d to put 6 in the box, opens the middle to passing, and keeps our QB from getting hit and sacked at a dangerous pace. It suits our smaller WRs and seems to suit our QB.

As long as Pete is intent on spending way more on D than O (with the exception of Russ), Spread offense is here to stay. And I think it is a huge part of our future. So like it or not, IMO, it is here to stay.

I don't disagree with anything you're saying Scott. Completely agreed ... and I agree that the Spread Offense is obviously here to stay. I'm not a massive fan of it, but it's obvious that it's here to stay and it's obviously got its merits as well.

My thing is that I want to see the Spread become a PART of what we do -- not exclusively ALL that we do. Much like the Read Option is a PART of the Seahawks Offense as is the West Coast as well.

Regarding the Offensive Line and Blocking TE's, that's an element that IMO needs to be addressed badly this offseason. Upgrading those elements IMO have to rank right up there at the top of the list. Dallas we sure ain't right now ... but Dallas's OL is sure what I'd love to try to re-create here. Russell Wilson simply cannot continue to sustain the kind of punishment he has this year.

We talked about that all last offseason how we wanted to see the OL made a priority for the Draft. This time around, I'm hoping that Schneider is able to acquire some serious playmakers on the OL in this upcoming draft. And drafting #26, I believe that's would be a fairly realistic goal, as it's possible even that late to get the top Center or the 1st or 2nd best guard in the draft at that point. They may decide to ultimately go in another direction, but if they're going BPA, that may be where the best value is in terms of overall talent at that point in the draft.

 

[hoxrox]

The power run game was much easier when we had guys like Unger, Giacomini, Mike Rob and Zach Miller. Teams knew we were running on first, and we would still get our 4-5 yards. This year against strong front sevens, not so much.

I like the idea of a hybrid approach as our personnel, game situations, and opponents warrant.