Calling Plays

[Wi. Mike now in Florida]

Who do you think over all can accurately call plays better, the quarter backs on the line,
or the coaching staff in a booth or sidelines?

 

[Mondio]

I’d think the bar stool fan is probably the best play caller. They always know what should have been called. I’m surprised they don’t hire more of them

 

[gbgary]

the way they suffle personnel groups in and out these days...the coach/oc. it's done with intent. qb can't know what's coming up specifically until he gets the play. that grouping limits his options. straying from the plan gets you...well...we already know what that gets you.

 

[weeds]

Yeah, the OC or HC. I agree with the observation on the personnel groupings and the overall game planning.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Who do you think over all can accurately call plays better, the quarter backs on the line, or the coaching staff in a booth or sidelines?

Are you asking whether a QB should be barred from calling audibles? Should coaches eliminate the hurry up and 2 minute offenses from their toolbox where the play calls are largely in the QBs hands? Should coaches not call plays with receivers in motion to give the QB an idea of whether the opponent is in zone or man and then able to make adjustments at the line? Should QBs be barred from calling timeouts when they don't like what they see?

If coaches thought that was a good idea then that is what they would do. Instead, they don't. How come? Because the play call from the sidelines is made with incomplete information.

Defenses are still subbing as the play call is made up to when the offense breaks the huddle based on the offensive personnel. The QB's helmet speaker is turned off with 15 seconds on the play clock. Once lined up, the QB has more complete information. It would be kind of dumb to not use it, banging your head against the wall.

The NFL passing game is chock-o-block with option routes based on subtle reads of the defense, the same read the QB is making. This is one reason why rookie receivers typically don't fare well in the transition to the pro game. Should coaches eliminate those receiver "audibles"? If they thought that was a good idea then they would. When asking why Rodgers had a high percentage of throw-aways last season the question isn't "what's wrong with Rodgers" so much as what is what is wrong with those rookies and that new expensive TE who isn't a very good route runner to begin with. The QB limping around the field for the first 10 games certainly doesn't help matters.

These questions belie a mechanistic view of the game that does not exist. The real question is whether the QB should override play calls in the huddle. Rodgers does that on occasion as was revealed this past season. So does Brees, overriding a run call to go to the pass with some frequency. Debate that.

 

[HardRightEdge]

straying from the plan gets you...well...we already know what that gets you.

Do we know what that gets you? Overriding a play call is not straying from the game plan; it is straying from a play call. Barring that would get something worse than what you got.

 

[TomBrownFan40]

Ideally, coaches prepare, players play. The QB/Defensive Captain should call as much as humanly possible. Tough nowadays as there are so many personnel packages. I hate watching the college games where the entire offense spends most of the play clock looking over at the sidelines.

Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world or I'd be calling the plays and Cathy Ireland would be the mother of my children.

 

[Packer Fan in SD]

Ideally, coaches prepare, players play. The QB/Defensive Captain should call as much as humanly possible. Tough nowadays as there are so many personnel packages. I hate watching the college games where the entire offense spends most of the play clock looking over at the sidelines.

Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world or I'd be calling the plays and Cathy Ireland would be the mother of my children.

When I broke up with her she said she swore off men.

 

[G0P4ckG0]

Unpopular opinion: QB coach should call the plays, the OC should make personnel decisions (substitutions), and the HC should coach the sideline while being able to overrule any decision made by the playcaller.

So.....Position coaches should relay info to HC, HC should relay info to OC, OC makes decisions based upon sideline info and what is seen on the field, QB coach calls plays based upon players on the field. This way there is a chain of command and no coach has too much on their plate, plus everyone is held accountable.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Unpopular opinion: QB coach should call the plays, the OC should make personnel decisions (substitutions), and the HC should coach the sideline while being able to overrule any decision made by the playcaller.

So.....Position coaches should relay info to HC, HC should relay info to OC, OC makes decisions based upon sideline info and what is seen on the field, QB coach calls plays based upon players on the field. This way there is a chain of command and no coach has too much on their plate, plus everyone is held accountable.

The offense needs to have one coach being responsible for calling plays and making substitutions. It wouldn't be possible to effectively communicate within 25 seconds using your proposal.

 

[G0P4ckG0]

The offense needs to have one coach being responsible for calling plays and making substitutions. It wouldn't be possible to effectively communicate within 25 seconds using your proposal.

It would if substitution packages were "labeled" with plays corresponding to the packages. If the team properly prepares during the week it is entirely possible. (I will admit its high difficulty of execution if everyone isn't effectively communicating)

 

[Deleted member 6794]

It would if substitution packages were "labeled" with plays corresponding to the packages. If the team properly prepares during the week it is entirely possible. (I will admit its high difficulty of execution if everyone isn't effectively communicating)

I don't see any advantage doing it the way you suggested. Actually in my opinion the offensive coordinator calling the plays is the best way to go.

 

[Mondio]

Some specific game situations are probably ok to let a QB call his play but in the big picture, the game, season, team, plan etc is greater than the moment. It's not about calling plays all the time. There's more strategy involved and QB's live in the moment. Sure it might result in winning more battles, but we'd probably lose more wars.

 

[XPack]

Strategic vs Tactical.

OC/HC should design plays for the entire game based on opponent strengths/weakness.
QB can change individual plays if he feels the D has guessed the play and are ready to counter it.

 

[gopkrs]

If the QB sees that a run or pass is better than the opposite play which was sent in...then he can change it. If he has good communication with a receiver and he sees an opening for that receiver...then he should be able to change that guys route. But he needs to be careful not to put two receivers in the same spot with the change. But changing plays should be the exception. imo Also, changing from a run to a pass or vice versa means changing the blocking scheme and when you are on the road; that may be difficult to communicate. First and foremost is to get to the line with time on the clock...which we did not do well last year. aimho

 

[906Fan]

Coaches should be calling the base plays, and QBs should be changing those plays to fit what they see on the field. It should be planned and practiced what audibles the QB should be calling. They should be planning&practicing so if they see a certain look they are ready to audible to a play to counter that. Play calling should be a dynamic system to counter the opponents defense. QBs that are earning 30 million a year should also be picking up flaws in the defense and taking advantage of it. There is no one person that should be calling every play.

 

[OldSchool101]

I think there should be an app that consolidates all of us casual fans ideas into one consensus play based on a computer algorithm which merges all the complaints into an action plan....real time
Then that should be directly wired into Aaron Rodgers helmet interface by satellite. I just feel like Aaron would be grinning he’d be so excited about these ideas right now.

 

[Curly Calhoun]

Who do you think over all can accurately call plays better, the quarter backs on the line,
or the coaching staff in a booth or sidelines?

First question I'd ask is, who's the quarterback?

Anybody want Tim Boyle calling plays?

 

[LambeauLombardi]

Aaron Rodgers? Probably. Deshone Kizer? Lol

 

[Deleted member 6794]

OC/HC should design plays for the entire game based on opponent strengths/weakness.
QB can change individual plays if he feels the D has guessed the play and are ready to counter it.

There's no way plays should be designed for an entire game in advance. Coaches have to adjust the game plan based on game situation and the opponent's defensive scheme.

First and foremost is to get to the line with time on the clock...which we did not do well last year. aimho

Actually the Packers had plenty of time after getting set at the line on most plays but Rodgers trying to dissect the defense took way too long on a lot of snaps.

 

[XPack]

There's no way plays should be designed for an entire game in advance. Coaches have to adjust the game plan based on game situation and the opponent's defensive scheme.

I believe that the coaches would have a theme suited to opponents and a select list of plays before the match. Analysing opponents strengths/weakness and prepping a game plan happens well before the match actually begins. They form a strategy and then call plays that suit the strategy.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I believe that the coaches would have a theme suited to opponents and a select list of plays before the match. Analysing opponents strengths/weakness and prepping a game plan happens well before the match actually begins. They form a strategy and then call plays that suit the strategy.

Coaches definitely develop an overall strategy entering the game and while the first 10-15 plays may be scripted there's no way the entire play calls could be made in advance.

 

[XPack]

Coaches definitely develop an overall strategy entering the game and while the first 10-15 plays may be scripted there's no way the entire play calls could be made in advance.

Ofc, it not a pre-fixed list that must be followed. If strategy works, they continue, if not the HC/OC determines the new strategy and plays that fit to the strategy.

QB can only change plays that he knows won't be effective on the line. Any change in strategy should be discussed back with HC/OC in Timeout.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Ofc, it not a pre-fixed list that must be followed. If strategy works, they continue, if not the HC/OC determines the new strategy and plays that fit to the strategy.

My point is that teams don't have a pre-fixed list at all entering a game. While they definitely practice plays that might be used against an upcoming opponent more often during the week heading into a game the playbook is the only limitation on which plays they might use on any given day.

Of course there's always the possibility of Rodgers drawing one up in the huddle as well.