Offensive Playcalling

[BroncoStud]

I have a quick question..

I just rewatched the Patriots game, and the other day rewatched the Bears game, specifically the Broncos offense.

Why does it seem like we are the ONLY team in the NFL that doesn't run screen passes? And why does it seem like the few times we have they are really successful?

No less than 8-10 times the Bears brought a blitzer or cheated safeties to Strong, a prime circumstance to beat them on screens with open field numbers or at least swing Weak. We have seen so many 8 man fronts, and against the Jets I think we saw at least 10 blitzes yet failed to take advantage of it with our playcall. And when I say "blitz" I don't mean the traditional passing blitz, but the defense attacking the front with more than 4 defenders, or 3 if running 3-4, and stacking the box to attack the line against the zone-read.

When teams are actively attacking you with their blitzing defense the way to counter this and make them pay is to slip in screen passes. Brett Favre and Mike Holmgren made a living of doing this with Edgar Bennett and Dorsey Levens in the 1990's as Favre was learning to really read defenses.

I guess my point is that if a team is attacking you so aggressively you have to call plays that hold them accountable for it. I don't see us doing that. I know everyone is happy that our running game is doing well and that we are winning games, but I really think with more competent playcall we could be scoring more points and forcing teams to defend us differently. Is it because we lack the RBs to accomplish this with Moreno out? Certainly Royal could have been playing a Percy Harvin-type role on screens before he was injured...

I am curious as to why we aren't doing this. Anyone else noticed it or am I just a nitpicking doucher? I just don't agree with a lot of Mike McCoy's playcalling in pressure situations and I think Tebow bails him out, A LOT.

[Joel]

As I recall, Royal DID do that some before he was hurt. Either way, yes, the screen was designed to beat the blitz; you don't even need big gains if it makes them stop blitzing, and it would immensely help Tebow pass.

[shank]

Why does it seem like we are the ONLY team in the NFL that doesn't run screen passes? And why does it seem like the few times we have they are really successful?



you answered your own question IMO. when you don't run many of them, they work much better. i'd prefer that to over-doing it and them all being sniffed out.

[BroncoStud]

you answered your own question IMO. when you don't run many of them, they work much better. i'd prefer that to over-doing it and them all being sniffed out.

Can you recall that last time we ran a screen pass? 3 a game would be great... 5 a game would be great...

We go GAMES at a time without calling a single screen... Early on in the Tebow starts teams were blitzing the living hell out of us and still no screens... That's not smart playcalling.

So I don't feel I answered my question. I think it's absurd that NFL coaches can't see this...

[shank]

save em for the playoffs

[bcbronc]

I think it has something to do with running the option stuff, and just Tebow's threat to run in general. NE made a point of keeping their down lineman spread wide to contain Tebow, especially the DEs. When the DEs first priority is containing the QB rather than rushing him, they're harder to fool on screens.

Against CHI, the Bears were double spying Tebow on some plays, and usually at least one of Urlacher or their safety. That's another defense that screens aren't going to be particularly effective on.

With that said, we did use to run a ton of screens. Like too many with Orton/McDaniels/McCoy, so we know McCoy has them in the playbook. And we've seen Tebow be effective running screens, so it's not because of his accuracy or footwork or whatnot. Moreno is our best screen back imo so maybe him being out is part of the reason. Whatever it is, I agree I'd like to see McCoy call a few more, and to get creative with it off some of the misdirection we run.

[TXBRONC]

Well we do run them maybe not much but we do run them. In the Miami game Fells' touchdown was off of a tight end screen.

[BroncoStud]

Well we do run them maybe not much but we do run them. In the Miami game Fells' touchdown was off of a tight end screen.

Kinda my point... We don't run them nearly enough, especially when teams were just blitzing Tebow on every play early on. We should have been running 10 a game.

[Chef Zambini]

not enuff fullback.
not enough snaps from under center, maybe mcgehee and now JJ are not good pass catchers?
perhaps it is a wqrinkle we are saving for the play-offs!~
we dont throw to the TEs and RYAL may as well just run out of bounds when the ball is snapped because other than an ill conceived revberse, ROYAL is not a viable part of this offense.
There are so many things this offense does not do, but thankfully we do run the ball well, BEST in the league and hopefully we will continue to be a force RUNNING the ball.

[Slick]

There's been times where Fells and Green are wide effing open as well. Tim doesn't seem to throw to the middle of the field much. Hopefully that changes with experience.

[Jsteve01]

yes that TE should be a good safety valve. If you look at the drop off in production from our TEs I don't believe it's because they suck, just that they've become the forgotten option in this offense. It was my fear too because Fox's teams have never gotten good production from TEs not even Wesley Wall's in his heyday

[buffsroam]

I have a quick question..

I just rewatched the Patriots game, and the other day rewatched the Bears game, specifically the Broncos offense.

Why does it seem like we are the ONLY team in the NFL that doesn't run screen passes? And why does it seem like the few times we have they are really successful?

No less than 8-10 times the Bears brought a blitzer or cheated safeties to Strong, a prime circumstance to beat them on screens with open field numbers or at least swing Weak. We have seen so many 8 man fronts, and against the Jets I think we saw at least 10 blitzes yet failed to take advantage of it with our playcall. And when I say "blitz" I don't mean the traditional passing blitz, but the defense attacking the front with more than 4 defenders, or 3 if running 3-4, and stacking the box to attack the line against the zone-read.

When teams are actively attacking you with their blitzing defense the way to counter this and make them pay is to slip in screen passes. Brett Favre and Mike Holmgren made a living of doing this with Edgar Bennett and Dorsey Levens in the 1990's as Favre was learning to really read defenses.

I guess my point is that if a team is attacking you so aggressively you have to call plays that hold them accountable for it. I don't see us doing that. I know everyone is happy that our running game is doing well and that we are winning games, but I really think with more competent playcall we could be scoring more points and forcing teams to defend us differently. Is it because we lack the RBs to accomplish this with Moreno out? Certainly Royal could have been playing a Percy Harvin-type role on screens before he was injured...

I am curious as to why we aren't doing this. Anyone else noticed it or am I just a nitpicking doucher? I just don't agree with a lot of Mike McCoy's playcalling in pressure situations and I think Tebow bails him out, A LOT.


So Tim Tebow is now Bret Favre and Eddie Royal is Percy Harvin. Why not make TT Joe Montana and Royal Jerry Rice. There is a slight talent gap between the players. If you want to compare TT with Favre then you are delusional.

You guys sound like sound like kids worshiping the flavor of the month singer or actor. Come down to reality and understand the TT QB two years from now.

[NightTrainLayne]

So Tim Tebow is now Bret Favre and Eddie Royal is Percy Harvin. Why not make TT Joe Montana and Royal Jerry Rice. There is a slight talent gap between the players. If you want to compare TT with Favre then you are delusional.

You guys sound like sound like kids worshiping the flavor of the month singer or actor. Come down to reality and understand the TT QB two years from now.

I think the comparison was more about play-calling for a young and learning QB than it was in terms of talent level.

But thanks for the heads up. Tebow /= Favre. .. or Montana. ..

[yuhateme80]

I would like to c tebow do more play action on first downs especially in first quarter

[TXBRONC]

Kinda my point... We don't run them nearly enough, especially when teams were just blitzing Tebow on every play early on. We should have been running 10 a game.

Imo that's way to many times to run a screen play and iirc there were people who were upset ran with number of screens McDaniels would run.

[BroncoStud]

So Tim Tebow is now Bret Favre and Eddie Royal is Percy Harvin. Why not make TT Joe Montana and Royal Jerry Rice. There is a slight talent gap between the players. If you want to compare TT with Favre then you are delusional.

You guys sound like sound like kids worshiping the flavor of the month singer or actor. Come down to reality and understand the TT QB two years from now.

You clearly don't read very well... Feed troll, troll hungry.

[BroncoStud]

Imo that's way to many times to run a screen play and iirc there were people who were upset ran with number of screens McDaniels would run.

Screens are how you attack a blitzing defense. Run then until they no longer work. Make the defense pay. Early on it was almost criminal incompetence not to run them more.