Thread: Hackett Playcalling and Game Management

If I'm trying to spin this positively, it's hard to imagine a coach having much worse of an opening two games on the game management front and somehow we're 1-1. Hopefully we see some drastic improvement.

As far as the red zone woes specifically, I'm not sure it's totally fair to blame the playcalling on that. If those two fumbles week 1 go the other way and Sutton gets a foot in bounds this week, those numbers look a lot more different. I think the failure to get TDs down there has largely been bad luck and will even out over a larger sample size.

The offense has mostly moved the ball decently enough through two games. I'm far more concerned with the game management in crucial clock situations. That needs to get fixed big time.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

As far as the red zone woes specifically, I'm not sure it's totally fair to blame the playcalling on that. If those two fumbles week 1 go the other way and Sutton gets a foot in bounds this week, those numbers look a lot more different. I think the failure to get TDs down there has largely been bad luck and will even out over a larger sample size.

The offense has mostly moved the ball decently enough through two games. I'm far more concerned with the game management in crucial clock situations. That needs to get fixed big time.

One more point, if I'm ranking our big 3 issues on offense, I'd rank them as following:

1. Playclock/time management
2. Penalties
3. Playcalling

The playcalling could improve in spots, sure, but of the things that are issues, I think that's the least of an issue.

We've gained more yards per drive than anyone else to this point. The playcalling issue, IMO is in the red zone and specifically with goal-to-go.

I REALLY hope coach is learning and growing, I am not ready to say anything should be taken off his plate, he's a rookie and deserves the opportunity to learn and grow. I would LOVE to see a mentor brought in, some old grizzled vet to be there as a sounding board or be an advisor, etc.

Even that though, let's give Coach the time he needs. If we're still regularly seeing these issues at the season midpoint I'll be booing my ass off

Originally Posted by Davii

We've gained more yards per drive than anyone else to this point. The playcalling issue, IMO is in the red zone and specifically with goal-to-go.

I REALLY hope coach is learning and growing, I am not ready to say anything should be taken off his plate, he's a rookie and deserves the opportunity to learn and grow. I would LOVE to see a mentor brought in, some old grizzled vet to be there as a sounding board or be an advisor, etc.

Even that though, let's give Coach the time he needs. If we're still regularly seeing these issues at the season midpoint I'll be booing my ass off

I still think the problem in the goal to go situations has been more with execution than playcalling. All the complaints this week were "why aren't we running more near the goal line?" Well we did that last week and fumbled twice at the 1. Between those two fumbles and Sutton barely being out of bounds on the one pass, we're a hair away from having 3/6 TD in goal to go. That's still not GREAT, but it's far from a disaster. I think this is still way too small a sample size to draw any meaningful conclusions from in terms of playcalling and I expect it to work itself out over the season.

Originally Posted by Davii

We've gained more yards per drive than anyone else to this point. The playcalling issue, IMO is in the red zone and specifically with goal-to-go.

I REALLY hope coach is learning and growing, I am not ready to say anything should be taken off his plate, he's a rookie and deserves the opportunity to learn and grow. I would LOVE to see a mentor brought in, some old grizzled vet to be there as a sounding board or be an advisor, etc.

Even that though, let's give Coach the time he needs. If we're still regularly seeing these issues at the season midpoint I'll be booing my ass off

Gary Kubiak. He would do it in a heartbeat if his son gave the A-ok.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

One more point, if I'm ranking our big 3 issues on offense, I'd rank them as following:

1. Playclock/time management
2. Penalties
3. Playcalling

The playcalling could improve in spots, sure, but of the things that are issues, I think that's the least of an issue.

At the risk of agreeing with Wave, well, I agree.

As you noted in the post above, the world is different without the fumbles. One was apparently mostly due to a Wilson audible and half the line not hearing the audible (possibly compounded by Hackett being obviously late getting calls in during Seattle game). Much of the red zone woes look far more like execution and penalty problems than play calling problems. Both of which are still ultimately on Hackett's shoulders, including choosing not to play starters in preseason.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I still think the problem in the goal to go situations has been more with execution than playcalling. All the complaints this week were "why aren't we running more near the goal line?" Well we did that last week and fumbled twice at the 1. Between those two fumbles and Sutton barely being out of bounds on the one pass, we're a hair away from having 3/6 TD in goal to go. That's still not GREAT, but it's far from a disaster. I think this is still way too small a sample size to draw any meaningful conclusions from in terms of playcalling and I expect it to work itself out over the season.

Both of those were out of shotgun and at least one was a blown audible. Still, to your point, both are execution but I also think it;s a playcall issue. Why was the pass called first and why were we running out of shotgun instead of lining up in the I and jamming it down their throat from the 1?

I think the play calling has been great outside of the redone. Stats back that up. The Broncos are leading the NFL in yards/drive. The scoring will come. Hackett just needs to quit overthinking it in the red zone keep it simple. The penalties are a huge coaching issue. I hope that gets corrected soon.

Mismanagement.

Management was left to the fans in the stands...

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

Some of it is playcalling. Some of it is execution. 2 TD passes called back by 1/8” for not getting the second foot down (Sutton, Tomlinson). 1 dropped TD pass (Saubert). 2 fumbles at the goal line (Gordon, Williams). 3 passes where the receiver was stopped just short of the goal line (Williams, Okuebugnam, Gordon).

Of course Hackett has ultimate responsibility for this but he didn’t fumble and he wasn’t the one unable to get his feet in bounds (something that happens every week around the league). Although, it does remind me of a time when we stunk in the red zone in the past because our zone running scheme was great between the 20s but was bad inside the 10. Oh wait, we’re back to that scheme after not using much it since Kubiak. Perhaps that’s why JW is a machine outside the red zone but struggles when the defense brings in their goal line package. It’s much easier to get the Dline moving laterally between the 20s than it is in goal to go situations when you just want to go straight ahead.

Originally Posted by Davii

Both of those were out of shotgun and at least one was a blown audible. Still, to your point, both are execution but I also think it;s a playcall issue. Why was the pass called first and why were we running out of shotgun instead of lining up in the I and jamming it down their throat from the 1?

I agree. Get behind center with goal to go. If you do, it’s easier to get the other team to bite hard on play action pass.

Mike Klis@mikeklis 2h

Not just play calling: 2 fumbles; motion penalty took away one TD; two toes on boundary after apparent TDs. And yes play calling got too pass happy down there vs Houston.
Goal-to-go woes have been alarming, especially when they have mobile QB.