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There were numerous raised eyebrows in the 24 hours after the Arizona Cardinals lost to the San Francisco thanks to what head coach Jonathan Gannon said when the subject became the play-calling of offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
Before delving into the nuances of this faux debate and Gannon’s words, it’s important to observe one result that consistently occurs when (fill in the blank with any team) an offense struggles.
The outside noise from the myriad of social-media experts usually doesn’t rant about the blocking for the run or pass game, or penalties that affect possessions, or dropped passes, or, heaven forbid, what the opponent is doing, or, well, this could go on for a while.
The persistent thread is that it’s all about the quarterback or the playcalling, as if two dropped passes by wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Sunday and running a different route than the one quarterback Kyler Murray was expecting were because of the playcall.
Or that numerous stuffed running plays were because of the play-call. Or that penalties at inopportune times were linked to the playcall.
Or that, well, you get the picture. Or should.
The reality is that it’s unknown what each assignment is for every player on the field, much less how that can change at the line of scrimmage because of what the defense is showing. Of course, that doesn’t prevent outlets like Pro Football Focus from somehow convincing people, including the media, they know all of that with instantaneous grades of every player in every game.
PFF was savvy when they started out, providing media members with free accounts to view their ratings. When those ratings were then repeated in print, broadcasts and social media, that legitimized them in the public eye. Also helped were the ratings being scrolled on Sunday Night Football thanks to analyst Cris Collinsworth having a financial stake as one of its owners.
As several NFL personnel executives have told me in varying ways in recent years, “We don’t even wipe our (butt) with that info. Not even a little bit.”
But, let’s move on.
While schemes and calls are important, it’s the execution on the field that determines success or failure.
I won’t focus too much on why there are so many lazy narratives voiced by a loud minority, but it sure appears as if there’s a certain glee in saying a quarterback is a bust or calling for the firing of a coach while ignoring all the things that are easy to see.
So it was that Gannon was asked after Sunday’s game about his thoughts on the playcalling. He said, “I had no problems with the offensive playcalling. Never will. I know exactly what we're calling. So, if you've got a problem with that, you should look at me.”
When asked on Arizona Sports 98.7 Monday if there are any issues with the offense, Gannon said, “There definitely are some issues with our offense and the first two that I see is our run game is not efficient enough. I went through the game and I think we called somewhere around 24 runs and 17 of them, how I deem efficient, were not efficient. The pass game I think that we need to generate some more efficiency and a couple more explosives, some more yards, some more catches.
“And each game is going to present different challenges by what the (opponent is) doing and their people that they have and the flow of the game. But there's no doubt we need to play a little bit better to score more points. And like I said with the playcalling thing, I know what we're doing. I know what we're calling. I know how we're doing things. We got to do it better.”
Another reality for those that decry the lack of rhythm in the offense as a product of playcalling fails to take into account bad individual play execution that affects third downs, where the Cardinals are 14-for-37 (37.8 percent) after three games, which is tied for eighth-worst in the NFL.
Much of that is fueled by issues on first down where the Cardinals currently rank next to last, averaging 3.93 yards per play.
Eleven of the team’s 37 third downs have been for 10 yards or more for a total of 155 yards. Against the 49ers, there was only one 10 yards to go on third down, but of four that were eight or nine yards, only one was converted in a 5-for-15 afternoon. The Cardinals also failed on two third-and-1 plays and weren’t able to convert their final five third downs of the game. In the last two games, they are 8-for-24 on third down.
Gannon told the media corps on Monday, “There are runs that are going for nothing. We have to be more efficient with those. I don't know how many of those there were, but it felt like a lot of times it was second-and-10 after a run. It sets you behind the sticks.”
Well, coach, here’s how many there were.
On first down, there were 14 plays for two yards or fewer. On running plays, one went for minus-1, one for zero, three for one and one for two — six plays for four total yards. On pass plays, there were three incompletions, one sack for minus-5, two plays for one yard and two for two yards. That’s eight plays for one yard.
Add it up and it’s 14 plays for six yards.
Overall, those three running backs had 21 carries in the game and 15 were for three yards or fewer for nine yards and 13 were for one yard or fewer for five yards.
That’s been the trend this season.
Conner, with 95 yards on 32 attempts, had 22 runs of three yards or fewer for 26 yards and 18 of two yards or less for 14 yards.
Benson, who has 125 total rushing yards on 21 carries, has 12 attempts of three yards or fewer for eight yards and 10 of two yards or less for two yards. It should be noted that Benson has runs of 29 and 52 yards and on give-up plays had a seven-yard run on third-and-17 and one for 11 yards on third-and-21. Without those four carries, he has run the ball 17 times for 26 yards.
The team total is 55 for 220, but 36 (65.5 percent) of three yards or fewer has gained 34 yards and 30 (54.5 percent) of two yards or less gained 16 yards.
It’s also pertinent to note that last season Conner had six very non-productive games: 7-8, 9-17, 7-24, 12-33, 16-50, 20-53. Of course, they didn’t happen in three consecutive games like this season, where he was 12-39, 11-34 and 9-22, before Sunday’s injury.
Not including a Week 17 game where he tried to play against the Rams after he was injured the week before and rushed for four yards on four attempts while playing only 12 snaps, Conner totaled 1,090 yards, which was an average of 72.7 per game.
Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing referenced that Monday when asked about ground-game issues. He said, “I think it's a small sample size in three games. You're never going to judge the entire product on three games. We got to look at the things that we can do better collectively, whether it's looking at the technique that we're using up front in terms of how we're blocking things, the way it's being called, the way it's being schemed, why things aren't working necessarily the way we want them to, and also not abandon it just because we played some good fronts in tough environments and maybe hasn't come out quite the way we wanted to at times.”
And now, they’ll have to move forward without Conner, beginning on a short week with the Seahawks looming in two days. Conner’s 7-8 game last season was in the first meeting against Seattle.
Petzing added Monday that in the past, other runners have “stepped up” when Conner hasn’t been able to play.
Asked Monday if there is enough time to figure things out or tweak things, Gannon said, “That’s a really good question,” while emphasizing the non-efficient runs. “We have to get that better because the hat that I wear, or that I did wear on defense; when you're not running the ball efficiently, you're making it a lot easier on the defense to defend you. There's not a lot of good calls, run or pass, when you're behind the sticks. When I say behind the sticks on second down, you have to look at play types.
“What are they defending, and what do you have to call? I think to answer your question, this team is significantly different than San Francisco. So, we're going to have a different plan for it and pull a different plan to attack Seattle than we did San Francisco. With saying that, our fundamentals and our techniques have to show up a little bit better. They have to improve from this last week (with) what we did, and we have to realize why runs aren't being efficient and how everybody fits into that. I think if we just control that, we'll put them in the right spots. That's our job but then let's control the technique part of it and make some hay.”
As coaches usually do (and they are correct), he mentioned execution when asked on 98.7 if there are things he’d like Petzing to do differently with the playcalling.
He raised more eyebrows with his next comment, but then explained it, by saying, “No, I'll tell you this. I thought his best game that he called this year was this one. And how we deem that is when we're looking; when we're calling shots, what kind of coverages are we calling shots versus when we're calling runs? What kind of coverage structures are we getting? What are they doing? Are we alternating? Is it known pass? Is it known run? What are we doing on third down? What are our play types? I'm very pleased with all of that.
“I think we definitely need to coach our guys up a little bit better, and I think we need to execute fundamental things that go into making a play work better, and that's everybody.”
Expoanding on the “collective effort,” he said, “To just make sure that we're putting our guys in the right position. That we know exactly what we're doing mentally before the ball is snapped. That was an issue yesterday. And to make sure that we're using correct fundamentals, all 11 guys, to get plays to get efficient runs going. I think honestly that's why I'm not panicked about it. It's correctable. We've just got to ASAP correct them.
“And the challenge is now this week; that's why I think it’s the controllables of knowing what we're doing, putting our hands in the right spot, playing with the right pad level, making sure we're blocking the right people, hitting the right holes, putting the ball where it needs to be put in the run game. It's a new scheme (Seattle). It's a vastly different scheme. We're going to have a different scheme (game plan). So, we got to control our technique and fundamentals better than what we're doing right now.”
It's certainly not headline-grabbing like the noise that exists, but it is truly that simple. Not simple to pull off because the opponent is working toward the same goal. But simple to know what it is and do it better.
“Fundamentals — pad level, hand placement, covering people, catching the ball, throwing the ball and running the ball,” Gannon repeated. “Really, it is and that's why I just ripped off however many (things). That's what I told them after the game and that's why I really feel like for all three units to play better individually, we all have to play better.
“Obviously, that starts with the coaches. We have to coach better, but (it's) those little details. It's really some techniques that were hurting (us) and you have to do those things right because (in) the NFL you're in tight games and if you don't do enough of those things right, it's hard to win. Our guys know that, and our guys have done that. We have to do it more consistently.”
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: A look at some of the numbers of the Cardinals' inefficient offense
Continue reading...
Before delving into the nuances of this faux debate and Gannon’s words, it’s important to observe one result that consistently occurs when (fill in the blank with any team) an offense struggles.
The outside noise from the myriad of social-media experts usually doesn’t rant about the blocking for the run or pass game, or penalties that affect possessions, or dropped passes, or, heaven forbid, what the opponent is doing, or, well, this could go on for a while.
The persistent thread is that it’s all about the quarterback or the playcalling, as if two dropped passes by wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Sunday and running a different route than the one quarterback Kyler Murray was expecting were because of the playcall.
Or that numerous stuffed running plays were because of the play-call. Or that penalties at inopportune times were linked to the playcall.
Or that, well, you get the picture. Or should.
The reality is that it’s unknown what each assignment is for every player on the field, much less how that can change at the line of scrimmage because of what the defense is showing. Of course, that doesn’t prevent outlets like Pro Football Focus from somehow convincing people, including the media, they know all of that with instantaneous grades of every player in every game.
PFF was savvy when they started out, providing media members with free accounts to view their ratings. When those ratings were then repeated in print, broadcasts and social media, that legitimized them in the public eye. Also helped were the ratings being scrolled on Sunday Night Football thanks to analyst Cris Collinsworth having a financial stake as one of its owners.
As several NFL personnel executives have told me in varying ways in recent years, “We don’t even wipe our (butt) with that info. Not even a little bit.”
But, let’s move on.
While schemes and calls are important, it’s the execution on the field that determines success or failure.
I won’t focus too much on why there are so many lazy narratives voiced by a loud minority, but it sure appears as if there’s a certain glee in saying a quarterback is a bust or calling for the firing of a coach while ignoring all the things that are easy to see.
So it was that Gannon was asked after Sunday’s game about his thoughts on the playcalling. He said, “I had no problems with the offensive playcalling. Never will. I know exactly what we're calling. So, if you've got a problem with that, you should look at me.”
When asked on Arizona Sports 98.7 Monday if there are any issues with the offense, Gannon said, “There definitely are some issues with our offense and the first two that I see is our run game is not efficient enough. I went through the game and I think we called somewhere around 24 runs and 17 of them, how I deem efficient, were not efficient. The pass game I think that we need to generate some more efficiency and a couple more explosives, some more yards, some more catches.
“And each game is going to present different challenges by what the (opponent is) doing and their people that they have and the flow of the game. But there's no doubt we need to play a little bit better to score more points. And like I said with the playcalling thing, I know what we're doing. I know what we're calling. I know how we're doing things. We got to do it better.”
Another reality for those that decry the lack of rhythm in the offense as a product of playcalling fails to take into account bad individual play execution that affects third downs, where the Cardinals are 14-for-37 (37.8 percent) after three games, which is tied for eighth-worst in the NFL.
Much of that is fueled by issues on first down where the Cardinals currently rank next to last, averaging 3.93 yards per play.
Eleven of the team’s 37 third downs have been for 10 yards or more for a total of 155 yards. Against the 49ers, there was only one 10 yards to go on third down, but of four that were eight or nine yards, only one was converted in a 5-for-15 afternoon. The Cardinals also failed on two third-and-1 plays and weren’t able to convert their final five third downs of the game. In the last two games, they are 8-for-24 on third down.
Gannon told the media corps on Monday, “There are runs that are going for nothing. We have to be more efficient with those. I don't know how many of those there were, but it felt like a lot of times it was second-and-10 after a run. It sets you behind the sticks.”
Well, coach, here’s how many there were.
On first down, there were 14 plays for two yards or fewer. On running plays, one went for minus-1, one for zero, three for one and one for two — six plays for four total yards. On pass plays, there were three incompletions, one sack for minus-5, two plays for one yard and two for two yards. That’s eight plays for one yard.
Add it up and it’s 14 plays for six yards.
Running back numbers
- James Conner: Nine carries with six for one yard and one for zero before being injured on a one-yard run.
- Trey Benson: Ten carries with two for minus-1, two for zero, one for two and one for three.
- Emari Demercado: One for minus-1 and one for one.
Overall, those three running backs had 21 carries in the game and 15 were for three yards or fewer for nine yards and 13 were for one yard or fewer for five yards.
That’s been the trend this season.
Conner, with 95 yards on 32 attempts, had 22 runs of three yards or fewer for 26 yards and 18 of two yards or less for 14 yards.
Benson, who has 125 total rushing yards on 21 carries, has 12 attempts of three yards or fewer for eight yards and 10 of two yards or less for two yards. It should be noted that Benson has runs of 29 and 52 yards and on give-up plays had a seven-yard run on third-and-17 and one for 11 yards on third-and-21. Without those four carries, he has run the ball 17 times for 26 yards.
The team total is 55 for 220, but 36 (65.5 percent) of three yards or fewer has gained 34 yards and 30 (54.5 percent) of two yards or less gained 16 yards.
It’s also pertinent to note that last season Conner had six very non-productive games: 7-8, 9-17, 7-24, 12-33, 16-50, 20-53. Of course, they didn’t happen in three consecutive games like this season, where he was 12-39, 11-34 and 9-22, before Sunday’s injury.
Not including a Week 17 game where he tried to play against the Rams after he was injured the week before and rushed for four yards on four attempts while playing only 12 snaps, Conner totaled 1,090 yards, which was an average of 72.7 per game.
Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing referenced that Monday when asked about ground-game issues. He said, “I think it's a small sample size in three games. You're never going to judge the entire product on three games. We got to look at the things that we can do better collectively, whether it's looking at the technique that we're using up front in terms of how we're blocking things, the way it's being called, the way it's being schemed, why things aren't working necessarily the way we want them to, and also not abandon it just because we played some good fronts in tough environments and maybe hasn't come out quite the way we wanted to at times.”
And now, they’ll have to move forward without Conner, beginning on a short week with the Seahawks looming in two days. Conner’s 7-8 game last season was in the first meeting against Seattle.
Petzing added Monday that in the past, other runners have “stepped up” when Conner hasn’t been able to play.
Asked Monday if there is enough time to figure things out or tweak things, Gannon said, “That’s a really good question,” while emphasizing the non-efficient runs. “We have to get that better because the hat that I wear, or that I did wear on defense; when you're not running the ball efficiently, you're making it a lot easier on the defense to defend you. There's not a lot of good calls, run or pass, when you're behind the sticks. When I say behind the sticks on second down, you have to look at play types.
“What are they defending, and what do you have to call? I think to answer your question, this team is significantly different than San Francisco. So, we're going to have a different plan for it and pull a different plan to attack Seattle than we did San Francisco. With saying that, our fundamentals and our techniques have to show up a little bit better. They have to improve from this last week (with) what we did, and we have to realize why runs aren't being efficient and how everybody fits into that. I think if we just control that, we'll put them in the right spots. That's our job but then let's control the technique part of it and make some hay.”
As coaches usually do (and they are correct), he mentioned execution when asked on 98.7 if there are things he’d like Petzing to do differently with the playcalling.
He raised more eyebrows with his next comment, but then explained it, by saying, “No, I'll tell you this. I thought his best game that he called this year was this one. And how we deem that is when we're looking; when we're calling shots, what kind of coverages are we calling shots versus when we're calling runs? What kind of coverage structures are we getting? What are they doing? Are we alternating? Is it known pass? Is it known run? What are we doing on third down? What are our play types? I'm very pleased with all of that.
“I think we definitely need to coach our guys up a little bit better, and I think we need to execute fundamental things that go into making a play work better, and that's everybody.”
Expoanding on the “collective effort,” he said, “To just make sure that we're putting our guys in the right position. That we know exactly what we're doing mentally before the ball is snapped. That was an issue yesterday. And to make sure that we're using correct fundamentals, all 11 guys, to get plays to get efficient runs going. I think honestly that's why I'm not panicked about it. It's correctable. We've just got to ASAP correct them.
“And the challenge is now this week; that's why I think it’s the controllables of knowing what we're doing, putting our hands in the right spot, playing with the right pad level, making sure we're blocking the right people, hitting the right holes, putting the ball where it needs to be put in the run game. It's a new scheme (Seattle). It's a vastly different scheme. We're going to have a different scheme (game plan). So, we got to control our technique and fundamentals better than what we're doing right now.”
It's certainly not headline-grabbing like the noise that exists, but it is truly that simple. Not simple to pull off because the opponent is working toward the same goal. But simple to know what it is and do it better.
“Fundamentals — pad level, hand placement, covering people, catching the ball, throwing the ball and running the ball,” Gannon repeated. “Really, it is and that's why I just ripped off however many (things). That's what I told them after the game and that's why I really feel like for all three units to play better individually, we all have to play better.
“Obviously, that starts with the coaches. We have to coach better, but (it's) those little details. It's really some techniques that were hurting (us) and you have to do those things right because (in) the NFL you're in tight games and if you don't do enough of those things right, it's hard to win. Our guys know that, and our guys have done that. We have to do it more consistently.”
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: A look at some of the numbers of the Cardinals' inefficient offense
Continue reading...
