I still get a little uneasy when Darnold drops back to pass and the pocket begins to collapse. I'm more concerned he won't throw the ball away than turn it over.
OFFICIAL Seattle Seahawks vs LA Rams NFC Championship Thread
- Thread starter DerekJohnson
- Start date
@DerekJohnson
I know, we have felt that way all season, it’s felt like a dawg on rolller skates. As i think about the progression of the evolution of the offense I am now having the feeling that a bunch of factors are at work that help explain the improvement from Darnold and the offense as a whole
1. The offensive line coherence is truly improved ~ the run game improved dramatically late in the season even though the defenses they were facing were higher caliber
2. The line play improvement and running game bump in play changes the defensive responsibilities and spacing creating a better RPO opportunity
3. The change in spacing and alignment means throwing into fewer tight windows ~ although down the stretch a lot of the big plays were into tight windows so this seems like a shallow argument
4. Darnold making better decisions as he goes through his progressions, including when to get rid of the ball ~ this feels right as the offense in general has begun to better understand the logical progressions of the Kubrick / Shanahan offense.
5. Spending more time out of the pocket in order to avoid getting gang banged by the defense ~ I also think this has been a big key
Its clear that the hawks offense is a big play offense as opposed to a surgical grind it out with precision approach ~ within that context you are going to average about .8 interceptions on the way to above average scoring opportunities which is why the hawks developed into the #3 scoring offense as season evolved.
Obviously, eliminating the fumbles has been the objective ~ we will see how it goes at the Super Bowl.
I know, we have felt that way all season, it’s felt like a dawg on rolller skates. As i think about the progression of the evolution of the offense I am now having the feeling that a bunch of factors are at work that help explain the improvement from Darnold and the offense as a whole
1. The offensive line coherence is truly improved ~ the run game improved dramatically late in the season even though the defenses they were facing were higher caliber
2. The line play improvement and running game bump in play changes the defensive responsibilities and spacing creating a better RPO opportunity
3. The change in spacing and alignment means throwing into fewer tight windows ~ although down the stretch a lot of the big plays were into tight windows so this seems like a shallow argument
4. Darnold making better decisions as he goes through his progressions, including when to get rid of the ball ~ this feels right as the offense in general has begun to better understand the logical progressions of the Kubrick / Shanahan offense.
5. Spending more time out of the pocket in order to avoid getting gang banged by the defense ~ I also think this has been a big key
Its clear that the hawks offense is a big play offense as opposed to a surgical grind it out with precision approach ~ within that context you are going to average about .8 interceptions on the way to above average scoring opportunities which is why the hawks developed into the #3 scoring offense as season evolved.
Obviously, eliminating the fumbles has been the objective ~ we will see how it goes at the Super Bowl.
The reality is that in the NFL all the QB’s get pressured and have to make tough throws. Darnold struggles against that more than other good QB’s. He’s really streaky, but has been mostly good the past two years and it’s enough of a sample size to have faith he can deliver one more time.
Huge Mellon has data that shows that team success actually increases with INT's thrown. There's a net positive in terms of winning (at least this season). Possibly as an indicator of the offense, in general, being more aggressive at taking shot downfield.
Either way, it was interesting to hear.
Either way, it was interesting to hear.