Mike Johnson OC

Originally posted by redrathman:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Not MJ's fault, but the playcalling, "philosophically," is still archaic. When you're having a lot of success throwing the ball, you need to stick to it and not try and force a square peg into a non-existent hole (Gore up the middle). You keep moving the ball around to your WRs, TEs and RBs, keep moving the chains and keep the defense on the field...you don't run, run THEN throw. That's being stubborn, bordering on stupid (Singletary).

The game has changed, and our HC hasn't changed with it. Until we do, it really won't matter who's behind center...we'll never get the most out of our offensive weapons until we start playing 21s century football.

So you would rather the team just strictly pass on every down? The success of the passing game this past Sunday can be directly linked to the success of play action. Gore may not have gained positive yards, but the threat of the run allowed Smith to succeed.

Becoming one dimensional isn't going to help the offense.

How long have you been a niner fan? Did you watch any of the teams in the late 80s, 90s and early 2000s? All GOF is saying, is that we need to start passing to set up the run. This is what the 49ers of old were built on, and it's the same thing that Philly has been doing for years. He's talking about strategy and approach to a game. Unfortunately, this modern approach he's talking about goes against everything Sing stands for.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by redrathman:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Not MJ's fault, but the playcalling, "philosophically," is still archaic. When you're having a lot of success throwing the ball, you need to stick to it and not try and force a square peg into a non-existent hole (Gore up the middle). You keep moving the ball around to your WRs, TEs and RBs, keep moving the chains and keep the defense on the field...you don't run, run THEN throw. That's being stubborn, bordering on stupid (Singletary).

The game has changed, and our HC hasn't changed with it. Until we do, it really won't matter who's behind center...we'll never get the most out of our offensive weapons until we start playing 21s century football.

So you would rather the team just strictly pass on every down? The success of the passing game this past Sunday can be directly linked to the success of play action. Gore may not have gained positive yards, but the threat of the run allowed Smith to succeed.

Becoming one dimensional isn't going to help the offense.

Read my post again.

When you're having a lot of success throwing the ball, you need to stick to it and not try and force a square peg into a non-existent hole (Gore up the middle).

When the run is working, of course you keep at it. That's not what I was saying. What I'm saying is, when the PASS is working, you need to stick with it and continue to exploit it. That not only continues to put pressure on the defense, it actually opens up the running game for you.

We go into a game with 1 mentality (run, run, run), and even if it's not working, we stick to it and only change until we get behind and are FORCED to pass first. Most NFL teams have the ability/coaching intelligence to see what's working and go with it (usually, to help set up the thing that isn't working so well). We're playing checkers when we should be playing chess, is my point.

IMO, it's either stupidity or stubborness...can't figure out which one is the case with Singletary.

While we seem to be more creative and effective in the passing game, I still see Mike Singletary's imprint and constraints during a game.

We get nice gains on a passing play or two then we go back to a run play! Like you said, exploit the pass until the defense adjusts then go back to the run. Then continue mixing up groupings of pass plays and run plays based on what the defense is doing.

But MS always seems to be inclined to go back to the run at first opportunity and this is where he has a limiting effect on Mike Johnson's playcalling.

it was nice for once not to see run up the middle, run up the middle, run up the middle...etc.

The strength of an OC is measured in large part by how he adjusts to the opponent.

Last night Collinsworth was noting how Belicheck normally prefers to run almost half the time but against Pittsburgh he passes 75% of the time and had dominated them. That is the kind of adjustment that an experienced, quality coach will make.

Yesterday, Johnson seemed to start off hot, then went conservative and then opened it up again. That, to me, show progress. He is still a very young, relatively inexperienced guy but is showing enough to get serious consideration to either stay next season under a new HC, or go somewhere else where he will get a similar gig.

Originally posted by Bluefalcon61:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by redrathman:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Not MJ's fault, but the playcalling, "philosophically," is still archaic. When you're having a lot of success throwing the ball, you need to stick to it and not try and force a square peg into a non-existent hole (Gore up the middle). You keep moving the ball around to your WRs, TEs and RBs, keep moving the chains and keep the defense on the field...you don't run, run THEN throw. That's being stubborn, bordering on stupid (Singletary).

The game has changed, and our HC hasn't changed with it. Until we do, it really won't matter who's behind center...we'll never get the most out of our offensive weapons until we start playing 21s century football.

So you would rather the team just strictly pass on every down? The success of the passing game this past Sunday can be directly linked to the success of play action. Gore may not have gained positive yards, but the threat of the run allowed Smith to succeed.

Becoming one dimensional isn't going to help the offense.

Read my post again.

When you're having a lot of success throwing the ball, you need to stick to it and not try and force a square peg into a non-existent hole (Gore up the middle).

When the run is working, of course you keep at it. That's not what I was saying. What I'm saying is, when the PASS is working, you need to stick with it and continue to exploit it. That not only continues to put pressure on the defense, it actually opens up the running game for you.

We go into a game with 1 mentality (run, run, run), and even if it's not working, we stick to it and only change until we get behind and are FORCED to pass first. Most NFL teams have the ability/coaching intelligence to see what's working and go with it (usually, to help set up the thing that isn't working so well). We're playing checkers when we should be playing chess, is my point.

IMO, it's either stupidity or stubborness...can't figure out which one is the case with Singletary.

While we seem to be more creative and effective in the passing game, I still see Mike Singletary's imprint and constraints during a game.

We get nice gains on a passing play or two then we go back to a run play! Like you said, exploit the pass until the defense adjusts then go back to the run. Then continue mixing up groupings of pass plays and run plays based on what the defense is doing.

But MS always seems to be inclined to go back to the run at first opportunity and this is where he has a limiting effect on Mike Johnson's playcalling.

Exactly my point, and extremely frustrating!!!

I'd love to see 1 game where we keep exploiting what's working as opposed to hammering our head against a wall waiting for it to fall down.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Read my post again.

When you're having a lot of success throwing the ball, you need to stick to it and not try and force a square peg into a non-existent hole (Gore up the middle).

When the run is working, of course you keep at it. That's not what I was saying. What I'm saying is, when the PASS is working, you need to stick with it and continue to exploit it. That not only continues to put pressure on the defense, it actually opens up the running game for you.

The run might not have had statistical gains, but the presence and threat allowed for play action pass. Had they kept passing, the coverages would have changed and Smith may not have had the opportunities that he did have.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
We go into a game with 1 mentality (run, run, run), and even if it's not working, we stick to it and only change until we get behind and are FORCED to pass first. Most NFL teams have the ability/coaching intelligence to see what's working and go with it (usually, to help set up the thing that isn't working so well). We're playing checkers when we should be playing chess, is my point.

I disagree. Four of the first five plays of the game were passes. The team passed more than it ran in the first half (12 to 11). The 49ers second drive of the second half featured three straight incomplete passes.

What game did you watch?

Originally posted by dj43:
The strength of an OC is measured in large part by how he adjusts to the opponent.

Last night Collinsworth was noting how Belicheck normally prefers to run almost half the time but against Pittsburgh he passes 75% of the time and had dominated them. That is the kind of adjustment that an experienced, quality coach will make.

Yesterday, Johnson seemed to start off hot, then went conservative and then opened it up again. That, to me, show progress. He is still a very young, relatively inexperienced guy but is showing enough to get serious consideration to either stay next season under a new HC, or go somewhere else where he will get a similar gig.

You forgot the fact Singletary is stilll meddling with the play calls! Johnson can't be 100% responsible for the offensive calls until MS says so in public!

Originally posted by redrathman:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Read my post again.

When you're having a lot of success throwing the ball, you need to stick to it and not try and force a square peg into a non-existent hole (Gore up the middle).

When the run is working, of course you keep at it. That's not what I was saying. What I'm saying is, when the PASS is working, you need to stick with it and continue to exploit it. That not only continues to put pressure on the defense, it actually opens up the running game for you.

The run might not have had statistical gains, but the presence and threat allowed for play action pass. Had they kept passing, the coverages would have changed and Smith may not have had the opportunities that he did have.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
We go into a game with 1 mentality (run, run, run), and even if it's not working, we stick to it and only change until we get behind and are FORCED to pass first. Most NFL teams have the ability/coaching intelligence to see what's working and go with it (usually, to help set up the thing that isn't working so well). We're playing checkers when we should be playing chess, is my point.

I disagree. Four of the first five plays of the game were passes. The team passed more than it ran in the first half (12 to 11). The 49ers second drive of the second half featured three straight incomplete passes.

What game did you watch?

1.) You don't know if things would've changed; that's speculation on your part. Nobody feels threatened by our run since they know (before Troy came aboard), that's really all we were good at.

2.) I wasn't necessarily talking about the entire Rams game or even JUST the Rams game. Yes, there was a little more balance yesterday (and that's great), though we still didn't fully exploit the pass as much as we could've (IMO). There were opportunities to pass more often after big gains, but more often than not, we went back to jamming the ball up the middle after big pass plays (usually, to no avail...that is, until we started going more to the pass later in the game).

I was referring more to the overall philosophy of our head coach, and not one snapshot of one game against one team. IMO, our coach is too rigid in his belief that the run sets everything up, that you pound your opponent up the middle and beat him to submission. That might've been the case when he was playing, but not anymore. You need to be able to exploit a team in different ways, and not simply gear your scheme/team around 1 philosophy....ESPECIALLY when you're seeing success doing something else.

Crabtree's Week 10 TD catch

Did you hear what they said? 8 plays of 20+ yards! That's improvement!

Originally posted by PTulini:
Crabtree's Week 10 TD catch

Did you hear what they said? 8 plays of 20+ yards! That's improvement!

that doesn't include the big plays called back by penalties.

Originally posted by backontop:

Originally posted by PTulini:
Crabtree's Week 10 TD catch

Did you hear what they said? 8 plays of 20+ yards! That's improvement!

that doesn't include the big plays called back by penalties.

In addition to costing Troy Smith 2-3 TDs which were called back.

Originally posted by PTulini:

Originally posted by backontop:

Originally posted by PTulini:
Crabtree's Week 10 TD catch

Did you hear what they said? 8 plays of 20+ yards! That's improvement!

that doesn't include the big plays called back by penalties.

In addition to costing Troy Smith 2-3 TDs which were called back.

One was the coaches fault for not getting the damn plays in on time AGAIN!!!

Originally posted by Bluefalcon61:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by redrathman:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
Not MJ's fault, but the playcalling, "philosophically," is still archaic. When you're having a lot of success throwing the ball, you need to stick to it and not try and force a square peg into a non-existent hole (Gore up the middle). You keep moving the ball around to your WRs, TEs and RBs, keep moving the chains and keep the defense on the field...you don't run, run THEN throw. That's being stubborn, bordering on stupid (Singletary).

The game has changed, and our HC hasn't changed with it. Until we do, it really won't matter who's behind center...we'll never get the most out of our offensive weapons until we start playing 21s century football.

So you would rather the team just strictly pass on every down? The success of the passing game this past Sunday can be directly linked to the success of play action. Gore may not have gained positive yards, but the threat of the run allowed Smith to succeed.

Becoming one dimensional isn't going to help the offense.

Read my post again.

When you're having a lot of success throwing the ball, you need to stick to it and not try and force a square peg into a non-existent hole (Gore up the middle).

When the run is working, of course you keep at it. That's not what I was saying. What I'm saying is, when the PASS is working, you need to stick with it and continue to exploit it. That not only continues to put pressure on the defense, it actually opens up the running game for you.

We go into a game with 1 mentality (run, run, run), and even if it's not working, we stick to it and only change until we get behind and are FORCED to pass first. Most NFL teams have the ability/coaching intelligence to see what's working and go with it (usually, to help set up the thing that isn't working so well). We're playing checkers when we should be playing chess, is my point.

IMO, it's either stupidity or stubborness...can't figure out which one is the case with Singletary.

While we seem to be more creative and effective in the passing game, I still see Mike Singletary's imprint and constraints during a game.

We get nice gains on a passing play or two then we go back to a run play! Like you said, exploit the pass until the defense adjusts then go back to the run. Then continue mixing up groupings of pass plays and run plays based on what the defense is doing.

But MS always seems to be inclined to go back to the run at first opportunity and this is where he has a limiting effect on Mike Johnson's playcalling.

There have been some drives where the passing game has been working and after a 1st down we go 2 runs off LT for no gain... So I def agree about sing's imprint still being there. I did like to the 2 tosses in a row to Gore on the left side. I though Johnson may have been trying to set up a fake toss with Smith roling out to his right with one of the TE's releasing.....Who knows maybe next game,

How many OC's can come 3 games into a season, use the original OC's (probably) outdated playbook and turn it into a modern type system with success?

Originally posted by Joecool:
How many OC's can come 3 games into a season, use the original OC's (probably) outdated playbook and turn it into a modern type system with success?

Our next head coach that's who!