I won't delve into the details of offensive line
permutations, or any thing else that has been covered extensively by both the
writers (see Mill's and Phantom's excellent articles on how to fix the
problems) and the message board participants.�
The focus here will be a glance around the league to strategy and
personnel and how they must co-exist.
The best way to become the best is to imitate the best.� And quite clearly in coaching circles,
Parcells is the best.� So what has
Parcells done in Dallas that is so different from others around the
league.� Besides being perhaps the best
motivational coach in the history of the NFL, Parcells has tuned his gameplans
to perfectly fit his personnel.� So what
exactly is his personnel?� He's got 3 legitimate
deep threat WRs in Galloway, Glenn, and Bryant to go along with a sometimes
erratic QB in Quincy Carter and a RB committee of Hambrick, Cason, and
Anderson.� A quick look at this
personnel grouping on offense and Parcells presumably surmised that the west
coast style of offense wouldn't fit.�
His WRs were more pure WR, as opposed to the smallish, slot style WRs
that are prevalent in the West Coast.�
More importantly, he didn't have the QB necessary for the West Coast
style of offense.� Under Parcells
tutelage, Carter has become an athletic QB who uses the running game to set up
a downfield passing game.� This plays to
the strengths of both Carter and the WRs who are all speed merchants.� There's been a lot of talk about the
Steelers having the best trio of WRs, but do they really match up with Glenn,
Galloway, and Bryant strictly on talent.�
Burress is in that class, but Ward and Randle El I'm not so sure.� Granted Ward probably has more heart and
determination than the other 5 guys put together, but at the end of the day
give me talent and a great coach - and I'll take my chances.
So how does all this apply to the Steelers?�
For starters, a decision must be made on the offensive line pairings and
the RB spot.� These decisions should
drive the gameplan, which is certainly not interchangeable with either RB.
With Bettis as the starter...the gameplan should focus on running between the
tackles against a quick but soft Rams defense.�
These between the tackle and off-tackle runs should be complemented with
a healthy number of play action passes that go downfield to Burress and
Ward.� If the safeties are helping out
on the WRs and the running game is even adequate, then the TE (Tuman or
Riemersma) should be available down the seam all day long.
If for some reason Bettis is ineffective and Zeroue becomes the
"starter"...the gameplan should focus on utilizing Zeroue's speed and
quickness with outside runs and flare passes.�
Again it's simple, if you have a power running back you run inside,
which then fuels the play action passes.�
The power running game will keep the pass rush at bay.� Similarly, power sweeps and flare passes to
a quick, elusive running back will keep the defense honest and avoid allowing the
defense to "pin back their ears" and go after Maddox like we've seen
far too often.
Unfortunately, I have a feeling Mularkey is surmising a gameplan that constitutes
a whole lot of sweeps and screens with Bettis against a quick, athletic
defense.� Then when Zeroue is in the
game, we'll witness him running between the tackles.� Hopefully Mularkey will prove me wrong.
As for Mularkey's recent comments in the media that the common fan doesn't see
what really goes on in the redzone as they scream for fade passes to
Plaxico.� My retort to that is that I
may or may not be the common fan, and I agree that you shouldn't throw the fade
pass if the defense is hell bent on taking it away.� My complaint is that Burress needs to be on the field to attract
this attention, so as to either divert coverage away from Ward or keep the
safeties out of the box in the running game.�
Note to Mularkey, as a common fan I can see whether or not Burress is in
the game in the red zone, and strategically I know you're much worse off with
him out of the game.
Defensively the focus seems to be on an inept secondary, but I place equal
blame on an inept pass rush.� I think
the key points here have been beaten to death, but we really need to see
Polamalu and/or Hope at safety in lieu of Alexander.� There is enough Gildon discussion on this site, but I'm surprised
the Pittsburgh media hasn't picked up on the fact that Gildon has only 1 sack
this season.� The guy the media fawns
over has done very little (as usual) in terms of harassing the QB and
consistently occupies one of the premium pass rush positions.� It's a wonder that everyone just shrugs it
off as defensive design, poor secondary, etc.�
I'm just curious if Alonzo Jackson played the LDE spot on 3rd downs how
much better off we'd be, and make no mistake, Gildon's one sack and less than a
handful of QB pressures not withstanding, we'd certainly be better off.