Shanahan out in Denver

[30gut]

Originally Posted by SBXVII

Now my question....The other teams that changed coach's this yr....did they have to change a whole offensive scheme or did the owners bring in coach's that ran the same similar scheme?

The Falcons and Ravens both changed their offenses. The Dolphins also run a new system but, their offensive coordinator Dan Henning was Chad Penningtons OC/QB coach with the Jets during his rookie year so the offense was new to the team not to the QB.*

I ask this cause Atlanta is in the play offs, Miami is in the play offs. Two piss poor teams last yr and they are now in the play offs. Why? are we lacking talent, or was it we had a whole new scheme to learn, or was it lack of coaching ability, or do you think it was something else?

The question your asking doesn't have a simple answer. But, since you ask
i'll give you my 2 cents worth and stick with the offensive side of the ball..

The other teams that changed HC made wholesale changes the Skins attempted to maintain continuity. Meaning the new HC was picked early enough and along with their general managers put together a good veteran staff of there choosing. *Zorn inherited most of the staff (none of which knows the WCO)* and didn't bring in a veteran OC* (IMHO b/c he didn't have enough time to find one) so he asked his friend Sherman Smith to come and help him.

Smith, Harbaugh and Sparano are rookie HC but each has a *veteran
offensive coordinator/playcaller and a QB coach.* This IMO allows them time to focus attention on the big picture of being a HC. Zorn has a 1st time OC who is new to the offense that Zorn is bringing in, Zorn doesn't have a QB coach but leans on 1st time offensive assistant Chris Meidt from Div. III St.Olaf.

*Those teams also have General Managers that know football. Ozzie
Newsome, Thomas Dimitrov (from New England) and of course
Bill Parcells are proven football guys.* We have Vinnie whose hands are tied by Dan Synders influence, IMO.

Also all 3 teams are *strong on the offensive line despite injuries,
all 3 teams commit to running the ball, and protecting their respective QBs.*

**Kind of a big deal**

What happened between the first half of the yr and the second? injuries?

IMO to the offensive line play declined due to injuries and plain old ineffectiveness compounded by lack of depth/prepartion (i.e Chad Rinehart, letting Crummey go to another team, not playing Heyer sooner, not getting Clark and Geisinger involved earlier)

The decline in the offensive line affects Zorn playcalling less spread sets, fewer downfield passes fewer 5 & 7 step drops, where the pass-pro cannot hold up. Zorn is forced into using quick rhythm 3 step drop passes (i.e. hitches, comebacks, slants, curls) which require our receivers to make plays after the catch.(They didn't) Our base offense began to look like other WCO blitz audibles and checkdown plays.

Teams scout and adjust to the fact that we don't run deeper routes and 'squat' on our short passing game. Which leads to an offense that is predictable and that has little to no room for error because it can only move the 5 yards at a time.

Without any threat downfield defenses are free to put an 8th man in the 'box'. Our offensive line isn't/wasn't stout enough to consistently run against these fronts.

Consequently the offense over the second half of the season was lousy.