Cam Streamlined Offense?

**Dave Lap** · 01-11-2011, 10:50 AM

I heard this prior to game time against the Chiefs. That Cam made the offense simpler in order for it to be more effective. Did anyone else catch that comment?

It definitely looked different with all the crossing routes.

I think it may help our offense come alive more against the Steelers. They blitz LB's pretty often so that will dictate a good deal of man-to-man coverage.

Man-to-man coverage means crossing routes should again be effective.

I am psyched. Would LOVE to see our offense come out and throw more successfully against the Steelers.

**Carey** · 01-11-2011, 12:08 PM

Def. saw more shallow crossing routes then im used, Boldin in the slot was a nice touch, especially on that more intermediate crossing route he caught(been waiting all season for those). They did nothing to slow Heap at the line so he killed KC in the middle of the field. Hopefully this means we will make more of an effort to attack the middle of the field.

**RavensNTerps** · 01-11-2011, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Lap

I heard this prior to game time against the Chiefs. That Cam made the offense simpler in order for it to be more effective. Did anyone else catch that comment?

It definitely looked different with all the crossing routes.

I think it may help our offense come alive more against the Steelers. They blitz LB's pretty often so that will dictate a good deal of man-to-man coverage.

Man-to-man coverage means crossing routes should again be effective.

I am psyched. Would LOVE to see our offense come out and throw more successfully against the Steelers.

I'm not necessarily sure I saw more crossing routes than normal. I definitely saw Joe hitting them, though, which is a HUGE step.

Even though the Steelers blitz a lot, it's rare to catch them in man defenes.

**NCRAVEN** · 01-11-2011, 12:25 PM

There were either a ton more crossing route called or just a ton more were open. Hopefully the Squeelers blitz enough for these to be open all game.

**Sua Sponte** · 01-11-2011, 12:32 PM

They ran more crossing routes. They also ran routes that broke off instead of running next to each other down the field.

**festivus** · 01-11-2011, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by ScoNo

They ran more crossing routes. They also ran routes that broke off instead of running next to each other down the field.

Somebody - Heap? Don't remember - said they were running crossing routes because of the defense the Chiefs were running. It left the middle of the field open.

It was a matchup thing.

The offense does not reinvent itself from week to week but expect (hope for) tweaks designed to take advantage of whatever the opposing defense is doing. It's not a big deal.

**Sua Sponte** · 01-11-2011, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by festivus

Somebody - Heap? Don't remember - said they were running crossing routes because of the defense the Chiefs were running. It left the middle of the field open.

It was a matchup thing.

The offense does not reinvent itself from week to week but expect (hope for) tweaks designed to take advantage of whatever the opposing defense is doing. It's not a big deal.

Your point?
I'm not saying that they came into the game saying we're are going to run a bunch of crossing routes, but it was working and they did. There have been games were the passing game is non existant in the middle or crossing routes and defenses adjust at the half and Cam never does. It's not like the Chiefs were sending 6 everytime, they were getting good pressure with 4. The outside game sets up the inside and vis versa, they just didn't adjust, but you still have to spread the field, which the scheme lacked in a few games this year. My point is that they targeted the weak point in the D instead of forcing the outside and running everything 10+.

**Dave Lap** · 01-11-2011, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by festivus

. It's not a big deal.

IF Cam's tweaks reinvigorate our offense then it's not a small deal either...and could be very welcome come playoff time.

**Carey** · 01-11-2011, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by NCRAVEN

There were either a ton more crossing route called or just a ton more were open. Hopefully the Squeelers blitz enough for these to be open all game.

Im hoping so, also hoping for more Boldin in the slot, he'd be as a hot when they blitz. Especially that safety blitz with Troy, with Boldin in that area he has a choice to make.

**Dave Lap** · 01-11-2011, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Carey

Im hoping so, also hoping for more Boldin in the slot, he'd be as a hot when they blitz. Especially that safety blitz with Troy, with Boldin in that area he has a choice to make.

Yes I agree, Boldin is hot in the slot.. Hmm that sounds slightly pornographic.

Also, Cam has been saying that the offense has been practicing excellently lately and it's just a matter of it showing up on the field-hope he's right and that KC was the first sign of it.

I mean, is it too much to much to imagine that our offense finally finds the spark we've been thinking it should have all season?

**baltimore_hokie** · 01-11-2011, 01:05 PM

A "streamlined" offense will be much more difficult to execute against Pittsburgh.

You have to be encouraged by the use of Boldin in the slot and Heap across the middle.

**Jeremiah W** · 01-11-2011, 01:25 PM

The Steelers run a lot more zone blitz stuff so they sit on the short crossing stuff much better than the man schemes KC was using.

I think the Ravens need to go over the top on the Steelers. Send multiple WRs and the TEs vertical, and then hit the checkdown RBs in the flats if they cover all of them. They do a very good job of jumping the middle and crossing routes, but even Troy P struggles when he has to turn and run deep instead of coming downhill. NE really put on a clinic on how to beat the Steeler zone blitz scheme.

**Dave Lap** · 01-11-2011, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Jeremiah W

The Steelers run a lot more zone blitz stuff so they sit on the short crossing stuff much better than the man schemes KC was using.

I think the Ravens need to go over the top on the Steelers. Send multiple WRs and the TEs vertical, and then hit the checkdown RBs in the flats if they cover all of them. They do a very good job of jumping the middle and crossing routes, but even Troy P struggles when he has to turn and run deep instead of coming downhill. NE really put on a clinic on how to beat the Steeler zone blitz scheme.

Very true. Polamalu commits to the run and blitz too much sometimes. Pick him up on the blitz-fake him out on the play action and it takes him out of the play. It's hard though because he'll move up right on the line and then take off deep just prior to snap and vice versa. Guess right though and we're good.

True too about the zone blitz schemes. Still if we're incorporating more short routes we should be able to hit the seams when they aren't playing man.

**blitzin_ravin** · 01-11-2011, 01:51 PM

Quick question... not that I want to dwell too much on the past or get off topic but...

My understanding was that the Chiefs were running a Cover2-type scheme... How similar was it to what the Bungals run? In other words, if they both are running a similar style, how come we still can't figure out the Bungals? Is it personnel?

**Carey** · 01-11-2011, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Lap

Yes I agree, Boldin is hot in the slot.. Hmm that sounds slightly pornographic.

Also, Cam has been saying that the offense has been practicing excellently lately and it's just a matter of it showing up on the field-hope he's right and that KC was the first sign of it.

I mean, is it too much to much to imagine that our offense finally finds the spark we've been thinking it should have all season?

He does have a man love thread on here so its fitting lol

He def. should be the hot receiver, he's made a living in the middle of the field, Imo the most encouraging part of the game was Flacco poise in the pocket, almost brought tears of joy to my eyes lol.

**baltimore_hokie** · 01-11-2011, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by blitzin_ravin

Quick question... not that I want to dwell too much on the past or get off topic but...

My understanding was that the Chiefs were running a Cover2-type scheme... How similar was it to what the Bungals run? In other words, if they both are running a similar style, how come we still can't figure out the Bungals? Is it personnel?

Here are my feelings on the Chiefs D:

Chiefs safeties were playing pretty deep all day, and linebackers were out of position pretty often. The LBs were either getting sucked up on play action (we saw the Boldin TD and a few passes to Heap) or were getting too much depth and allowing the underneath game to kill them.

The Bengals have a better pair of CBs, although not by too terribly much. I would put it more on play-calling and execution on our part than their defenses.

**Jeremiah W** · 01-11-2011, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by blitzin_ravin

Quick question... not that I want to dwell too much on the past or get off topic but...

My understanding was that the Chiefs were running a Cover2-type scheme... How similar was it to what the Bungals run? In other words, if they both are running a similar style, how come we still can't figure out the Bungals? Is it personnel?

For one the bungles run more Tampa 2 zone where KC was pretty much all man to man so they did not pass off the TE or crossing Wrs very well. Also KC did not get much of an interior push so Joe was able to step up. Peko, Atkins and the bungle DL rotation does a good job of taking away the step up area. They also know our schemes and personel well where KC did not.

I think KC has a better D overall than the Bungles do, but they should have doubled Heap and played a lot more zone.

**Dave Lap** · 01-11-2011, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by baltimore_hokie

Here are my feelings on the Chiefs D:

Chiefs safeties were playing pretty deep all day, and linebackers were out of position pretty often. The LBs were either getting sucked up on play action (we saw the Boldin TD and a few passes to Heap) or were getting too much depth and allowing the underneath game to kill them.

The Bengals have a better pair of CBs, although not by too terribly much. I would put it more on play-calling and execution on our part than their defenses.

Yeah, from what I saw they ran a two deep (really deep) safety alignment. Their LB's made some bad mistakes too. On the pass to Boldin on the first drive it was a blown coverage. Same with the TD pass to Rice.

We won't be seeing much, if any, of that from Pittsburgh's pass D.

**Carey** · 01-11-2011, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by baltimore_hokie

Here are my feelings on the Chiefs D:

Chiefs safeties were playing pretty deep all day, and linebackers were out of position pretty often. The LBs were either getting sucked up on play action (we saw the Boldin TD and a few passes to Heap) or were getting too much depth and allowing the underneath game to kill them.

The Bengals have a better pair of CBs, although not by too terribly much. I would put it more on play-calling and execution on our part than their defenses.

Yea the linebackers were def. manipulated all day, its as if they came into the game with the idea that we were gonna tr to pound them and Cam totally flipped the script.