Throwing on first down

[Black&Black]

Teams are having more success throwing the ball on first down, because first down is traditionally a running down. Once it becomes a passing down, defenses will adjust. They adjust to everything. That's been the chess match between offense and defense for 100 years.



Stay balanced. Don't follow the lemmings.



- B&B

 

[barry49s]

Im a fan of throwing short passes on first down. It seems to open up the running game on second down.

 

[Black&Black]

I think offenses should throw on first when it's opportunistic. I don't think offenses should start building their team around being 70% pass. I understand the temptation because rules have been jiggered to favor passing, but defenses always find a way to adjust. You're already seeing it with the safeties moving to linebacker. Defenses will continue to put more DBs on the field. I want to retain the ability to run the ball when dime starts becoming a base defense.

 

[barry49s]

Well of course you do.

You can’t run a constant dime against a decent QB. He’ll find a way to pick you apart if he isn’t experiencing formiddle pressure.

 

[Bull Moose]

 

[barry49s]

 

[Bull Moose]

View attachment 148069

 

[Black&Black]

This pattern seems to repeat about every 10 years. This is already the third iteration of "running doesn't matter anymore" in my lifetime as a fan. People were saying this around '09-'10, after Brees and Rodgers won Super Bowls. They were saying it around Y2K with the Greatest Show on Turf. They were saying it during the K Gun rage of the late 80s to early 90s. They were saying it during the 49ers dynasty. They were saying it during Air Coryell. Literally, about every 10 years this happens, and there's always a return to balance. The league always adjusts.

 

[Bull Moose]

A good deal of these passes are long handoffs.

I advocate doing whatever fucking works on that day.

 

[Black&Black]

Yes. Screens and checkdowns are technically passes, but they're really not passes. I actually wish the statisticians would discard them from the passing numbers all together. Create a third category between pass and run.