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Opening up the playbook

Andre_Johnson88

Practice Squad
Do yall think that there will be more agressive plays in the passing game called by the coaches this coming season?I mean last year I just felt that every single pass play called by the coaches was just so simple and not exciting.What are your thoughts on the calls this year for offense?
 

Fiddy

All Pro
I dont think the playcalling was the problem as much as Carr looking to AJ then dumping it down, but (like i said in another thread) I do see the Texans in more 4 WR, 3 WR 1 TE, and Ace formations this year. Palmer wants to stretch the field, hopefully it works out this year. Carr also wants to have more freedom to change the play at the line and to do the Manning audibling thing.
 

BuffSoldier

Veteran
I dont think as much it was as much of the play calling *** it was Carr scared from season one. I think that most of the time Carr thought he had less time than he did and checking one option then dumping it to DD. I saw a lot of plays last year where if Carr would hacve kept his composure and looked the other way he would have found an open receiver. That is part of the reason people think Gaffney did so bad. It was basically because Carr never looked past the 1st option.
 

ledzeppelin229

Hall of Fame
I've thought about that too, and that could certainly have a significant impact. I think after being injured part of the season it might really help him in the long run, hopefully he will be a lot more comfortable in the pocket next season and look to his other receivers more often.
 

pittbull

Rookie
Palmer was a bit of a problem last year. He has to use these guys to their strengths and I do not believe he does that. Allow Carr to throw downfield, open it up. This guy is not a dunkin donut QB, throwing into the flats and dumping down. Air it out! I would rather see us become the Chargers of old, than waste our talent on offense!
 

aj.

All Pro
I prefer a balanced attack, but one that is not predicatable. Long passes downfield are exciting but they are not high percentage plays. You need to have a running threat and use it wisely and effectively, otherwise you end up being one-dimensional and looking like Ragone at Jax no matter who's playing QB (or getting your QB killed when the opponent no longer respects the run and just rushes the QB unmercifully). A good mix of throwing to the WRs, backs, and TEs on short, intermediate and long routes is what I want to see. I also want to see 25 rushes per game.

Having sat through years of the pass happy Run and Shoot and Red Gun, I remember how excited fans were when we actually got a real TE and a Fullback on the roster.
 
I completely agree AJ. I'm one of those people that likes to see everyone happy. I want Palmer to give everyone on our offense the opportunity to make some plays. Utilizing different positions keeps the defense off guard and gives the offense some fluidity. When you look at the championship teams, they always seem to have a different player stepping up in each big game. You can't rely on one player to win games because one way or another a time's going to come when he can't do it alone.
 

SBTexans08

Rookie
I don't think this team is ready for all those exciting plays you guys fantasize about...not now. I say, if our team becomes "good"...making their plays first, then they can get fancy afterward. They need to get on the same page consitently and dominate thier playbook defectless, or as close to it till they attempt to make these brilliant plays we're dying to see. This also can't be done till Carr can control his offense Manning like, making audibles, calling hot routes, etc. Confidence in this early stage can hurt the Texans (offensively) rather than help them. Getting their plays down effectively will become second nature to them before they know it. Then they can take another step into becoming a team that can change the play depending on defense recognition and being able to hit the opposing defense's gaps and the entire offense being able to read the QB's commands and perform the play immaculately or more than not at the line....again, much like the Colts' offense.

Once he gets his professional QB skills together, then he can try to be a superior QB and make calls and plays that a top notch QB can do. Carr is in the crawling stage now, metaphorically... I consider Carr, Leftwich, and perhaps Carter in the crawling stage....these QB's can't go out there with the confidence and know they're going to make the play. I see Pennington, McNabb, and Brooks as rather good QB's but don't dominate their playbooks like Manning, McNair, and Brad Johnson (although skills aren't all there). Manning, McNair, and Brad Johnson are QB's that know how to read defenses, have the confidence to change the play and be effective.

I hope Carr is given the opportunity to build some confidence this season so that in two or three years he can be the conductor in the offense, much like McNair and Manning. That would be awesome...Carr and Co. just need to connect more frequently.

...just my two cents of course... :twocents: ;)
 

keyfro

Veteran
you know buffsoldier that is why some teams believe it's better to not start a rookie QB in his first year but rather let him sit the bench for one year and learn...honestly i almost think it would have been better for us to do so our first year due to our O-line problems...we would have started carr last season with a decent line and a full load of confidence
 

El Tejano

Hall of Fame
yeah but you really can't replace the fact that the first year is what made David the leader of this team.
 

BigTex

Noob
Carr is HOUSTON. Whoever we drafted that first year was going to start no matter who it was. David Carr is the leader of the texans and has proved it with the beating he took time after time. Carson Palmer is very overated in my book but that's just me. Newayz we did right with CARR he is just getting a team around him let's see what he can do
 

pittbull

Rookie
Great Post. I've been saying the same thing, but it looks like we have a few half empty fans, rather than half full!!!!
 

Wolf

100% Texan
I feel that we still haven't really seen our offense. Why?
1st year, no OL.. we ran safe vanilla plays just to eat up the clock and keep our QB safe. No imagination

2nd year. NO DL and NO Glenn (parttime).. I felt that our goal was to somehow keep the game close and maybe squeeze out a "W". I felt that at times we ran the ball just to keep the clock going and shorten the game given we knew we lacked the talent on the defensive side of the ball due to injuries (DL and Glenn) and the defense would wear down.

I felt that we showed flashes of what our offense could potentially do,but we had to pull in the reigns at times..
 

Wolf

100% Texan
Also we had a rookie WR and rookie RB's to contend with last season. I still feel that we we limited our playcalling. And we have Miller at TE. I like the guy as a player and a person, but when I think about the NFL and TE's he doesn't make much of a blip on the radar screen. He is a good pass catching TE, I wish he could block half as good as he catches. I am not trying to dog him.. I am sure he busts his butt everyday on the field. Our hand is halfway shown when he was in, Defensive Coordinators know we are in passing mode when he is in and they know he can't block well. Don't get me wrong, I liked Miller, since the 1st catch and the 1st TD and all, but I feel that he wouldn't start on many teams and that in the 1st year he was the best that we had at the time and with skill positions that we did have..they were either borderline NFL players or rookies
 

done88

Waterboy
Maybe Davis has sped things up a bit. Between Davis and Johnson I think the Guys are ready to rev up the engine and see what this offense can do. :banana: :coolb: :dance:
 

done88

Waterboy
Wolf said:
And we have Miller at TE. I like the guy as a player and a person, but when I think about the NFL and TE's he doesn't make much of a blip on the radar screen. He is a good pass catching TE, I wish he could block half as good as he catches. I am not trying to dog him.. I am sure he busts his butt everyday on the field. Our hand is halfway shown when he was in, Defensive Coordinators know we are in passing mode when he is in and they know he can't block well. Don't get me wrong, I liked Miller, since the 1st catch and the 1st TD and all, but I feel that he wouldn't start on many teams and that in the 1st year he was the best that we had at the time and with skill positions that we did have..they were either borderline NFL players or rookies
Bennie Joppru will fix Millers problems. Him and Bruner will keep defenses guessing
:spot:
 

TexanTom

Practice Squad
I'm pretty sure that last offseason after Carr got sacked so many times they basically spent the whole offseason working on 3 step drops and quick release plays...working on not getting Carr killed another season. 3 step drops don't leave much time for fancy plays and multiple reads. You step back and you throw. I have a feeling that with more confidence in the offensive line they can go back to some deeper drops and multiple reads.

I'm also guessing we'll see some two tight end sets this year. Maybe overload one side with Bruener and Miller...Get AJ one-on-one on the other side....Could have all kinds of options....

I hope to see more "fun" on the offense this year...but more than that I hope to see consistency. Too many 3-and-outs really grinds on a defense....
 

Dreadpiratebonzz

Practice Squad
While yes it might be "fun" to watch Carr open it up down field, I just don't think that we "have" to do so. Given the fact that we have 2 WRs with sub 4.4 speed and another one around 4.5-4.6 and hands like glue, it would be "smart" to let Carr start looking down field more often than not. But where would a great team such as that be without a good running game. Last year at times I can see where you said "our goal was to somehow keep the game close ... and run the ball just to keep the clock going." It might not seem like much fun to the average fan but that is how you win football games. Every championship team has proved that you cannot get there without a good running game. Two years ago the Buccs showed up and suprised everyone when they gave Michael Pittman the ball. Yes it seem boring and lackluster, but if it works who are we to complain? Personnaly I don't care how we win just as long as we do.
 

DoCt3rJ

Waterboy
I'd like us to run more RB Screen plays too...since our line is a little athletic now, I think some nice screens for DD would go far. Maybe we can get it goin like those Packers do. I do think Carr dumped the ball off to DD too much last season, it seemed like he looked at AJ, and if he wasn't open he threw to DD, he needs to look around more.
 
I am not a big fan of the screen play. I have see it get busted up too much. The Pats run it the best. I like to see DD catch those 7 yard drops in the middle while the LB's don't have a clue. I think Bradford is the real down the field guy. AJ is best running the 10 yard deep drag route behind the LB's. Gaffney should be a good 3rd option using the hooks, curls, and 5-yard and out routes. Miller is great running the post and running straight up the hash mark. Who knows about Joppru. I am sure Palmer is going to utilize the talent pool; however, the OL play determines much of this.
 
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