NFL offenses are bland

[dawg21]

If you could plug any offense into the NFL what would it be? We are witnessing the Eagles go with something new..and it's worked well so far.

Personally I'd love to see the triple option or wing-t and just see how it could work out.

[BulldogBear]

Yep. Just another symptom of a boring canned product. To be honest I haven't given much of a flip in years. The college game and experience is a still a superior product in every conceivable manner. And it's not really even close.

[ShotgunDawg]

I'm not debating that NFL offenses are bland, but it's not because the coaches lack creativity.

Here are the reasons I can think of that they are bland:

1. When you are paying a franchise QB millions of dollars, you protect him. This virtually eliminates designed QB runs from NFL offenses.
2. The hash marks are closer together which puts the ball in the middle of the field at a far higher rate than in college football. This limits the variables.
3. There is so much speed on the defensive side of the ball, that running side to side/option is near impossible.
4. In college football, teams have different recruiting statuses (Alabama vs Vanderbilt) & their local recruiting ground specializes in producing different types of players, i.e. Mississippi = D-linemen & running backs California = QBs Wisconsin = O-linemen Louisiana = defensive backs. This specialization leads to teams being able to more efficiently build their teams in different ways. Conversely, in the NFL, teams are all picking from the same talent pool. This leads to closer levels of talent between teams & similar personnel at most positions.

All in all, this leads to a more bland, less diverse game.

[thf24]

The talent level of NFL defenses is so great that only a few things still work halfway consistently, so naturally you only see those things with a few exceptions from year to year. Simple as that.

[Todd4State]

I would run the West Coast Offense (Walsh and Air Coryell) with some pass first spread formations/concepts mixed in. Which is what most of the NFL basically does now. Along with a hybrid 4-3/3-4 defense.

[Smitty]

NFL offenses are a work of finding and exploiting the weak link with > 35 Wonderlic QB's that can handle the brainlog. The bullshit no hard hits has made it where nothing but "bend but don't break" is allowed and everyone goes for 300 yards each week.

College offenses are getting that way but the defensive speed isn't elite on every team and QB's aren't owed millions. The thing I hate is the nerdiness of exploiting rather than the battle of wills of old. Think: running the same play over and over in NCAA on XBOX just because it works. The hurry up bullshit is a well documented symptom of this.

[5 Star]

At its highest level, football is meant to be played with mostly boring schemes. With all the talent and speed being nearly similar, it becomes a mind game. The pro-style offense 'set-up' has and always will be the best way to play at that level. You can't exploit talent advantages like you can in college. In the pros, your quarterback has to not only be able to throw, but he's got to be able make great choices. But if you can't throw, you have no chance.

I know someone will argue and say that this offense or that offense succeeded in the NFL. Well they are outliers.

[drunkernhelldawg]

At its highest level, football is meant to be played with mostly boring schemes. With all the talent and speed being nearly similar, it becomes a mind game. The pro-style offense 'set-up' has and always will be the best way to play at that level. You can't exploit talent advantages like you can in college. In the pros, your quarterback has to not only be able to throw, but he's got to be able make great choices. But if you can't throw, you have no chance.

I know someone will argue and say that this offense or that offense succeeded in the NFL. Well they are outliers.

That's where Dak will have to focus if he wants to play in the league: decision making and ball distribution.

The read option is becoming less effective because defenses have adjusted to stop it and the wear and tear on quarterbacks may not be acceptable. I expect to see read option almost disappear over the next three seasons. However, every quarterback has to be strong enough and fast enough to run when necessary. But getting the ball out is priority one.

[Leroy Jenkins]

College offenses are "gimmicky" because it allows teams to put pressure on defenses week to week when there is only 20 hours to prep. One week you may face a Mike Leach offense with 5 wide, the next week may be a Bielema I-formation. That is hard adjustment to make week to week defensively in 20 hours (and the main reason I like the college game). The NFL does not have that problem because these guys job is to prepare for and play football games each week, vice going to school.
Another luxury the pros have is their staff. Games are scouted a couple weeks out by staff members so when a player finishes a game on sunday the next weeks opponents cut ups are already finished for him to view that night for the next weeks practice.