re: Coaching Changes Discussion - Chief locked up, what about rest?

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We worked a short 5 yard slant with Swope and then Labhart that took the same amount of time to set up and discouraged LB blitzes

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the play you are talking about (mostly) is Y/H-Stick. It's a run pass option that the QB reads the LB on the snap. When the slot isn't covered and the LB is a step too far inside it is a quick slant or hitch. When the LB moves out to cover the slot, it's an inside zone running play. It's incredibly effective with a strong running game.

We in fact called this play a lot this year. But it always ended up a running play as opposing teams lined up the LB outside the box and took away the pass option on it. That should open up the running lane as it reduces numbers in the box. It didn't. Its failure has absolutely nothing to do with play calling but an inability to run the ball even with numbers.

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The read option is another good play as you get to leave the end/OLB unblocked

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We don't run read-option. We never have even with Johnny. We ran a speed option and that's about it. It's not a staple of our offense and adding it midseason is problematic because you have to practice it incessantly because it's about execution. You also need a balance around it by incorporating it into an overall package. One problem we had with some of our screen game is in effort to find more plays to work around the OL issues, we didn't create that balance and were telegraphing plays through formations and first movement. It's not as simple as just adding a play. It has to fit into the overall scheme.

Zone-read is entirely about OL play anyway though. Just because a guy isn't blocked doesn't mean the rest of the OL doesn't do anything. The entire concept of zone read is about creating a numerical blocking advantage by giving a defender a free rush and an assignment conflict. The success of the play isn't on the conflicted defender (he should never make the play) but on the rest of your blocking.

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None of that requires a good OL

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There are very few concepts that don't require a good OL. Triple Option is about the most valid as it's about misdirection (and this is why the Academies run it). But no one runs any offense well that doesn't have a good OL. It took Paul Johnson quite a bit of time to get his offense up to speed at GT even.

And suggesting we should have an elite offense without an OL is just silly. We ended up as like the 30th efficiency offense this year. I'm not exactly sure how you can make the argument it should be better while conceding the OL was awful. It was inconsistent and it desperately needs to improve. But labeling everything playcalling is overly simplistic.

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There are passing routes you can bait corners with (5 yard stops) and then go deeper on man, or split through shallow zones.

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Of course there are. But you are being purposefully naive to include this while saying OL doesn't matter. All these require OL play and isn't congruent with your argument.