00:00D'Amico Rines is super emphatic about being a fast, free-playing defense.
00:06He creates the system, he creates the template,
00:11and then within that sandbox, he goes,
00:14go, play fast, hit things, crash around, do those types of things.
00:19It doesn't feel like that has that same mentality on offense.
00:22Well, it doesn't feel that way because it's not.
00:24Now, let me preface this by saying defense and offense,
00:28playing free and simple and straightforward.
00:33I understand that this is apples and oranges.
00:35I mean, this is truly two different things.
00:38On defense, see ball, get ball, attack, don't be too crazy.
00:41And we talked all year long about they just line up, they go get you.
00:46But it is from a philosophical standpoint.
00:49It is contrary to what D'Amico Rines wants from his players.
00:53I mean, his words, you play better.
00:55You play better when you don't think as much.
00:57You play better when you just go.
01:00So why isn't that the case on offense?
01:02Why is it re-snap, read this, and call out this linebacker,
01:06and what's the coverage, and the ball's going to go here,
01:10as opposed to maybe a couple of quick post-snap,
01:15if you see this, throw it here, and just go play.
01:18Why is it that he's kind of contradicting himself?
01:22I get it.
01:22Offense, he doesn't want turnovers and all that.
01:24But in terms of just philosophically, and I'm not just talking about C.J. Stroud.
01:29We've talked a lot about C.J. Stroud.
01:31We will talk a lot about C.J. Stroud.
01:33It's going to be a big thing.
01:34You know, it's going to be a big thing all offseason.
01:36I'm talking about other players' perspectives as well, like Link Niko,
01:41you know, your second-best player on offense.
01:44You know, he's got very rigid certain things to do.
01:47You know, obviously, if coverages are a certain way, you go here.
01:50But are these other guys playing as free and easy and straightforward as they could?
01:55No, I mean, the Earnhardt Perkins offense that is kind of one of the basis of what they do,
02:02even though this is kind of the word that's coming to mind for me is not quite the right one,
02:06but it's the only one I have, so apologies that it doesn't fit quite well.
02:09It's kind of a bastardization.
02:10Like, there's a mix of various different things within this offense,
02:14and that's also a question that I think you have is,
02:16is there something that ends up being a little bit more clear in the way that this offense exists moving forward?
02:22But, yeah, I think that that offense inherently kind of creates some things.
02:28There are some things that should be fast and free with it, right?
02:30There's, like, options that happen within there, but that requires a level of, you know,
02:35relationship that is developed over time between receiver and overback,
02:39and trust that happens over time.
02:42I think some of it is just the imagination of those who calls the plays, right?
02:45I think that that also exists within here, within any system, right?
02:49Because I immediately went to the system, but within any system,
02:51the practitioners of it make it what it is.
02:54We've seen people use different recipes or use the same recipe to different levels of success
03:00because the person actually utilizing it can take it up a level.
03:04I think that that ends up being part of it,
03:06but I wonder how much the 7-1-3's point gets to this,
03:10which is they said they're starting to think that it's the quality of the offensive line,
03:14rookie running back, et cetera, that it's basically pointing to the idea of, like, the level of talent.
03:20There's something about, hey, we're just going to get out.
03:22We know we do.
03:23We're going to impose that.
03:24That happens with teams that are really good.
03:26When you have a whole bunch of talent, you can lean on it.
03:28Not to say that there isn't talent on the offensive side because there clearly is,
03:32but it's not an overwhelming amount of talent to where you just go,
03:35we're going to go out here and run up and down on you because we have so much talent.
03:39Well, you're right, and I think that probably 7-1-3's right, too.
03:42That probably is a factor.
03:44But just in your approach, we are really good when we just go, except on offense.
03:49We don't want that.
03:50You know, that's kind of what you're saying,
03:52and I think it kind of goes contrary to what his general philosophy is
03:57because I think both his offensive and defensive philosophies have to do with the defense,
04:01and rightfully so in this case, with the defense.
04:04But we have very recent examples of quarterbacks probably, I think most people would agree,
04:10not as talented as C.J. Stroud.
04:13Some would disagree, but let's just say not as talented as C.J. Stroud being able to play that way,
04:19to play and be able to make that throw.
04:21Sam Darnold, you know, I don't know what you think about his talent,
04:24but Sam Darnold was, you know, they let him go.
04:27He's got some talent.
04:28He was a number three pick.
04:29Yeah, number three pick.
04:31But you get my point.
04:32Like, he's been a guy that has struggled in similar situations, not fit,
04:36similar to how some would say, or C.J. Stroud would say he may not fit here.
04:41But in this moment, we have very recent examples of, you know what,
04:44when you just let them go and not think as much and play free, good things can happen.
04:49Yeah, and I think that there's, within this system, there are some tenets of that,
04:54and it usually happens when they try to run the football.
04:56The problem was that you didn't have the pieces to be a great running team.
04:59You maybe possibly had pieces to be an okay running team,
05:03and even then, right, that not come together,
05:05especially when you start the season without Joe Mixon.
05:08Yeah.
05:08I think that's why I look so much at offensive line
05:12and the possibility of adding a front line running back
05:14as such an important thing in this offseason,
05:16because within the context of the system that you have,
05:20I think that is the place where you can be the most,
05:22I'm going to impose my will upon this other team,
05:25is going up to the line and being able to have dudes that move
05:27and create space, and then having running backs that go,
05:31we're going to run, we're going to fall for it, but not just that,
05:33we're going to run through you as well and dictate upon you.
05:36I think that's it, right, because there's people on the text line
05:38adequately noting that there's some inherent differences
05:42between defense and offense.
05:43Well, I said it's apples and oranges, but I'm talking about just philosophically.
05:46But there is the feeling of reactive versus proactive,
05:49and it does oftentimes feel like, I think there was somebody else
05:51That's better, that's a better way to put it.
05:52Where this offense can be a little reactive to what's happening
05:55instead of proactive, and what's funny is,
05:58I think sometimes the Shanahan offense can be a little reactive too,
06:00but it feels at least proactive in its answers, right,
06:04that supposedly it has.
06:06I just think that you weren't situated when you were doing that well,
06:09unfortunately, but if this is the offense that you're going to be,
06:11I think that, yeah, it has to, there's ways for them to have that
06:15fast free, but it has to come within the context of being able
06:19to run the football, which they weren't situated.
06:21But what is it doing also, and I mentioned Nico Collins,
06:23and we're not talking about C.J. Stroud per se,
06:25although it ultimately comes down to him because he's the one
06:27making those throws.
06:28But guys like, what were you saying during the break
06:31about Christian Kirk?
06:32Oh, yeah, Christian Kirk, I don't, well, first and foremost,
06:34I don't know how situated he was to be an option guy,
06:38but I don't know that he strikes any fear in the heart
06:41of the opposing team, and it's probably unfair to be like,
06:43hey, every piece on offense got to strike fear.
06:46That's an unreasonable bar.
06:47But I do wonder if over time and with development,
06:50do you have more pieces that make defenses have to think,
06:54and then you can push and pull them in the way that someone
06:56like Jackson Smith and Jigba makes a team have to think, right?
07:01Yeah, well, I'm not even comparing to him, but I'm saying,
07:04but are you putting some constraints on them,
07:06maybe stunting their growth?
07:07All right, forget Nico.
07:09I mean, Christian Kirk is a whole product.
07:10But hold on, I'm not talking about him.
07:12Forget Nico, forget Christian Kirk.
07:14Jaden Higgins.
07:15Jaden Higgins.
07:16I mean, are you really start,
07:17is he really flourishing the way he could because of the constraints?
07:21I think he's developing.
07:23I think that there's something to be said about you had a rookie wide receiver
07:26have to take over a number two role in this offense,
07:29and he started coming around to it.
07:32That's another thing where I wonder,
07:33now do you have something that's closer to a one-two punch in year two
07:37as opposed to year one?
07:39And then how do you feel about this thought that comes in from the A32,
07:42the idea that above everything else that we talked about,
07:45is it simply a mindset that occurs?
07:48Oh, absolutely, 100%.
07:50How we started this segment, hey, just go,
07:54when he's talking to the defense.
07:56And offensively, it's like, okay, just wait.
07:57You know, just wait.
07:59Let's do this before the snap.
08:00Don't forget this.
08:01There's a check down here.
08:02Run this route.
08:04Be safe.
08:05It's really of just go versus just wait.
08:09And that's what I'm not mad about.
08:12It just has me curious about.
08:13Yeah.
08:13No, these are the large, broad-brush things
08:17that I imagine D'Amico Ryan's took the week
08:19and will take even more time to consider with their approach.
08:22Like, this is the time where you evaluate,
08:24what is your approach?
08:25Does it work?
08:26Does there need to be tweaks?
08:27And I think it would be fair to have some of that conversation.
08:31I mean, we were having some of that conversation last year
08:33in a very particular way.
08:34That being, hey, this offensive line, it doesn't feel nasty.
08:37It felt like they started getting towards that,
08:39but I think they could take another step towards that.
08:41And really, if you talk about on an offense,
08:44where does that type of mentality start?
08:46It feels like it starts on the front line.
08:47So maybe that is part of it, right?
08:49Establishing that type of nasty,
08:50and then you get that feel all the way across this offensive line
08:53with a quarterback that goes,
08:54I know I'm going to have time to step into my pocket,
08:56and that gives me a little bit of confidence.
08:58With a running back that goes,
08:59I know I can hit this gap where it's supposed to be
09:01because these boys are going to move.
09:03Like, maybe that's ultimately where you start to develop some of that as well.
09:05I think they maybe lean into that just go philosophy more
09:08with the offensive line and the running backs.
09:10We know that because of their blocking schemes,
09:11inside zones and such.
09:12They do want to just be that.
09:14It's just the whole philosophy offensively of sort of like,
09:17okay, just wait a second.
09:17Let's do this first.
09:18Yes, that's going to be an interesting.
09:20I'm going to write that down and see if we can come back around
09:23and find who are the right players.
09:25Where do you find the mentality of offensive swarm within this team?
09:30Because it definitely has not felt like that,
09:32at least this season, on the field.
Comments