Giving Credit Where Credit's Due: Offensive Stats Before and After the Sherm Lewis Hire

I've also noticed that we're having less holding and offsides penalties along the offensive line. I wouldn't attribute that directly to Sherm Lewis, but it is an indication that guys are a little more focused before the snap.

Good play calling and execution breeds focus and confidence.

Well, we had at least 4 or 5 false starts yesterday. In the past three games, we played maybe our worst first half of the year against Atlanta (yes, we had a solid second half), played very well against Denver, and then scored 6 stinking points against Dallas.

Sure, we're racking up more yards and first downs, and that's good, but like some other people mentioned, let's what until we have larger sample size before we deem this a solid hire.

Maybe we're getting more yards, but giving Sherm Lewis praise one day after we managed just two field goals seems a bit silly.

Going up and down the field between the 20-yard lines without scoring touchdowns gains us nothing. We scored six lousy points and we lost - again. Therefore, as far as contributing to the team winning, our offense sucks as much with the Shermans calling the plays as it did with Zorn calling the plays.

It's actually been 3 games.. Before Lewis, 12.4 PPG, after Lewis 20.3 PPG. Nobody is proposing a parade or a monument in his honor but are you one of those fans so jaded or clueless that you cannot recognize obvious progress and improvement?

Final Score: Jaded 7 Clueless 6.
BINGO!

Well, we had at least 4 or 5 false starts yesterday. In the past three games, we played maybe our worst first half of the year against Atlanta (yes, we had a solid second half), played very well against Denver, and then scored 6 stinking points against Dallas.

Sure, we're racking up more yards and first downs, and that's good, but like some other people mentioned, let's what until we have larger sample size before we deem this a solid hire.

Maybe we're getting more yards, but giving Sherm Lewis praise one day after we managed just two field goals seems a bit silly.
the voice of reason. how dare you :)

Anybody who can't see the huge improvement in playcalling since Lewis took over needs to be watching the games in the company of an adult.


:twocents:

Although I noticed decent improvement in the playcalling with Lewis...he did not attack the Cowboys like he knew their weaknesses.
They should have been attacking the deep middle due to the safety injury.
This was not done.
The problem with Dallas and our line is this.
They attack and crowd the line aggresively....we should have anticipated that or at least adjusted, can you slow this down with screens? kind of...but screens are meant to neutralize occasional blitzes...not an every down 8 in the box situation.
Draws would have worked out fine...the problem...we had Rock...who is certainly not a draw back...this is where the alridge fans come in. We are completely dependant on a single running back to be able to run the draw...and he was out.

I was a bit disappointed in the play calling...in fact, I believe the lack of aggression cost us the game on 2 occasions.....once with about 15 seconds left on the clock at the 20....we did not even try once to throw the ball in the endzone....most teams would try 3 times if they had the downs.....another toward the end of the game around the 30....I think it was 3rd and 5 or something....we ran....again....not even trying to go for the throat...the gutsy call would have been to run a stop and go and throw deep....heck...even a slant would do....but to basically hope you make it and fall back on a maybe field goal is a bit lame. No aggression.

Both of these critical calls scream out play not to lose...they do not say ATTACK when winning....that is a serious problem and explains why our games are always close.

I am very curious if those critical calls are ones where Zorn decides whether we play it safe or attack

Final Score: Jaded 7 Clueless 6.
BINGO!

Even with that stinker, we're still averaging 3 more PPG than under Zorn (16 ppg vs 13 ppg)..

Although I noticed decent improvement in the playcalling with Lewis...he did not attack the Cowboys like he knew their weaknesses.
They should have been attacking the deep middle due to the safety injury.
This was not done.
The problem with Dallas and our line is this.
They attack and crowd the line aggresively....we should have anticipated that or at least adjusted, can you slow this down with screens? kind of...but screens are meant to neutralize occasional blitzes...not an every down 8 in the box situation.
Draws would have worked out fine...the problem...we had Rock...who is certainly not a draw back...this is where the alridge fans come in. We are completely dependant on a single running back to be able to run the draw...and he was out.

I was a bit disappointed in the play calling...in fact, I believe the lack of aggression cost us the game on 2 occasions.....once with about 15 seconds left on the clock at the 20....we did not even try once to throw the ball in the endzone....most teams would try 3 times if they had the downs.....another toward the end of the game around the 30....I think it was 3rd and 5 or something....we ran....again....not even trying to go for the throat...the gutsy call would have been to run a stop and go and throw deep....heck...even a slant would do....but to basically hope you make it and fall back on a maybe field goal is a bit lame. No aggression.

Both of these critical calls scream out play not to lose...they do not say ATTACK when winning....that is a serious problem and explains why our games are always close.

I am very curious if those critical calls are ones where Zorn decides whether we play it safe or attack

The end of the half call was absolutely on Zorn, and he defended it to the hilt, i posted his quote somewhere. I agree the 3rd and 5 draw was bad, and I think that was Lewis. I think I have even more trouble with trying the field goal after the draw got nothing then the draw itself. Not a big fan of either call, but a 50 yarder, which if missed gives dallas excellent field position, or a punt where we hopefully could pin them back. I would rather have punted, and then relied on the D, and I think the D then might have held them. Put dallas on the 5 and let the D do its job, I think it would have worked better.

That 3rd and 5 that everybody is on about was actually a 3rd and 2. A very different situation and the draw play call was fine. It just didn't work.

I hated that draw on 3rd and 2. I know that dallas had put 8 in coverage a lot but when they did blitz they were coming right up the middle, right where that play was called. JC was playin lights out on 3rd downs as well. We'd run the ball the 2 plays before I believe.