Ohio Chatter DEV

DaBrowns41

With the announcement of the Mike "Walrus" Holmgren in Cleveland, there's been much talk about the offense that will be run. Holmgren has always ran the Walsh West Coast Offense, while at Green Bay with Brett Favre, and Seattle with Matt Hasselbeck. What does all of this mean though? What is the West Coast Offense, and what's the difference between what we run now and what we will be running? I'm going to break down all of that in the following.

The West Coast Offense (WCO) is an offensive system loosely based on the Air Coryell system established by the Hall of Fame coach Don Coryell. Bill Walsh perfected the system that emphasizes more passing than running. Originated in the 1960's by teams like the Chargers, Raiders, and even Coryell's own Cardinals (St. Louis at the time), the Air Coryell is a system that has been greatly used by teams more and more each season. It was Bill Walsh who perfected what is now called the WCO.

What Personnel is Required for the WCO?

Quarterback- A quarterback in the WCO is supposed to be an efficient passer. A guy that can complete 62% of his passes or better, that specializes in throwing the short-intermediate routes, and can get the ball out quickly after the snap. He needs to be an accurate passer that's also very smart and can make quick reads. In the WCO, the 3 step and 5 step drops are heavily utilized in a quick striking passing game that keeps the defense on it's heels, constantly forcing them to make quick adjustments at the line. A 7-step drop is also something that has to be utilized occasionally to keep the defense honest. Faster linebackers and safeties make it nearly impossible to stick with 5-step drops for an entire game, so often hitch routes, hitch and go's along with crossing patterns are utilized in a 7-step drop. When a defense begins playing up, and compensating for the short patterns over the middle, the offense can catch the defense sleeping and hit a deep route. Scrambling ability for a quarterback is also a plus.

Runningback- A runningback in the WCO needs to be a guy that can catch the ball out of the backfield, and is more a speed runner. A guy that can also hit the hole quickly and be effective between the tackles. Pass blocking isn't as big of a need because of how quickly the QB should be getting the ball out, but it's still something that'd be a bit of a luxury.

Wide Receivers- This is a position just as important as the quarterback. Possession receivers are crucial in the WCO. The WCO requires wide receivers that can catch the ball in traffic, over the middle while having a run after catch (RAC) ability. On the other spectrum, it's crucial to have a deep ball receiver so that the defense can't creep up and shut down the short game. So speed on the outside is a big plus to keep a safety over the top of a WR, and open up the middle of the field. Finally, perfected route running. If the receivers aren't on the same page with the QB and doesn't run crisp routes, then you can kiss any sort of efficiency out the window.

Tight Ends- Another crucial position of the offense, just like the wide receiver position, you need a tight end that can be physical and fight for the ball over the middle. Guys like Jason Witten, Jeremy Shockey (NYG days), Antonio Gates, etc. are all perfect WCO tight ends. Blocking isn't always a strong suit, more just a luxury, as well. RAC ability is nice to have, but glue fingers is the most important part. A TE that can catch everything thrown his way is a HUGE weapon in the WCO.

Offensive Line- The offensive line isn't as complex as the rest of the offense. Agility is the key. Finesse blockers, usually quicker, and a bit lighter are what makes a WCO offense line great. Think Zone Blocking Scheme, but more simple.

Do the current Browns have the personnel for this?

This is yet to be decided. The WCO offense an easy offense to run. However, many people proclaimed that Brady Quinn would be an ideal candidate for a WCO, coming out of Notre Dame. Quinn was very efficient at Notre Dame, and had physical wide receivers and tight ends in a quick striking offense. He flourished with those weapons, while having quicker running backs at Notre Dame. Can he be successful at the NFL level? It is yet to be determined, but he definitely has the skill set to be successful. Quick slants, crossing patterns, flag patterns, etc. over the middle of the field is something that Quinn really did well with in college, and he definitely has the ability. However, he can't be expected to be perfect in his first season running it, as it is a big change in what he's doing right now (assuming he's the QB in 2010). As of now, I'm saying that we have the QB for the WCO. I don't see any options in the draft that would be better than Quinn.

At the runningback position, we are finally finding out what Jerome Harrison is capable of. Harrison is a runner who hits the hole very quickly, can turn a play to the outside and burn linebackers with his speed. He's also very effective out of the backfield as a pass catcher. As of now, I'm saying that we could have a runningback for this system. However, don't rule out C.J. Spiller as he is a game changing RB, and would be available in the first round.

At wide receiver, we have Mohammed Massoquoi, Brian Robiskie, Josh Cribbs, and Chansi Stuckey, along with Mike Furrey (who's seen time at safety as of late). This is the scary part. Massoquoi is not a physical receiver. Often in one on one coverage, he struggles to make a play on the ball. To add to that, his route running is piss poor. Brian Robiskie is still to be decided. He hasn't seen much playing time as his practices have been terrible, and he is struggling to pick up the current offense. He is a more physical receiver, that offers limited RAC ability, but could be a guy that would be utilized heavily in slants and crossing patterns. His route running was very solid at Ohio State, however. Cribbs is just not a wide receiver that can be counted on. He's very special for the Wildcat, reverses and on screen plays, but his forte is special teams, and most likely always will be. Stuckey is a quicker receiver that I cannot see as being a reliable option. This is a big no for having personnel.

At tight end the Browns have had a revolving door. Starting the season Robert Royal was the tight end, followed by a bit of Steve Heiden. Following him was Greg Estandia, then Michael Gaines, and finally Evan Moore. Royal is not an option for the WCO. He's strictly a blocking tight end, with very unreliable hands. Steve Heiden is at the end of his career. While he has excellent hands, it's going to be more of a question as to whether or not he can stay healthy. Estandia and Gaines most likely won't be on the roster next season. The big story here is Evan Moore who just became a Brown in the last 5 weeks or so. His hands have showed quite a bit of promise. Consistency is going to be the question. If Moore can keep it up, he may be able to develop into a nice TE for the Browns. But for now, I'm going to say that we do NOT have the personnel.

Our best offensive lineman in Joe Thomas fits perfectly into this system, protecting the blindside, as does the aging Eric Steinbach. Rookie Alex Mack is also a finesse blocker who's quite athletic as well. The biggest question is the right side. Floyd "Porkchop" Womack is a big question mark, and John St. Clair isn't worth a twinkie. The most important part of the offensive line is in place and ready to go. We just need to find a right side to complete this line and make it a top 5 offensive line in the NFL. We're 3/5 of the way there on the offensive line.

This could be a move in the right direction for the Browns. A quicker offense that is also quick hitting would be a very efficient offense that could keep the defense off the field and eat up time of possession. We have a RB that can excel in counters and traps, and I believe we have a QB that can make the quick throws, and has the intangibles to make smart decisions for us. It's all about execution.

The biggest thing to understand is that this young offense will need time. We also need to hope that we can finally have an off-season with zero QB controversy. We need a QB that can take all the reps in training camp, and learn this offense as quickly as possible for the best success.

sleeper

tl;dr

SportsAndLady

sleeper wrote: tl;dr

"Said whenever a nerd makes a post that is too long to bother reading."

Str8 outta urban dictionary.

DaBrowns41

Lol. Sorry.

Sonofanump

Thomas and Mack are the future of this team and would flourish in said system.

Moore would also benefit from this structure, he is small to block consistently, but his hands are great.

Not sure about Harrison, he could be good with the Roger Craig type swing passes.

DaBrowns41

Sonofanump wrote: Thomas and Mack are the future of this team and would flourish in said system.

Moore would also benefit from this structure, he is small to block consistently, but his hands are great.

Not sure about Harrison, he could be good with the Roger Craig type swing passes.

Well, Harrison won't have to do as much blocking either, which is a BIG reason for his lack of PT over the years. He can be relied on for the swing passes, screens, draws, etc.

But I think this offense has more personnel for the WCO than any other system.

royal_k

Is it assumed they will run the WCO or is this a known fact? I haven't seen or heard anything on this.

pkebker

What kinds of D's has Holmgren run? Have they been effective?

DaBrowns41

royal_k wrote: Is it assumed they will run the WCO or is this a known fact? I haven't seen or heard anything on this.

Right now it's just an assumption, but with Holmgren in charge of things, and with the personnel we currently have, I'd give it about a 90% chance to happen.

DaBrowns41

pkebker wrote: What kinds of D's has Holmgren run? Have they been effective?

Holmgren has always ran a 43 defense, but he's never been a defensive guy to be honest.

I'll evaluate his defensive success following the New Year.

Writerbuckeye

Since Holmgren isn't coaching, I'm not sure how applicable any of this really is at this point.

Yes, he may decide to implement the systems he is most familiar with, but it's not his job to decide such things. He should be deciding who to put at GM (first and foremost) and then make an evaluation (with the GM) on the coaching future of Mangini and the staff.

The rest will follow.

In the interim, I'd very much like him to make his first order of business re-signing some folks that need new contracts (Harrison, Vickers, Cribbs and Roth, to name four).

DaBrowns41

Writerbuckeye wrote: Since Holmgren isn't coaching, I'm not sure how applicable any of this really is at this point.

Yes, he may decide to implement the systems he is most familiar with, but it's not his job to decide such things. He should be deciding who to put at GM (first and foremost) and then make an evaluation (with the GM) on the coaching future of Mangini and the staff.

The rest will follow.

In the interim, I'd very much like him to make his first order of business re-signing some folks that need new contracts (Harrison, Vickers, Cribbs and Roth, to name four).

But Holmgren has the final say on all football operations, so one must think that he's going to have a strong influence on the schemes ran on both sides of the ball.

Not to mention, evaluating QB's is his strongest suit, and assuming (at this point) that he keeps Quinn based on youth and skillset, he'd see how much more the WCO would benefit Quinn.

But you're correct that this is all unconfirmed information, and is just assumed.

wes_mantooth

Holmgren does have the final say, but he needs to fit his personnel decisions to whoever is coaching and their schemes.

hasbeen

I'm not a Browns fan. But I feel that in their division, they need a heavy does of power running and great defense to truly be successful. Could that be mixed in with the WCO?

BCSbunk

I find the WCO to be an illusion of sorts.

It requires a good QB a good RB that can both catch and run a good TC good recievers and a good line. Well what offense will not flourish with all the above?

My grandmother once told me the secret to catching birds. "All you have to do is sprinkle a few grains of salt on their tail." Same ideology with the WCO and having good players.

Is it the salt on the tail that works? WCO or is it that if you are close enough to sprinkle salt on the tail you can just grab the bird? (having all the players at high levels)

hasbeen

To be successful in the NFL you are going to need good players at all positions. We all know that. The OP did a good job of explaining the different types of things the players need to be good at.

Each offense requires a different type of personnel. i.e. Brandon Jacobs would not be good in a WCO because he's a power back. Bradshaw probably would.

DaBrowns41

wes_mantooth wrote: Holmgren does have the final say, but he needs to fit his personnel decisions to whoever is coaching and their schemes.

You don't think that he's not going to find personnel that can run the WCO?

pkebker

Holmgren is essentially the same position as Parcells. Parcells never ran a wildcat offense, yet Miami is running the wildcat. So to say Holmgren is coming in and changing how our offense and defensive strategies will be is not really appropriate. Especially since there are no reports backing this up. I think Holmgren will let whatever HC we have, make all those decisions.

DaBrowns41

pkebker wrote: Holmgren is essentially the same position as Parcells. Parcells never ran a wildcat offense, yet Miami is running the wildcat. So to say Holmgren is coming in and changing how our offense and defensive strategies will be is not really appropriate. Especially since there are no reports backing this up. I think Holmgren will let whatever HC we have, make all those decisions.

Er... Maybe because the Wildcat was more of an invention, than a style of offense any coach brought in.

Lmao.

pkebker

DaBrowns41 wrote:
pkebker wrote: Holmgren is essentially the same position as Parcells. Parcells never ran a wildcat offense, yet Miami is running the wildcat. So to say Holmgren is coming in and changing how our offense and defensive strategies will be is not really appropriate. Especially since there are no reports backing this up. I think Holmgren will let whatever HC we have, make all those decisions.
Er... Maybe because the Wildcat was more of an invention, than a style of offense any coach brought in.

Lmao.

The Dolphins originated it...with their new head coach...That Parcells had just hired...lmao

Sonofanump

pkebker wrote: The Dolphins originated it...with their new head coach...That Parcells had just hired...lmao

You mean in the NFL after Kansas State then Auburn then Arkansas.

DaBrowns41

pkebker wrote:
DaBrowns41 wrote:
pkebker wrote: Holmgren is essentially the same position as Parcells. Parcells never ran a wildcat offense, yet Miami is running the wildcat. So to say Holmgren is coming in and changing how our offense and defensive strategies will be is not really appropriate. Especially since there are no reports backing this up. I think Holmgren will let whatever HC we have, make all those decisions.
Er... Maybe because the Wildcat was more of an invention, than a style of offense any coach brought in.

Lmao.
The Dolphins originated it...with their new head coach...That Parcells had just hired...lmao

Ok. Even though you're wrong, because it was something that developed in the NCAA, if you go by what you're saying, then you can still say that Parcell's had an influence on the decision to run the wildcat considering he hired a coach that was using it, or was going to use it.

So either way, you're wrong. Thanks for playing.

pkebker

DaBrowns41 wrote:
pkebker wrote:
DaBrowns41 wrote:
pkebker wrote: Holmgren is essentially the same position as Parcells. Parcells never ran a wildcat offense, yet Miami is running the wildcat. So to say Holmgren is coming in and changing how our offense and defensive strategies will be is not really appropriate. Especially since there are no reports backing this up. I think Holmgren will let whatever HC we have, make all those decisions.
Er... Maybe because the Wildcat was more of an invention, than a style of offense any coach brought in.

Lmao.
The Dolphins originated it...with their new head coach...That Parcells had just hired...lmao
Ok. Even though you're wrong, because it was something that developed in the NCAA, if you go by what you're saying, then you can still say that Parcell's had an influence on the decision to run the wildcat considering he hired a coach that was using it, or was going to use it.

So either way, you're wrong. Thanks for playing.

That's precisely my point though...Parcells hired a guy that ran different system than he ran. So why are we assuming that Holmgren will hire a WCO guru and run a 4/3 Defense....Its pointless to discuss this, because there has been no reports that this is who Holmgren is bringing in.

So if you read one of my first points, its really premature to discuss this.

Thank You for proving my point. Thanks for playing...

DaBrowns41

pkebker wrote:
DaBrowns41 wrote:
pkebker wrote:
DaBrowns41 wrote:
pkebker wrote: Holmgren is essentially the same position as Parcells. Parcells never ran a wildcat offense, yet Miami is running the wildcat. So to say Holmgren is coming in and changing how our offense and defensive strategies will be is not really appropriate. Especially since there are no reports backing this up. I think Holmgren will let whatever HC we have, make all those decisions.
Er... Maybe because the Wildcat was more of an invention, than a style of offense any coach brought in.

Lmao.
The Dolphins originated it...with their new head coach...That Parcells had just hired...lmao
Ok. Even though you're wrong, because it was something that developed in the NCAA, if you go by what you're saying, then you can still say that Parcell's had an influence on the decision to run the wildcat considering he hired a coach that was using it, or was going to use it.

So either way, you're wrong. Thanks for playing.
That's precisely my point though...Parcells hired a guy that ran different system than he ran. So why are we assuming that Holmgren will hire a WCO guru and run a 4/3 Defense....Its pointless to discuss this, because there has been no reports that this is who Holmgren is bringing in.

So if you read one of my first points, its really premature to discuss this.

Thank You for proving my point. Thanks for playing...

Parcells hired a guy that ran the offense that he wanted to run. The HC and OC then picked up the Wildcat and have utilized that the more that it works.

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West Coast Offense and the Effect on the Browns