Better Play design probably helping Mcfarland

On Saturday who do you think will have the longest run of the day?
Najee
Warren
McFarland

Of those 3 who do you think is going to have the longest catch of the day?
Najee
Warren
McFarland

If this team wants to be aggressive and push the ball down the field, they will need to find ways to get McFarland into the game.

 

Better route options should include angles and space give
Players a chance to make plays.KP has to be accurate which he can be
Meaning has to hit player in stride.

 

They will

Special Teams

 

Sure they can do all of that

Right after he learns block

Of course

 

Ok 1 more try .. You don't take a 205 lb. Scat RB and ask him to pick up a 260 lb. LB as a part of your play design.. That is just bad Coaching ..Instead you design the play as it's that LB who has coverage on Mcfarland if he runs a route ..So 1 way you set your guy and the play up to fail, the other you set them up to win and maybe even win big...ie Splash Plays..

I am sure if a 200 lb. CB or Safety was blitzing Mcfarland could pick them up just fine..So my point remains the same the play design and the scheme needs to be tweaked not turning your Scat RB into the best blitz pick up guy in the NFL...

 

Exactly this is a huge key to the spread and scat game concepts .. Another thing that Ben didn't do so well ..

 

Some of what You say is correct, but You are leaving out the ability to change a play when certain players are in even though You know what the defense is in, because of fear of what a certain player can, or cannot do.

 

For example block the guy blitzing

 

A fair point , but my case is still if he is the OLB blitzing you run the RB'S route to the area he just came from .This is how the scat game is designed.. If it's a inside blitz you run swing passes to the RB who on D is left to chase him down ? Usually 1 guy and this is exactly what you want ..A guy who is a true weapon who is hardly ever asked to pick up a blitz is Mcaffery another 1 was Sproles ..

 

In other words, you want to tell the defense that the back will not block before the play even starts and you think that is good play-calling. Got it.

McFarland hasn't shown nearly enough as a runner or receiver to justify giving him snaps over Harris or Warren, who are both capable of being productive as runners, receivers, and blockers.

 

The way to push the ball down the field is to get it to your receivers. That takes time, which also sometimes means the back needs to block. Pickens, Johnson, Austin, Robinson, and Freiermuth are weapons down the field. Hell, so is Heyward.

 

Back in Ben's younger years the Steelers ran a lot of empty backfields when they wanted to go vertical with their offense. The back would start in the backfield and then go out wide and lineup as a WR. This would create a lot of mismatches for the defense.

Kenny has the mobility, the line should be better, so we don't always need to keep the RBs in on passing plays. You are suggesting that the RBs should never leave the backfield and are only good for pass blocking.

Open up the offense, Be aggressive, throw the ball down the field and attack the defense; isn't this what the players have been talking about all offseason?

 

Sure, you can go empty set, but you are announcing you are throwing the ball, so no defenders are going to play run. The pass rushers will pin their ears back and come hard. The linebackers are going to get deep drops if playing zone, and if they are in man, they won't have to worry about a handoff.

It's like anything else, the OL will have to hold blocks, and you are putting your QB at risk. It will be up to the QB to identify blitzes and make the proper protection calls to protect himself from huge hits from free runners and to give him more time to make deep throws trying to make big plays.

I'm not saying they won't do this or shouldn't do it occasionally. I'm saying that it changes how the defense plays. The defense also won't have to worry about screens to backs. They can still run screens to tight ends and such, but it definitely identifies what the offense is trying to do.

 

They can do that more effectively with four receivers and a tight end. Also, Warren is faster than you seem to realize.

No, I did not suggest that running backs should never leave the backfield. Please work on your reading comprehension. Ideally, a running back can be both a threat as a receiver and capable of picking up a blitz. Harris can do both. Warren can do both. McFarland can't block, so it either tells the defense what is coming or it presents them with a weakness they can attack. Neither is a good thing.

 

Here is a nice article also suggesting that Mcfarland can do enough to not tip the Offenses hand .. It also suggest just as I have he could have a package that would be hard for a Defense to prepare for the opposite of tipping your hand..

As I have stated I think he gets a good deal of run this season.. I predict 15 or so snaps a game and even more if we get down by multiple scores ..

https://steelersdepot.com/2023/08/v...are-match-up-game-plan-problems-for-defenses/

 

That's a lot of speculation and capable of more things than Archer is a very low bar.

Putting him in the slot takes snaps away from Austin, who is even more explosive. Putting him at running back tips their hand and takes snaps away from one of two players who are much better, Harris and Warren.

 

In the slot would be the Nascar package a Spread with no TE him and Austin would both be slots .. The pony would be another way taking out a TE more of a Scat game type of look ..

So the position that most of his snaps will come from is the TE this is the essence of the spread and the scat game and it's not a taking away of snaps from the other RB'S ..These concepts also help zone blocking and are ideal for blockers who are better in space ...

 

So, then it is taking snaps that could go to Freiermuth and Heyward, also both better players than McFarland, all in search of home run hitting that they already have with Pickens, Johnson, Austin, and Warren.

Maybe they will do it. I get the value of attacking defenses in a variety of ways, but there is also something to be said for doing what you do best and giving your best players the ball. In that are, McFarland is well down the list.

 

Not with Bettis and not with Amos Z.

You want to be able to see that overload and at least be able to motion your RB back in to pick it up and save your QB from a hit. With AntMac you're still going to blow him up. The other 2 are going to make the LB/Safety have to work.

Also, he's not even as good as the other 2 going out as a pass catcher. His good runs are a product of great blocking not and a correct first read.

 

Doing what we do best ? Averaging only 20 points a game , ranked 29th. in Team Offense at the bottom of the NFL in yards per rush attempt , at the bottom of the NFL in the redzone.,at the bottom of the NFL in splash plays ...
These things suggest we use all possible weapons available, You may not like Mcfarland , but he may be the biggest splash play potential player on the Team because he can break a long run or take a screen pass for huge yards..

The QB loves him his OC is saying great things about him .. Even his fellow RB'S bragged on his big play potential..If you play Fantasy you better get some shares...


here is a clip of a good read and strong running..https://www.nfl.com/videos/anthony-...rd-middle-and-powers-in-for-5-yard-rushing-td

 

No, McFarland is not the player with the biggest splash play potential. That would be Pickens. Johnson, Austin, and Warren are also ahead of him on that list. For all your talk about McFarland's speed, it was Warren who torched the Bills' starters for a 62-yard touchdown. Did you see him blow by one of the best safeties in the league? I did.

They had the opportunity to use McFarland when all that was happening last year. They didn't because he's not very good. They didn't because he severely limits what the offense can do when he's out there due to his inability to pick up a blitz. Put him at running back and you are taking carries away from two backs who are better than him. Put him in the slot and you are taking snaps away from either receives who are far better (Robinson and Austin), or Freiermuth, one of the team's best weapons. Hell, I'd rather see Heyward out there. He has also shown the ability to make big plays down the field in actual NFL games, something we haven't seen from McFarland.

Maybe they will try to use some packages for him, but that would just be more of Canada getting too cute, which has been a cause of the team's offensive struggles. They need to get their best players the ball.

 

You and I must not be watching the same games. There is a huge dropoff in talent from Harris/Warren to McFarland. Honestly, I'd rather have Snell back than McFarland.

 

Steelers should sign Warren long term, now, while they can get him on a cap friendly contract. I'd like to see Harris get a 2nd contract... but that is 50/50 at this point.