Luke Links: The TWO DAYS TO CAMP! Edition

You win!

Can someone please fill me in?

An example of the over-reliance on the stretch play would be the fact that this team does not have a true full back on the roster. It hurts the Colts a lot. The more flexible you can be the better you can be.

I just typed out a whole long post wherein I actually started agreeing with you, but then I replied to your other thing below and lost it. That SUCKS.

But I basically said that I’m not missing the point. i see your point. I see that you have more than one. But you go astray in trying to assign blame, given that the problems in 2008 had nothing to do with the stretch, because they never ran it.

I understand that you’d prefer that they ran better in power situations. We all agree. If you were to say that the 2007 stats about that are a bit of an anomaly, I’d agree with you too. But the fact of the matter is, they have to play to their strengths. They don’t have the personnel for a smashmouth attack. Despite Saturday’s famous pancake block, they’re not an especially strong or powerful unit. Additionally, in 2008 they were hurt and stocked with rookies. But the root of it is that they have smaller, more athletic guys – late round value type picks that are necessary for building a good team – and their strength is their speed and conditioning. The stretch plays to those strengths and also helps the play action passing and outside running game.

You make some statements that damn the stretch and others that say “it has its place but they need more ‘basic’ formations”. The problem is that with their personnel you can’t really have it both ways. And if you want to say they should change it up, that’s fine. It’d be cool to have a Baltimore-esque rushing attack. But as long as they have the guys they’ve got, they’re going to go with the plays that work best for them. And there’s ample evidence that when the O Line and RBs are healthy, the plays that work best all start with the stretch, which is effective. The failures in 2008 have nothing to do with the stretch, because they didn’t use it. In your 9:47 post you mention an overreliance on the stretch in reference to the 2008 roster construction. That’s the problem. In 2008 they didn’t rely on the stretch.

Anyway, the people running this team are a lot smarter than any of us. (Except for me. I’m smarter than everyone.*) It’s kind of silly to come out and suggest that they start changing the playbook, especially on the eve of a training camp with massive roster turnover. For all we know, they have all sorts of new plans for this year. Maybe they’ll do what you say. Maybe they’ll do something completely different from what any of us say. Or maybe they’ll base the offense off the stretch like they have for years, but be wildly successful because there won’t be injuries.

My money’s on #3. Formations are overrated. It’s about execution. Healthy people will execute. And both Addai and Brown will look very good next year if the line does its job. And that’s true of runs around left and right end just as much as it’s true of runs over the guard.

• - And better looking.